Case: Policy coherence in general

09-03-2010 MEPs Submit Amendments to INTA Opinion on PCD

On the 2nd of February the amendments on the INTA Draft Opinion on EU Policy Coherence for Development and the Official Development Assistance plus concept by Joe Higgins were due. On the 23rd of February, these amendments were voted on. All in all the amendments were a reflection of the never ending debate on neoliberalism and the international capitalist system within the committee on international trade; the EPP and the ECR versus the Greens and S&D. Some really good amendments were written, with references to incoherences that Fair Politics has also tackled like TRIPS and access to medicines, biofuels, agricultural subsidies, migration issues and partnership agreements with ACP countries. Despite this, some of these amendments were not adopted and amendments that were less progressive towards PCD, were.

David Martin, Socialist and Democratic (S&D) Member of European Parliament (MEP), put in a lot of effort to get some concrete examples of incoherence into the opinion. For example he welcomes the Commissions efforts in food security, environmental sustainability and tackling issues concerning TRIPS and indigenous knowledge for medicines. He also calls for more efforts in combating incoherence in EU migration policies and policies leading to tax evasions, which impede developing countries from developing.

Marielle De Sarnez (ALDE) focussed her amendments on more environmental sustainability and the importance of it to go hand in hand with social sustainability and development. She mentioned the production of biofuels as an example. Just over half of her amendments were adopted. Those that were too controversial for the committee, were dropped. She for example calls on the Commission to ensure that trade policy with developing countries is first and foremost a tool for sustainable development guaranteeing food security and easy access to generic medicines.

Yannick Jadot (Greens/EFA) expressed his concerns for the re-establishment of export subsidies for milk powder and other dairy products which clearly counters development efforts by bankrupting dairy producers in developing countries and ensuring further dependency on Europe.

MEPs Pablo Zalba Bidegain (EPP) and Jan Zahradil (ECR), who are very pro liberalization and against much that was included in the opinion, did submit one amendment, which was adopted, that does show some relevance for enhancing  PCD; Calls on the Commission, in order to ensure that DG Trade has a coherent mandate for trade negotiations, to take due account of Parliaments preconditions for giving its consent to the conclusion of trade agreements.

Criticism on the neo-liberal agenda in the draft opinion were voted against, but other criticism of trade agreements and economic partnership agreements (EPAs) were acknowledged by the majority of the INTA committee. Original rapporteur, Joe Higgins, could no longer support the opinion and therefore withdrew as rapporteur. Nevertheless we still acknowledge his efforts.

Fair Politics acknowledges MEPs Martin, De Sarnez and Jadot as Fair Politicians for their proposed fair amendments and efforts to make EU policies more coherent.

Monitor fair: S&D, ALDE, Greens/EFA

Also Read: 27-01-2010 A Special Day for PCD: INTA Draft Opinion

Amendments on the Draf Opinion by Joe Higgins read here

INTA Opinion on the EU Policy Coherence for Development and the 'Official Development Assistance plus concept' (ODA+) read here