Paul Connaughton
Question:151 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the Trócaire report, Development Co-operation and the European Convention. [9952/03]
Written Answers. - Development Co-operation.
I assume that the Deputy is referring to the Trócaire briefing paper entitled Addressing Europe's Global Responsibilities: Development Cooperation and the European Convention.
On 5 March 2003, at a meeting with the Government's Representative at the Convention, the Minister of State for European Affairs, Deputy Roche, Trócaire representatives indicated concerns about the treatment of development co-operation within the convention. In reply, the Minister of State, Deputy Roche, stated that he appreciated the role which Trócaire has been playing in highlighting this important issue. He reaffirmed that Ireland's consistent approach at the convention has been that development co-operation should be defined as an EU policy area with its own specific objectives, which would be set out in the treaties. Development co-operation should also be endowed with a standing in the treaties similar to other areas of EU external policy.
Ireland's interventions in the convention's external relations working group have been based on these principles. In particular, we have been to the fore in arguing that a basic objective of the Union's external action should be poverty reduction in low-income countries. Our efforts, combined with those of others, have helped to secure agreement on this aim in the external action report. We will continue to work on the basis of the foregoing principles over the remainder of the convention.