Attachment

The Regulation addresses the issue of support for a number of specific non-Official Development Assistance (ODA) activities in countries covered by the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI Regulation No 1905/2006). The Regulation is intended to be a one-off solution to this issue.

The Commission reaffirms that the eradication of poverty, including the pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals, is the primary objective of its development cooperation and remains a priority.

It recalls that the financial reference amount fixed in Article 16 for countries listed in Annex II will be implemented using dedicated budget lines which are intended for activities other than Official Development Assistance.

Furthermore, the Commission confirms its intention to respect the financial reference amount fixed in Article 38 of the Development Cooperation Instrument (Regulation No 1905/2006) for the period 2007-2013 as well as the provisions in the same Regulation regarding the fulfilment of the criteria for ODA. It recalls that on the basis of its current financial planning, this reference amount will be exceeded in 2013.

In this context, the Commission intends to propose draft budgets which ensure a progression in development assistance for Asia and Latin America under the DCI Regulation No 1905/2006 over the period until 2013 so that the currently projected ODA amounts under the DCI and the EU budget generally are not affected.