The Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States

East African Region attend 10th EDF Intra-ACP Strategy
and Multi-annual Indicative Programme workshop

The 10th European Development Fund (EDF) Intra-ACP Strategy and Multi-annual Indicative Programme (2008-2013) workshop for the East African Region was held in Brussels recently and attended by ambassadors and representatives of the region, the European Commission and the ACP Secretariat.

The Coordinator of the East African Region and the Ambassador of Seychelles, H.E Mr. Barry Faure, said the purpose of the workshop was to give his region an opportunity to discuss with the ACP Secretariat and the European Commission the status of programming and implementation of the Intra-ACP Strategy Paper and Multi-annual Indicative Programme signed on 13 March 2009.
He said that the information would help the East African Region to better position itself to have access to the funds.

The Assistant Secretary-General in Charge of Macroeconomics, Development Finance and Intra-ACP Programming, Mrs.Veniece Pottinger-Scott, in her presentation explained the key principles of subsidiarity, complementarity and visibility as guiding principles for the selection as well as for management of Intra-ACP funded programmes.

The total amount allocated is €2.7billion and is allocated to the four main categories of: Global Initiatives €300 million, Supra-Regional geographic ACP Initiatives €1.730 billion, Institutional and Support Expenditure €300 million and Reserve €370 million.

Mrs Pottinger-Scott also underscored the importance of striking the balance between programming (which promotes predictability of resources) and the need to maintain flexibility in order to respond to emerging priorities.

She reminded the participants that the document was a product of intense discussions not only between the ACP and the European Commission but also internally within the ACP.
Speaking on-behalf of the European Commission, the Head of Unit DG Development,   Mr. Jean-Pierre Reymondet-Commoy, emphasized to the participants that Intra-ACP is a distinct instrument which in terms of the Intra-ACP Programming Guidelines (approved by the Joint Committee of Ambassadors) is managed through the principles of subsidiarity, complementarity and visibility.
He re-iterated that the Intra-ACP funded programmes should add value and complement programmes funded under other European Commission’s instruments.

Members of the East African Region exchanged views on numerous issues including: Pan-African Initiatives, time-frames for considering proposals and possible support for Fishery Coordination Mechanism, Global Fund on AIDS, T.B and Malaria, Agriculture and Rural Development.

 The Ambassador of Djibouti, H.E Mr. Mohamed Moussa Chehem, welcomed the EC assistance to help the continent of Africa through the African Peace Facility for solving many conflicts that characterize many parts of the continent particularly East Africa.
He, however, lamented that despite financial commitments made by the international community particularly the EC, there was still no peace and people continued to suffer.

Mr Reymondet-Commoy explained that the €40.0 million allocated for the African Union should be understood as support for the continuation of the current efforts started under the 9th EDF in which €55.0 million was allocated to help strengthen the capacity of the African Union Commission in the areas of planning and finance.

On the fishery mechanism, Mrs Pottinger-Scott told the workshop that the financing either from Technical Cooperation Fund or elsewhere could only be determined with certainty when the coordination mechanism was clarified.

Following the interventions, Ambassador Faure concluded that there was a need for the dissemination of information on the programme between the parties on regular basis.

 
END