CONCORD PRIORITIES FOR 2006 Presentation for the TRIALOG Central Training Budapest, 9 – 10 March 2006

Overview of the presentation 1.OVERALL FRAMEWORK OF DEVELOPMENT AID AT EUROPEAN LEVEL 2.CONCORD ADVOCACY WORK 3.KEY ISSUES FOR CONCORD PRIORITIES FOR 2006

Advocate for EU level engagement Is the European Commission more than 26 th donor? Member States see mainly two added values of EU: mega infrastructure projects and regional integration EC hardly develops own strategies. No added value. EC has no political role in UN but has channelled 1 bio. € through UN agencies. No added value. If added value of common Development Strategy is not seen, development aid could be re-nationalized in a few years.

Advocate for EU level engagement - Foreign Policy - Neighbourhood - Accession Countries - Trade - Security and Defence - Migration - Development If Development is still seen as priority, there is a fight for resources between: - Southern Governments - United Nations (and Under-organisations) - EU Institutions (e.g. EIB) - Private Sector - NGDOs / CSO

Advocate for EU level engagement Added value of European level ??? « Potential » added value of European level: 3 C’s: Coordination, coherence, complementary at MS level “Acquis communautaire” Policy dialogue Framework setting Weight as region in international processes (UN, WTO, Cotonou,…) “If we do not participate in this process, others will decide for us. “

Members of CONCORD 39 members in 2006 ActionAid Aprodev Austrian platform Belgian platformBritish platformCaritas CidseCzech platformDanish platform Dutch platformEurodadEuronaid EurostepFinnish platformFrench platform German platformGreek platformIPPF Irish platformItalian platformLuxembourg platform Malta platformPortuguese platformSlovakian platform Solidar EU-CORD Spanish platform Swedish platform Terre des Hommes Forum 1600 Representing over 1600 European Development and Relief NGOs Save the ChildrenWorld Vision Adra CBMI Plan Oxfam Latvia platform Hungarian platform Poland platform

Membership CONCORD EUROPE NGO Network (18)National Platform (21) Development / Relief NGO Civil Society Contact Group Social, Environmental, …

Why do NGOs choose to join CONCORD’s members? EU National Level Main Priorities: Advocacy (29%) Improve the quality of their activities (26%) Increase access to funding (25%)

Main sectors of advocacy for EU NGOs No dominant sector of advocacy – a strength or a weakness? EU National Level National Development Policies – most common (8,6%) Weapons traffic – 0%

Structure Working groups : Experts from CONCORD members Policy group: Presidency, Gender, Security and Development, Financial Perspectives, Coherence EU Funding for Development and Relief: Deconcentration, Financial regulations, Rationalisation Development Education Forum Food Security, Enlargement, Cotonou, Humanitarian aid, Trade, FFD The Convenors' Forum: Convenors of working groups to ensure coherence The General Assembly / Consultative Assembly Board Secretariat

Objectives MAIN OBJECTIVE To enhance the impact of European development NGOs vis-à-vis the European Institutions by combining expertise and accountability. CONCORD contributes to a responsible and coherent EU Development Policy towards the developing world. CONCORD promotes the role of European development and humanitarian NGOs in defining and delivering European development and humanitarian aid policies.

Activities Exchange information, analyses and intelligence Working groups Define, approve and disseminate common positions Civil Society Contact Group: common statement on rationalisation of thematic funding instruments Advocate Meetings with European institutions Communicate Extranet, news letter Organize trainings, meetings, conferences European NGO conference on MDG+5

CONCORD advocacy ECHOEUROPEAID DG DEV EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT COREPERSECRETARIAT ECON / SOC COMMITTEE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS DG ADMIN DG JHA DG TRADE GENERAL SECRETARIAT COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION MINISTERS DEV COM COM FOREIGN AFFAIRS BUDGET COM DG RELEX DELEG.

Key issues for 2006 (I) Coherence  GAERC  Conference Austrian Presidency  Finnish Presidency  CONCORD – Evert Vermeer Foundation: Project « EU Coherence » Role of Civil Society  Transparency Initiative (Kallas)  Plan D (Wallström)  Code of Conduct (Frattini)  Critics in EP  Preparation of German Presidency

Key Issues for 2006 (II) After GCAP 05: Monitoring EU/EC aid commitments  Aid Monitoring Report  Aid Watcher Seminar  Advocacy at national and European level Negotiations on EU-Budgets, Instruments and Programs  DCECI – EP document  Geographical and thematical Programs  Framework of Dialogue with Civil Society European public awareness and development education strategy Deconcentration OECD DAC …

Key issues for 06 EU EU Coherence for Development among EU external policies Quantity and Quality of Aid Financial perspectives 07-13, Policy Framework, Programs Civil Society Engagement, dialogue with EU instit., EC-NGO-Partnership, Financial Regulation, Non-State Actors CONCORD EU Coherence project with EVF, Austrian & Finnish Presidencies More and better aid, “Aid-watcher”, Policy WG FFD WG FDR WG, WGE? FDR WG, “Vision” paper Role of Civil Society, German Presidency, CSCG Global Specific

Challenges for CONCORD 2006 Future of GCAP (Europe) Membership support Reflection on framework for contacts with extra-european NGO-Platforms GAs and Board elections And many more… MEMBERSHIP SUPPORT: always there for you !

ΜΚΟ Ελληνική Επιτροπη Μη Κυβερνητικων ΟργανωσεωνΓια Την Ανάπτυξηllenic Committee οf Non Governmental Development Organisations NGO Belgian Platform The confederation