Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 25: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the EU development aid criteria proposed by the Commission. [13628/05]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 52: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government is likely to review its position on the proposals regarding development co-operation, developed by the outgoing Commission but rejected by the European Parliament; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13575/05]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 25 and 52 together.

I take it that the questions refer to the draft regulation on development co-operation — the development co-operation and economic co-operation instrument — currently being negotiated within the external relations chapter of the EU's Financial Perspective 2007-2013. The allocation criteria for Community development aid is one of the policy issues to be resolved in the negotiation of this new instrument.

Ireland's view is that the allocation of resources should be guided by standard, objective and transparent criteria based on need and performance and universally applied to all Community external assistance. With a number of other delegations, Ireland will seek to ensure that this principle is firmly established in the instrument being negotiated.

The instrument has been under discussion in the Council and the European Parliament. It was rejected by the development committee of the European Parliament on 16 March 2005. Since then there have been ongoing efforts by the Luxembourg Presidency and representatives of the European Parliament and the Commission to try to find a solution to the European Parliament's objections. These have to do with a number of concerns, including Parliament's right of co-decision on the legislation and the fact that the instrument combines assistance for both developing countries and industrialised countries. Ireland is hopeful of a successful outcome to these discussions which would enable the European Parliament and the Council to resume their respective detailed examination of the draft legislation.