2015 as Year for Development Cooperation: A Latvian Initiative finds wide Support

The European Parliament has voted in a large majority to call for 2015 to be designated the European Year for Development Cooperation. The vote comes as lawmakers met in Strasbourg in the end of October 2012, endorsing a report by MEP Charles Goerens (ALDE, Luxembourg) on the future of EU development policy.

EU Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs, in a debate following the Parliament vote on 23 October also stated his support for the initiative.

•The European Year for Development 2015 would be the first designated to a global theme. European years have been designated since 1983, the current being on ‘Active Ageing’.
•2015 is the year of expiry of the Millennium Development Goals, with many European Union states falling off track on anti-poverty aid targets.

Concord, the European confederation of Relief & Development NGOs, strongly welcomes the European Parliament’s support for the European Year 2015. For Marius Wanders, Concord Board member, “Having a European Year in 2015 for Development would be perfect timing. It’s the year when important global agreements to decide how to tackle global poverty will be negotiated, which need far more open public debate and European citizens need their say. The year could generate great public awareness and put the spotlight on the EU’s global role in international development.”

The idea of such a European Year first came from the Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation (LAPAS). For Andris Gobins, member of LAPAS & President of the European Movement in Latvia, “I am proud that the idea was born in Latvia, a country which recently was a development recipient country, but has become a donor. I am overwhelmed by the wide support from the very first moment from civil society and EU institutions. This vote is a key milestone in the process. Let’s now start to work and hope for final support from the European Council soon. Then, perhaps we could look at having a worldwide year of and for Development”.

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) also supports the proposal for the European Year. For Staffan Nilsson, EESC President, “The initiative to nominate 2015 as a European Year for Development Cooperation is an excellent example of cooperation between the EESC, other European institutions and European civil society. The official decision on the initiative can be expected soon. Now we have to return to national, local and individual level to get suggestions for concrete aims and content. This European Year, set in the context of the Millennium Development Goals and the new, post-2015 goals, will be a success if it can obtain broad support from people inside and outside the EU.”

Information provided by Daniel Puglisi, CONCORD