As regards international cooperation and gender equality, the interim report points out that the European Commission’s proposal for the next EU budget is lacking gender equality goals, requirements and indicators. As a result, the report calls on the EU to implement a gender budgeting approach in its annual budgetary procedures as well as to fully integrate gender mainstreaming and monitoring in the regulation for the next EU budget. Plan International is urging the BUDG Committee to rely on the expertise of its colleagues in the DEVE Committee who, after a worrying wobble mid-process, are pushing for an international cooperation instrument that promotes sustainable development and equal opportunities and outcomes for all.
The DEVE committee reminds the European Union of its commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals and other EU policy frameworks. It also highlights that poverty reduction remains the primary goal of EU development policy and rightly argues that this should be reflected accordingly in its external financial instruments. In line with our recommendations, DEVE’s opinion calls for the following specific targets to be integrated into the future instrument for international cooperation:
- at least 20 % Official Development Assistance (ODA) for social inclusion and human development. This means supporting and strengthening the provision of basic social services, such as health, education and social protection.
- at least 85 % of ODA to be dedicated to actions that have gender equality and women’s and girls’ rights and empowerment as a principal or significant objective. In addition, 20 % of these actions should have gender equality and women’s and girls’ rights and empowerment as a principal objective.
poverty reduction remains the primary goal of EU development policy
On 13 and 14 November, the European Parliament voted in plenary on the interim report of the BUDG Committee. This was the time to listen to the advice of its colleagues in the DEVE committee, if the European Parliament is indeed committed to achieving sustainable development and ensuring that the EU maintains a strong role in international fora and on the global stage as the main donor in development and humanitarian aid.
Extracts from the vote can be found here.