Roundtable hearing on European Development Fund

On Wednesday 7 October, the committees of  Foreign Affairs and European Affairs will conduct a roundtable hearing from 11 am to 1 pm on the European Development Fund.  

• Follow the discussion live via live debates.

Development Aid
The beginnings of the European Community's development policy coincided with the signature of the Treaty of Rome in 1957, and the Member States' overseas countries and territories were its first beneficiaries. However, it is only since the entry into force of the Treaty on European Union that this policy has enjoyed a specific legal basis. With the successive enlargements of the Union, cooperation has gradually extended to other countries, such as the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) which have a particularly close and long-standing relationship with certain Member States. The Netherlands have a special relationship with the Dutch Antilles and Aruba.

Own rules
Even though a heading has been reserved for the Fund in the Community budget since 1993 following a request by the European Parliament, the European Development Fund (EDF) does not yet come under the Community's general budget. It is funded by the Member States, is subject to its own financial rules and is managed by a specific committee. Therefore, the EDF is not under direct democratic control of the European Parliament.

Interpretation
The House of Representatives will conduct a roundtable to examine the adjustments of EDF expenditures, the EDF budget support and the possibilities of moving the EDF into the EU Budget.Participants of the roundtable hearing are:

From 11 am to 12.30 am:

• Mr. Koos Richelle, Director-General of Europe Aid
• Mr. Paul Engel, Director of the European Centre for Development Policy Management
• Ms. Mirjam van Reisen, Director of the Europe External Policy Advisors
• Ms. Louise van Schaik, European Studies Program Clingendael

From 12.30 pm to 1 pm:

• Mr. Simon Stocker, Director of Eurostep
• Ms. Maria Manuela Dos Santos Lucas, Chief of the Mission of the Republic of Mozambique to the European Commission

Development Aid
The beginnings of the European Community's development policy coincided with the signature of the Treaty of Rome in 1957, and the Member States' overseas countries and territories were its first beneficiaries. However, it is only since the entry into force of the Treaty on European Union that this policy has enjoyed a specific legal basis. With the successive enlargements of the Union, cooperation has gradually extended to other countries, such as the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) which have a particularly close and long-standing relationship with certain Member States. The Netherlands have a special relationship with the Dutch Antilles and Aruba.

Own rules
Even though a heading has been reserved for the Fund in the Community budget since 1993 following a request by the European Parliament, the European Development Fund (EDF) does not yet come under the Community's general budget. It is funded by the Member States, is subject to its own financial rules and is managed by a specific committee. Therefore, the EDF is not under direct democratic control of the European Parliament.

Interpretation
The House of Representatives will conduct a roundtable to examine the adjustments of EDF expenditures, the EDF budget support and the possibilities of moving the EDF into the EU Budget.Participants of the roundtable hearing are:

From 11 am to 12.30 pm:

• Mr. Koos Richelle, Director-General of Europe Aid
• Mr. Paul Engel, Director of the European Centre for Development Policy Management
• Ms. Mirjam van Reisen, Director of the Europe External Policy Advisors
• Ms. Louise van Schaik, European Studies Program Clingendael

 From 12.30 pm to 1 pm:

• Mr. Simon Stocker, Director of Eurostep
• Ms. Maria Manuela Dos Santos Lucas, Chief of the Mission of the Republic of Mozambique to the European Commission