Activities of Bogdan Brunon WENTA related to 2015/2341(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
EU Trust Fund for Africa: implications for development and humanitarian aid (debate) PL
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the EU Trust Fund for Africa: the implications for development and humanitarian aid PDF (321 KB) DOC (130 KB)
Amendments (35)
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the EUTF is intended to be a development tool that pools resources from different donors in order to enable a quick, flexible, complementary and collective response by the EU to the different dimensions of an emergency situation;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the EUTF has been conceived in order to assist a band oftwenty-three countries across three African regions (the Horn of Africa; the Sahel and Lake Chad basin; North Africa) that contain some of the most fragile African countries, are affected by migration and will draw the greatest benefit from this form of EU financial assistance; whereas the eligible countries’ African neighbours may also benefit, on a case-by-case basis, from Trust Fund projects having a regional dimension with a view to addressing regional migration flows and related cross-border challenges;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas two EUTFs were created in 2014, the Bekou Trust fund focusing on the stabilisation and reconstruction of the Central African Republic, and the Madad Fund dealing with the response to the Syrian crisis, which have proved their relevance on the ground;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that financial allocation is characterised by three main phases: promise, commitment and action/payment; however, deplores the fact that, as has been the case with previous EUTFs, a multitude of promisepoints out that the lessons should be learnt from previous EUTFs; regrets that until now, Member States' contribution remains low and is fare always followed by only a few commitments and from reaching the official commitment of 1,8 billion euro yet; insists that promises and commitments must translate into actions;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Observes that, while EUTFs are mainly designed to in the field of external action, EUTFs are mainly designed to enable a swift response to a specific emergency or post-emergency crisis by leverageing the contribution of EU Member States and other donors while increaseing the global visibility of European efforts, Member States show lack of; stresses however that development policies remain key to tackling the root causes of irregular migration and that Member States should therefore not overlook their commitment as regards achieving the target of 0.7 % of Gross National Income (GNI) for official development assistance (ODA), let alone the (insufficient) target of 5 % in relation to the EUTF for Africa; calls on; therefore urges the Member States accordingly to respect their commitments as regards both the ODA 0.7 % target and their contribution to the EUTF for Africa;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the EU’'s financial allocation for the EUTF for Africa currently comes mainly from the 11th EDF; stresses that the EUTF was established because the EU budget lacks the resources and the flexibility needed to address crises such as those in questionthe different dimensions of such crises promptly and comprehensively; calls for the EU to agree on a more holistic solution in the framework of next year’'s revision of the 2014-2020 MFF, with a view to increasing the effectiveness and reactivity of humanitarian and development assistance available under the EU budget;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Regrets the factNotes that of the total EU contribution of EUR 1.8 billion, only the EUR 1 billion from the EDF reserve is an additional resource; is concerned that financing of the EUTF may be implemented to the detriment of other development objectives; recalls that the EUTF tool should be complementary to already existing instruments and calls on the Commission to ensure transparency and accountability over the use and amount of current budget lines contributing to the EUTF;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Strongly underlines that funds from EDF and ODA sources must be devoted exclusively to development ends; recalls that all other expenses related to security, counter-terrorism and border controls, migration management, etc have to be funded from different sources that are pooled in the Trust Fund; stresses the need for contributions by Member States and other different sourcefunding of the EUTF must be implemented on the basis of ODA criteria and that all expenses falling outside this requirement have to be funded from different sources that are pooled in the Trust Fund; stresses in this regard the importance of pooling resources from diverse and multiple sources and donors, and recalls that leveraging is one of the foremost reasons for the creation of this instrument devoted to such different and heterogeneous ends; condemns any use of ODA sources, even a small percentage, for any purposes different from development;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. States that channelling EU funds through EU Trust Funds in fragile, crisis and post crisis contexts may bring a number of political and operational challenges; stresses in this regard EUTFs potential for more flexibility, rapid action and coherence;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. RecallStresses that the use of the EDF and, in some cases, of development funding from Member States to finance the EUTF for Africa willmay have an impact on the aid recipient African countries which are not covered by the Trust Fund, and which are amongin particular the least developed countries (LDCs); warns against the risk of shifting aid away from the poorest countries which have the least access to other sources of finance;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Deeply regrets the fact that, despite the continued importance of ODA for LDCs, the already low levels of development assistance to LDCs declined for the second year in a row in 2014 and that the proportion of aid allocated to those countries is at its lowest in ten years; calls on the Member States, accordingly, to make sure that aid is not diverted away from the poorest countries to cover the cost of the current crises, including the refugee and security crises, by firmly committing to increase ODA in line with the 0.7 % target and to allocate 50 % of ODA to LDCs;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3
Subheading 3
The role of civil society, NGOs and international NGOslocal authorities and civil society
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Considers that the EU Trust Fund for Africa should contribute to thecreating the conditions for stability and development in countries of transit and origin, strengthening and improving of local services (health, education, nutrition) and ofbuilding better governance, and that civil society, non- governmental organisations (NGOs) and international NGOs should play a pivotal role in addressing the root cauand private sector play an essential role in achieving thoses of migration and improving local servicbjectives;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Insists on the utmost importance of local ownership and the systematic consultation and participation of local stakeholders in the identification and formulation of projects supported by the EUTF; believes that a constant dialogue with national authorities and local communities is essential to draw common strategies and priorities and to allow an evidence-based approach in the implementation of the fund;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Stresses that a comprehensive country and sector diagnosis is required for a good allocation of funds, as well as in terms of developing close partnerships with a wide range of civil society actors;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recalls that regional and local authorities, and civil society and NGOorganisations are natural partners for an effective development policy; calls for respect for the principle of subsidiarity also in this field of action; stresses that NGOs and civil society should be strongly involved in the implementation phase of the EUTF;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Strongly believes that the Trust Fund should focus not only on macroeconomic issuesdevelopment but also on grassroots projects with the specific aim of improving quality and equity of basic services, particularly in the health and education sectors, which isare key to increasing inclusiveness and enhancing the wellbeing of local populations, as it can responding to the needs of vulnerable communities while also being able to provide better and more equitable and sustainable services to the general population;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4
Subheading 4
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Expresses its deep concern with regard to projects covered by the EUTF, which has been created using sources mainly devoted in principle to development purposes, that include numerous elements which cannot be considered as development assistance, such as border controls and measures aimed at reinforcing security capacity in particular countries, given that the intendAcknowledges the complexity and the multi-dimensional nature of the current refugee crisis; however warns about the serious risk of misuse of EU development aid, in particular in conflict-affected coutcomes of such measures are to improventries where security, migration management rather than to achieve poverty reductiond development issues are closely interconnected;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls for express assurances fromReminds the Commission and the authorities directly entrusted with the managing of the Trust Fund that 100 % of the resources coming from the EDF or other sources devoted to development assistance will be used exclusively for actions directly devoted todevelopment funding must be used exclusively for development assistancepurposes;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Emphasises strongly that in any caseStresses that instability and physical insecurity are prominent causes of forced displacement and therefore supports a conflict-sensitive approach in the implementation of the fund that would prioritise conflict prevention, state- building, good governance and the promotion of the rule of law; however recalls that the EU budget cannot be used to directly finance military or defence operations (Article 41(2) TEU);
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls on the Commission and, the authorities directly entrusted with the managing of the Trust FundStrategic Board and the Operational Committee to focus primarily on capacity building, stability, wellbeing of local populations, creation of work opportunities and training, particularly for women and for young people;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Emphasises strongly that the ultimate purpose of EU development policy, as enshrined in Article 208 of the TFEU, must be the reduction and eradication of poverty; in this regard, deplores the fact that while the EU contribution to the Trust Fund will be done using mostly ODA resources, this financing mechanism will not be focused exclusively on development-oriented objectives; stresses that a clear, transparent, and communicable distinction must be made within the Trust Fund between the funding envelopes for development activities, on the one hand, and for activities related to migration management and to border controls and all other activities on the other; stresses that diluting ODA so that less funds are used to fight extreme poverty would undermine the significant progress made in international development and threaten the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls for the EU to show greater coherence when acting in the field of international cooperation for development, from a twofold point of view: the EU and Member States should, on the one hand, act responaccording to their commitments and, on the other, exhibit overall coherence in their development policiesexternal policies and instruments towards the African region, with particular regard to the co-management spirit of the EU- ACP Cotonou Agreement; from the latter perspective, considers that the Trust Fund should reflect the principle of policy coherence for sustainable development and should avoid any contradiction, while at present it is mixing development aims with concerns relating to security, policing and EU internal migration, with neither a clear strategy nor the relevant transparency between development aims and security, humanitarian and migration policies;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Believes that the EUTF is a great opportunity for the EU to reinforce its cooperation and political dialogue with its African partners, in particular concerning the effective implementation of return and readmission agreements, and to build up on common strategies on the management of migration flows; points at the necessary share of responsibilities between the EU and its African partners, in line with the conclusions of the Valetta Summit in November 2015;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Stresses that ownership and complementarity of long-term and short- term projects must be ensured, safeguarded and aligned with EU's existing regional and country strategies for the Sahel, the Gulf of Guinea, the Horn of Africa and the North of Africa;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Recalls that the rules and criteria that govern development aid for projects financed by the Trust Fund must respect Europe’s fundamental valuebe set according to shared values and common interests, in particular as to the respect and promotion of human rights; in this respectgard, underlines that EU policy regarding cooperation on security, border controls and organised crime with governments that do not respect human rights or the rights of people on the movemigration management and human trafficking and smuggling should include specific provisions aimed at enhancsuring respect for human rights and the rule of law, with particular attention to women’'s rights, children’'s rights, and the rights of minorities and other particularly affectedvulnerable groups;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Welcomes the research component integrated in the EUTF as a potential opportunity to create development opportunities and synergies between the EU and the countries concerned;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Stresses the need to carefully andCalls on the Commission to systematically checkmonitor how the funds from the EU Trust Fund for Africa are employed and what the EU is actually financing through the Trust Fund, given the extraordinary lack of clarity in its objectives, the lack of solidarity and consensus among Member States, and the clear desire to achieve security goals by means of an instrument theoretically conceived to pursue development endshow they are allocated; in particular, calls on the Council and the Commission to inform Parliament in detailregularly communicate on the specific actions undertaken by both the EU and the African states when employing these funds and the results achieved;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Underlines that the lack ofe limited involvement of Parliament thus far in the establishment of the Trust Fund should at least give rise to detailed and reand insists on the need to gular reporting by the Commissionantee the Parliament's scrutiny on how the African Trust Fund is been implemented, enabling Parliament to play its role of watchdog;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Believes that, given the extraordinary flexibility and rapidity proper to a Trust Fund, periodical reporting to Parliament should be undertaken at least once every six months; strongly underlines the need for performance monitoring, evaluation and auditingccountability;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Encourages non-EU countries to draw up and implement an efficient return policy through the Union's development aid programmes;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Recalls that EU migration policies should primarily focus on addressing the root causes of migration, by working to help create peace and stability and foster economic development, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 16, by improving work on promoting and organising legal migration channels, by enhancing the protection of migrants and asylum seekers and of particularly vulnerable groups, by more effectively fighting exploitation and trafficking of migrants, and by working more closely with third countries to improve cooperation on voluntary return and readmission;