EU Policy on SRHR
The EU development policy in the field of sexual and reproductive health is based on the Programme of Action (PoA) of the United Nations International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo in 1994. The EU policy also reflects the specific targets set in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The principal overall aim of European Community (EC) financing is to support actions to improve reproductive and sexual health in developing countries, and to secure respect for related rights.
The Directorate General for Development is responsible for setting out the policy priorities of the programme of aid for population policies and reproductive health care. The policies underpinning EC actions in reproductive health in developing countries are the following:
At country level, EU policies are expressed through policy dialogue when negotiating Country Strategy Papers (CSP) and Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP) with partner countries. Reproductive health issues have to be integrated into documents, in full respect of the principle of partner country ownership.
New EU development policy framework
In 2005, the EU adopted a new EU development policy statement. The ‘European Consensus on Development' provides, for the first time, a common vision that guides the action of the EU, both at its Member States and Community levels, in development co-operation. The new policy reflects changes since the previous strategy was published in November 2000: the stronger consensus on the Millennium Development Goals, the security context after the terrorist attacks on 11 September and the increased impact of globalisation.
Institutional Architecture and Policy Making
The key bodies for EU development policy are the Council of Ministers, the European Parliament and the Commission. Their respective powers will change further during the current reform process and this will have significant consequences for EU development policies.
The EU's external assistance is managed by a number of different headquarter services with different but sometimes overlapping mandates:
- DG Relex is responsible for policy and programming of EU external assistance to all parts of the world except Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
-DG Development is responsible for all development policy (also applicable to developing countries falling under the geographical cover of DG Relex) and all Sub-Saharan, Caribbean and Pacific countries.
- EuropeAid/AIDCO is the implementing agency. All implementation of specific projects and programmes are handled by this service.
- ECHO is in charge of all humanitarian assistance.
- DG Enlargement (Enlargement aid) and ECFIN (Macro-economic assistance) also manage a number of budget lines for external assistance.
EC Development Aid
EC development aid comes from two main sources:
- The annual EC Budget which covers cooperation with developing countries in all geographic regions and countries with economies in transition. The EC budget is funded from the EU's own resources as well as from obligatory contributions from Member States.
- The European Development Fund (EDF) which covers cooperation with ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) countries under the Cotonou agreement. The EDF is funded from Member States' voluntary contributions. The EDF is not part of the Community Budget and is subject to completely separate rules and guidelines.
The EU budget is voted on an annual basis while the European Community's budget priorities are defined for a seven years period in a framework called the “financial perspective”.
The EU is currently negotiating a comprehensive review of all aspects of EC spending for the new Financial Perspectives (2007–2013). With different budget headings, they describe the maximum amounts (ceilings) of commitment appropriations (financial commitments) for the whole period.
The Interinstitutional Agreement (IIA) between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission formalises the Financial Framework for the period 2007-13 and the rules for its management in relation to the annual budgetary procedure as foreseen in the EU treaty.
The European Commission has proposed a set of six new instruments for the EU's external actions and policies (Heading 4 of the budget: the EU as a global partner). Three of them are horizontal instruments to respond to particular needs and circumstances (Stability; Humanitarian Aid; Macro-Financial Assistance). Three are designed to implement particular policies (preaccession assistance, European neighbourhood and partnership policy, and development cooperation) and have defined geographical coverage.
SRHR in the Financial Perspectives 2007-2013
In the context of development policy, the thematic programme "Investing in people" will focus on the core themes of good health for all, knowledge and skills, culture, employment and social cohesion, gender equality, children and youth. Action in the field of SRHR will continue with the same definitions and scope as provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1567/2003 on aid for policies and actions on reproductive and sexual health and rights in developing countries and Regulation (EC) No 1568/2003 on aid to fight poverty diseases in developing countries.
Useful links
What's new
- 10th EDF: Implementation regulation - 1st revised draft: general exchange of views, December 2006
- European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing a financing instrument for the promotion of democracy and human rights worldwide (European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights), December 2006
- European Parliament legislative resolution on the Council common position for adopting a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a financing instrument for development cooperation, December 2006
- EC Communication on strengthening the EU Neighborhood Policy, December 2006
- Co-Financing with Development NGOs in Developing Countries: Open until 16.01.2007
- European Commission Work Programme for 2007
- Progress Report on the implementation of the EU strategy for Africa, October 2006
- The EU has reached a political agreement on the new Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI), October 2006
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