EU development aid 'should lead' to put fragile states on track

The European Union's development policy should be geared to encourage fragile states to move towards good governance, honour their international obligations, shoulder responsibility and combat international criminal networks, Foreign Affairs Minister Michael Frendo told European Union development ministers at a conference in Leeds.

Dr Frendo participated in two sessions on Tuesday and contributed to discussions on the EU's draft development policy as well as the Union's strategy on Africa.

"I emphasised that good governance should be a condition and a performance criterion for the awarding of development aid from the European Union. However, we should not use this criterion to the point of excluding fragile states from such aid," Dr Frendo told The Times.

He said Malta also made it clear that the draft development policy - that should be written in a way which is readable to all citizens - should clearly distinguish between development policy and humanitarian assistance.

In the case of a catastrophe, for example, a country would be helped irrespective of the criteria used to award development aid.

Dr Frendo's main thrust was that poverty eradication should be the EU's main target. "We cannot ignore globalisation and the way the world has changed, since eradicating poverty does not taken place in a vacuum," Dr Frendo said.

The European Commission and the Presidency have each drafted a development policy and Malta supported the Commission's text.

"The draft policy being proposed by the European Commission links development with security, migration, trade, the environment and also globalisation. We think these direct links, which are not so pronounced in the Presidency's text, are very important," Dr Frendo said.

Speaking of the EU's strategy on Africa, he said: "Africa is a continent that truly needs solidarity". He made it clear that political dialogue between the two continents should be intensified as not enough was taking place.

Dr Frendo said the document should "minutely" reflect principles which underpin the Cotonou agreement - a partnership struck between the EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries in 2000 and which is aimed at reducing poverty through political dialogue, development aid and closer economic and trade cooperation.

Dr Frendo said all states which are signatories to this agreement should honour their obligations under article 13, which lays down that countries should accept illegal immigrants back to their countries. He pointed out, however, that article 13 did not refer to refugees or people with humanitarian status and therefore did not waive countries' obligations to assist those in need.

Dr Frendo said assistance should be directed towards "pro-poor" economic development so that aid reached the poorest segments of society.