50. Calls on the Commission to examine whether the de minimis threshold, currently set at
EUR 100 000, could be raised, which would provide relief and cut down on bureaucracy for SMEs andnew businesses;
51. Points out that national State aid is an important financial instrument for economic, social and terri-
torial cohesion, and must therefore be incorporated into the national reference framework and be approvedas part of the multiannual national programme;
52. Appreciates the Commission's intention to improve the transparency of regional State aid in an
enlarged EU and supports easy access for all interested parties to the full text of all applicable regional aidschemes in the EU;
53. Calls for the fundamental rules on State aid associated with the Structural Funds to be incorporated
into the Council regulation laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund,
the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund;
54. Thanks the Commission for having taken account of Parliament 's considerations during the consul-
tation period leading to the drafting of the draft Regional Aid Guidelines;
55. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, and the Committee
of the Regions.
P6_TA(2005)0528
EU Development Strategy
European Parliament resolution on a Joint Statement by the Council and the representatives of the
Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council, the European Parliament and the
Commission on European Union Development Policy: ‘The European Consensus on Development ’
The European Parliament ,
— having regard to the consensus reached by the General Affairs and External Relations Council of 21 and
22 November 2005, in agreement with the Commission, on a ‘Joint Statement by the Council and the
representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council, the EuropeanParliament and the Commission on European Union Development Policy: The European Consensus onDevelopment ’,
— having regard to the European Community's Development Policy Statement adopted by the Council and
the Commission on 10 November 2000,
— having regard to the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement, signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000 and the
amending agreement, signed in Luxembourg on 25 June 2005,
— having regard to the United Nations Millennium Declaration of 8 September 2000, which sets out the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as criteria established jointly by the international communityfor the elimination of poverty,
— having regard to its resolutions of 17 November 2005 on the proposal for a Joint Declaration by the
Council, the European Parliament and the Commission on the European Union Development Policy —
‘The European Consensus ’(
1); of 17 November 2005 on a development strategy for Africa (2); and of
12 April 2005 on the role of the European Union in the achievement of the Millennium DevelopmentGoals (MDGs) (
3),
— having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
(1) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2005)0446.
(2) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2005)0445.
(3) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2005)0115.23.11.2006 EN C 286 E/507 Official Journal of the European Union
Thursday 15 December 2005
1. Welcomes the initiative by the Commission to revise and update the 2000 Development Policy State-
ment and in particular to involve Parliament in this process; welcomes the Commission's resolve to ensurethat all its services and delegations managing the programming and implementation of Community devel-opment assistance use the ‘European Consensus on Development ’as the key reference for the Community's
objectives and principles for implementation of all development cooperation;
2. Welcomes the fact that for the first time the EU and its Member States have agreed to act together to
promote a common EU vision of development, setting out common objectives and principles and reaffirm-ing the EU's commitment to poverty eradication and to ownership, partnership, delivering more and betteraid and promoting policy coherence for development, which will guide Community and Member States'development cooperation activities in all developing countries;
3. Is particularly satisfied with the resolve expressed by the signatories of the ‘European Consensus on
Development ’to stress that poverty eradication and the achievement of the MDGs are the overarching
objectives of EU development policy, to ensure policy coherence for development and to harmonise pro-cedures between the Community, the Member States and other donors, to define more clearly the specificrole of the Commission, to stimulate debate and dialogue with local economic and social partners ondevelopment policy and the implementation of the MDGs, and is determined to continue to monitor closelyand, where appropriate, to take initiatives in order to achieve these objectives;
4. Regrets that only scant reference is made to children's rights, which should be mainstreamed into all
development activities; regrets as well that Parliament's strong emphasis in the negotiations on humandevelopment, in particular both health and education, has not been fully taken on board in the Statement;and remains determined to continue working to ensure that these remain priority areas of Community aid;
5. Welcomes the intention expressed in the ‘European Consensus on Development ’to strengthen the
control of EU arms exports, with the aim of preventing the use of EU-manufactured weaponry againstcivilians, and take concrete steps to limit the uncontrolled proliferation of small arms and light weapons(SALW), but calls on the Commission to intensify and speed up de-mining and disarmament programmes inpost-war regions;
6. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop a set of measurable objectives and targets
for implementing the agreed development policy and for assessing its progress at regular intervals;
7. Expresses its satisfaction that a truly inclusive and transparent negotiating process between Parliament,
the Council and the Commission has made it possible to obtain a ‘European Consensus on Development ’;
notes with satisfaction that many of Parliament's suggestions have been incorporated into the document andstresses Parliament's crucial role in reaching this ambitious and significant agreement; calls on the Counciland the Commission to regard this process as a model for future negotiations on crucial policy matters;
8. Considers that the document largely corresponds to Parliament's priorities in the field of development
policy, as expressed in its various resolutions on the subject; and emphasises its intention to play an activerole in the promotion of the ‘European Consensus on Development ’, particularly by working towards
greater policy coherence for development in Community policies, and by seeking dialogue with citizensand the civil society on EU development policy;
9. Gives its assent to the Joint Statement by the Council and the representatives of the Governments of
the Member States meeting within the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission on EuropeanUnion Development Policy: ‘The European Consensus on Development ’;
10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the govern-
ments of the Member States.C 286 E/508 EN 23.11.2006 Official Journal of the European Union
Thursday 15 December 2005