I attended the meeting of EU Development Ministers in Brussels on 26 February, which was convened by the Development Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, to coordinate the EU approach to the provision of long term development assistance in Mali. The meeting was organised following the detailed discussion on the situation in Mali at the informal meeting of EU Development Ministers which I chaired in Dublin on 11 and 12 February. The meeting reached agreement on the announcement by Commissioner Piebalgs that up to €250 million in European Union development assistance for Mali will be made available this year.
The meeting in Brussels was addressed by the Foreign Minister and the Finance Minister of Mali, who provided updates on the latest situation in the country. They made it clear that the immediate development priorities of the Malian authorities were the rebuilding of basic infrastructure in northern Mali following the destruction caused by retreating militant groups, the funding of basic social services and the financing of elections due to take place in July.
In response, EU Ministers outlined bilateral approaches being undertaken in support of basic services, employment opportunities for young people and ongoing humanitarian needs. There was agreement among Member States that EU support to rebuild basic social services in Mali was a priority, but that appropriate safeguards, in the form of technical assistance and audits, must be put in place given the inherent risks of working in such a fragile environment. The Commission indicated that the provision of development aid would be based on four essential criteria: implementation of the political roadmap; macro-economic stability, public financial management and budget transparency. During the discussion, I stressed that support for the Malian authorities should also be linked to progress on human rights, the rule of law and democratic principles. The Malian Foreign Minister committed to establishing a Commission for Dialogue and Reconciliation and said that all the communities of northern Mali would be invited to participate, including the minority Tuareg community.
The situation of internally displaced persons and refugees was also discussed and EU Ministers outlined bilateral support from Member States. I noted that over €9 million was provided by Ireland in 2012 for emergency food, water and healthcare to communities affected by the crisis across the Sahel region. Some €1.25 million of this funding was for life-saving assistance to vulnerable communities in Mali as well as Malian refugees who have fled the conflict to Burkina Faso. I also indicated that a further €1.8 million was being provided by Irish Aid in 2013 for those worst affected by the crisis in Mali, including assistance to displaced people and refugees.
