Case: Policy coherence in general

17-06-2010 EU Policy Coherence for MDGs

The parliamentary report by MEP Michael Cashman (S&D) on progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): mid-term review in preparation of the UN high-level meeting in September 2010 was adopted in Plenary on the 15th of June, 2010. In this report the DEVE Committee highlights that policy coherence for development (PCD) is one of the tools for making progress towards the MDGs.

Cashman recalls in the explanatory statement of his draft report that The EU is now treaty-bound to take poverty reduction into account when it implements other policies likely to affect developing countries. This means what we do on farming, fisheries, trade and migration cannot undermine our development work. Cashman as rapporteur of this motion, made a considerable effort to make EU policies more coherent for development and attaining the MDGs, therefore Fair Politics recognizes him as fair politician.

Some amendments on Cashmans report made the final adopted version stronger, with more concrete examples of incoherence and areas of necessary change. MEPs Franziska Keller (Greens/EFA), Catherine Grèze (Greens/EFA) and Judith Sargentini (Greens/EFA) submitted amendments on Fisheries Partnership Agreements. They call on the EU to transform them to be more coherent with the development policy and take full account of social and economic development requirements of local communities. Enrique Guerrero Salom (S&D) and rapporteur Michael Cashman (S&D) recall tax governance issues, highlighting that 641-941 billion USD escapes developing countries through illicit financial flows. Finally Franck Vanhecke (NI) points out how the Blue Card (EU migration policy) contributes to the escaping medical personnel and brain drain of the health care sector in developing countries (see Blue Card case). For their contributions, Fair Politics recognizes all these MEPs as Fair Politicians

In the process of this report, and INTA opinion was also written for the DEVE Committee by Laima Liucija Andrikiene (EPP). Although Andrikienes draft report did not contribute a lot to PCD, amendments written by Yannick Jadot (Greens/EFA) and Joe Higgins (GUE/NGL) emphasized the problematic nature of EU policies on intellectual property rights, subsidies and economic partnership agreements on the access to medicines, food security and development in general. Due to their amendments, the INTA opinion contributed more to the improvement of the DEVE report concerning PCD, and Fair Politics therefore acknowledges them Fair Politicians.

Monitor fair:Greens/EFA(4), S&D(3), GUE/NGL(1), NI(1)

Read the report on the progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) here