Development & Aid, Europe, Headlines

DEVELOPMENT: EU Needs to Be Sold the Idea

Stefania Bianchi

BRUSSELS, Oct 6 2004 (IPS) - EU development commissioner designate Louis Michel has promised to “sell the idea of development” across Europe.

“I think I can make EU development cooperation more popular and I believe I have the talent to do this,” he told members of the European Parliament (MEPs) Wednesday (Oct. 6).

Michel’s pledge to make European Union (EU) development policy “more popular” amongst European citizens was met with an impromptu round of applause from the European Parliament’s development committee who were testing his worth as EU development chief.

Michel, foreign minister of Belgium since 1999, was nominated in August to take over as development commissioner from Poul Nielson for the new commission term beginning November.

Like the other commissioner designates, Michel was required to answer questions from MEPs about his suitability for the job at a three-hour parliamentary hearing.

Michel opened the hearing before some 70 MEPs from the development and foreign affairs committee with a 15-minute statement, and then faced questions and comments from the Parliament’s main political groups.

While much of the hearing focused on controversial issues such as the consistency of development policy with the EU’s foreign and commercial policy, Michel also set out his vision for EU development policy over the next five years.

Michel said one of his main priorities would be to “make the EU’s development policy known throughout Europe” particularly among young people so that it could be “raised up” the EU agenda.

“EU development and aid is one of the best things that the EU does, but most people are unaware of it,” he said.

When asked how he would mobilise support for development policy in the new member states, Michel said “at the risk of seeming very ambitious I will tour each of the new member state parliaments and will organise a debate on the general development policy.”

After remaining calm and confident through two hours of the hearing Michel said he was going “to let off steam against the advice of my advisors” when confronting questions about the future of development policy in relation to other EU policies.

Present development commissioner Poul Nielson is only responsible for relations with the 77 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. Other developing countries fall under the responsibility of Chris Patten, the commissioner for external relations.

Many development non-governmental organisations (NGOs) say it is difficult to see how Michel will implement his development agenda outside the ACP regions.

After many MEPs expressed concern over the sometimes difficult working relationship between the EU commissioners for development and external relations, Michel acknowledged the situation was not ideal.

“I’ve not come in here to enter into a tug of war with Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the new commissioner for foreign affairs,” he said. “You will be able to monitor whether the relationship works. That’s the only answer I can give you but I am determined to make it work.”

But some political parties expressed concern about his knowledge of development issues. The European Parliament’s spokesperson for development Armelle Douaud said that while many of the MEPs were “quite happy about Michel’s strong personality” they were concerned that some of his answers were not consistent.

“Especially over human rights issues and the involvement of NGOs in EU development policy, he didn’t seem to know much,” she told IPS. “In the parliament we are quite open-minded about the involvement of NGOs, but he seemed a little reluctant.”

This is also what many Brussels-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) feel.

Giampiero Alhadeff, secretary general of Solidar, a network of development NGOs, said that while many of NGOs had welcomed Michel’s pledge to spread the idea of development across Europe, they believed he would not be able to do this without their help.

“Although he’s understood that development has slipped down the EU’s agenda, we don’t think he understands the added value of NGOs and the work they can do in spreading the message of development,” he told IPS. “This wasn’t apparent in his presentation.”

Alhadeff says NGOs have the membership to reach European citizens where EU officials cannot.

“Recent surveys have shown that people trust NGOs more than they trust institutions and businesses,” he said.

On the other hand Graham Watson, leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) welcomed Michel’s “energy and enthusiasm for closer cooperation with developing countries.”

The commissioner designate “sent a clear message that he will tackle major challenges head on and will breathe new life into the EU’s development policy,” he said. “He set out a clear and ambitious strategy and proposed a renewed general framework for development policy.”