The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the draft Commission decision establishing a Special Measure 2007 for Iraq, which was voted by the DCI management committee on 8 October 2007. It took the view that, in the draft Special Measure for Iraq for 2007, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are not clearly presented as a main priority. It considered that this is not in compliance with Article 2(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006 as the pursuit of the MDGs is established there as one of the overarching principles of cooperation under the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI).

Parliament further took the view that, in the draft Special Measure for Iraq for 2007, the Commission exceeds the implementing powers laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006 by selecting as one of the areas of intervention a Feasibility Study for the Akkas Gas Field, the overall objective of which is to study the conditions for exploration of the Akkas Gas Field in western Iraq in view of linking its output to the Syrian gas pipeline network. The Commission states that a further objective is to integrate this project if possible in the workings of the Euro-Arab Mashreq Gas Market Project. Parliament pointed out that, in the Commission’s words, the study will take into consideration the future interest of the Mashreq neighbours and of the EU in integrating the output of the wells into the Euro-Mashreq gas market, and that this integration will open a large potential market for the Akkas fields' production and allow a first integration of the Iraq natural gas with the regional and European market. Parliament therefore considered that this objective is not in compliance with Article 2(1) and (4) of Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006, in that the primary objective of the proposed Special Measures is not the eradication of poverty and in that the stated objectives do not fulfil the criteria for ODA established by the OECD/DAC.

Members called on the Commission to withdraw or amend its draft decision establishing Special Measure for Iraq, and to submit to the DCI management committee a new draft decision fully complying with the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006.