EESC CIVIL SOCIETY MEDIA SEMINAR

COMMUNICATING EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENT POLICY

LUXEMBOURG, 26-27 NOVEMBER

  • Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
  • It is a pleasure to be here today and I thank the European Economic and Social Committee for the organisation of this event, which I believe is in its 9th successive year.
  • I see that the day and a half seminar will discuss a rich variety of topics at this timely juncture, as we look to the end of the European Year for Development and beyond to the new Sustainable Development agenda.

Why we need communication:

  • Through our communication we want to show how development cooperation is inextricably linked to other policy fields. And this has been shown in even sharper relief with the many challenges we are currently facing such as international terrorism and extremism, the influx of refugees and migrants and global health pandemics.
  • All of these challenges only prove that Europe cannot be insulated from problems beyond our borders. And this is one of our central messages – development concerns us all!
  • The special Eurobarometer survey published last January on development cooperation found that most EU citizens understand this, with three-quarters of respondents recognising the importance of development cooperation in contributing to a more peaceful and equitable world.
  • Development and international cooperation are fundamental European policies that affect us all.
  • One of the European Commission's priorities is to strengthen Europe’s role in the world. However, Europe can only be a global player if Europeans understand how the external policies of the EU and its Member States benefit us all in our interdependent world.
  • The European Commission is committed to increasing the public's awareness of development issues and informing the public of our work. While we do this through our own communications, we recognise that our cooperation is one of partnership, and our partnership with civil society and other non-state actors is fundamental.
  • The good news is that a large majority of Europeans – 85 % (from the special Eurobarometer on development) – recognise the importance of helping people in developing countries. This number has always been high and reflects how international solidarity continues to lie close to the heart of EU citizens. This is even more impressive given the economic difficulties being experienced by many Member States over the last period

EYD2015

  • We sent a strong message about our commitment to international cooperation by declaring 2015 the European Year for Development. The Year was not owned by the European Commission. It was important that all EU development stakeholders got involved.
  • Indeed, it is in fact thanks to the Economic and Social Committee that the idea of making 2015 the European Year for Development got off the ground.
  • With the year now coming to a close, we can say that the large number of partners getting involved has been one of its major successes. I therefore want to express my gratitude to all of our partners, the European Economic and Social Committee, and many others who are here today, who brought their own energy and unique perspectives to the Year.
  • I have attended many events linked to the European Year for Development in Brussels and across the Member States. I have been very impressed by the level of commitment shown by the many economic and social organisations. It shows that European civil society organisations retain a sense of responsibility that goes beyond their regional and national environments.
  • The European Year for Development was not about patting ourselves on the back for a job well done. Rather, it was to inform citizens about what we are doing; to engage in dialogue and exchange; and to raise awareness of the mutual benefits of EU development cooperation for European citizens, and especially young people.
  • I know that the approaches utilized throughout the EYD campaign will be discussed in more detail later on. What I will say is that it will be important that we learn from this experience and build upon the great work carried out and the results achieved.

Communications and partnership (Civil society and non-state actors):

  • Civil society actors are vital partnersfor our cooperation.Civil society and other non-state actors are the nourishing roots of democracy and sustainable development, and are vital for advancing political, social and economic dialogue and change.
  • The European Commission recognises the valuable contribution of civil society and other actors towards increasing the level of awareness of development issues and mobilising active public support for poverty reduction and sustainable development across Europe.

This role is supported by the Commission with a long standing civil society programme on Development Education and Awareness Raising – the DEAR programme. The projects supported by the DEAR programme in 2015 joined the EYD campaign enthusiastically with activities that engaged the general public and especially young people across all member states.

  • We also worked closely with CONCORD, the European confederation for relief and development NGOs. Through a sub-granting mechanism we set up together, projects involving both development NGOs as well as civil society actors from other sectors, were able to get involved in the EYD, organising capacity building activities, as well as actions seeking to stimulate critical thinking and a sense of joint responsibility and solidarity for our world among Europeans.

EYD success and building on its legacy towards the SDGs:

  • We are really proud of our contribution to the historic agreement of world leaders at the special United Nations summit in September, which set an ambitious new universal sustainable development agenda. The new Sustainable Development Goals aim at ending extreme poverty, fighting inequality and injustice and combatting climate change by 2030.
  • Agreement on the 2030 Agenda is a significant achievement. It balances the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, along with poverty eradication.
  • The universality of the new agenda is fundamental, it is for everybody. We all have a meaningful role to play, domestically and globally to achieve this ambitious new agenda.
  • The success of the SDG Agenda will depend not only on governments, but requires a collective multi-stakeholder partnership. This means the active engagement of the private sector, civil society, parliaments and local authorities. Strengthening partnerships between these different parties, sometimes with different agendas and interests, is one of our greatest challenges.
  • The EU is committed to play its part, and to formulate our response to fully implement the Agenda, through both our external and internal policies. The Commission Work Programme for 2016 includes a new initiative on “Next steps for a sustainable European future”, which will set out the EU’s approach beyond 2020, taking account of the internal and external implementation of the SDGs.
  • We need to engage in a broad dialogue on the implications of the adoption of the new Agenda for EU policies in general and on international cooperation and development policy in particular. We will be organising a public consultation open to all, with civil society as a key partner.
  • The EU and its Member States are committed to remain at the forefront of global efforts to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice and address climate change. For us to be successful in this mission we need everyone to play their part, as each and every one of us has a role to play for a more sustainable and peaceful world.
  • It will only be by acting together and with an informed and engaged citizenry will we be successful in meeting this ambitious agenda. I believe there is a lot to be learned from the European Year for Development and approaches that can be carried forward. It will be up to us to ensure the seeds we have sown in 2015 will blossom and pave the way for a better world for all.
  • I wish you well in your discussions over the next two days.