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Having been recipients of development aid for a decade and a half, the twelve countries which joined the EU after May 2004 are now making their own contributions to international development efforts. These states spent almost 600 million euros on aid to less developed countries in 2006 and plan to increase assistance to 1 billion euros by 2010. Around 17 October, 2007 – International Poverty Eradication Day – UNDP, the European Commission, and national NGOs helped these efforts by organizing parliamentary debates on the role of the new members of the European Union in providing development assistance. In the capital cities of the new EU Member States, these debates brought together over 700 experts, politicians, ambassadors, government officials and NGO representatives to discuss national, European and global development policies. The debates aimed to raise awareness of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and European development policy, in preparation for the European Development Days in Lisbon, Portugal in November 2007. Across Europe, only around one in five people has heard of the MDGs, and in some countries, politicians and officials had never discussed development assistance before these debates. ~ The Bulgarian debate, opened by Mr. Solomon Passy, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, highlighted the country’s responsibilities in development cooperation within the framework of European policy. Participants of the Cypriot debates, hosted by Mr. Demetris Christofias, President of the House of Representatives, noted that the MDGs are not only about financial aid, but also about a universal framework for designing development policies. The conference in the Czech Republic, opened by Mr. Ondřej Liška, Chairman of the Committee on European Affairs in the Chamber of Deputies, raised the issue of climate change in relation to development. The conference was organized within the campaign “The Czech Republic against poverty”. The debate in Estonia brought together chairpersons of two committees from the Estonian Parliament – Foreign Affairs and European Affairs – and focused on linkages between trade liberalization and development. The Hungarian debate, opened by Mr. Gábor Világosi, Vice-President of the Hungarian Parliament, discussed environmental development and the growing expectations towards Hungary as a donor country. The participants of the conference in Latvia, which was opened by Mr. Andris Bērziņš, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, mentioned the previous Latvian experience of being a recipient country as useful in the current role of a donor. The event in Lithuania, hosted by Mr. Justinas Karosas, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, highlighted the challenge of implementing the Millennium Development Goals. During the Maltese debate, Mr. Michael Frendo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced a new foreign aid policy, and participants discussed ways of calculating official development assistance. The debate in Poland was held four days before parliamentary elections and provided the opportunity for politicians from all major political parties to present for the first time their approach to development cooperation. The conference in Romania, inaugurated by Mr. Bogdan Olteanu, Chairman of the Parliamentary Chamber of Deputies, focused on Romania shifting its role from a recipient to a donor country. In Slovakia, Mr. Milan Hort, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, appealed to educate society in altruism and solidarity. Participants called for more cooperation between national and European parliaments in this field. The debate in Slovenia, attended by Mr. Jožef Jerovšek, Chairman of the Committee for External Relations in the National Parliament, and Mr. Josep Borrell, President of the Development Committee in the European Parliament, focused on preparations for the Slovenian EU presidency in January 2008 in the field of development. Latest
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