José Manuel Barroso: Post-2015 cannot be 'business as usual'

This year’s European Development Days are a key opportunity for the aid community to come together and reflect on the future of international development post-2015 and — in the words of European Commission President José Manuel Barroso — “a future that must provide for a decent life for all.” “The Millennium Development Goals have had a huge impact on reducing poverty,” he said during an exclusive interview with Devex Associate Editor Richard Jones. “Yet much still needs to be done and this cannot be business as usual — the world has changed and with these changes come new challenges.” Barroso explained the bloc is confident that a “limited and ambitious set of new goals and targets” for all countries “is the right way [to move] forward” after the MDGs expire in two years, both to eradicate poverty and boost sustainable development. Here are the highlights from our conversation with the head of the EU’s executive branch at EDD13 in Brussels: At last year’s European Development Days, you said that you had proposed an “ambitious package” for the forthcoming 2014-2020 financial period, increasing aid by 20 percent. How do you see development cooperation in difficult economic times? The EU is and remains the world’s largest donor, and I fought hard for a substantial multiannual financial framework that maintains our high aid levels. We secured more than €82 billion ($111 billion) for the period 2014-2020 — a clear sign of our commitment and European leadership. Even in times of economic difficulties, Europeans show their deeply rooted solidarity with partner countries. Of course, the 0.7 percent of GNI aid target by 2015 is a challenge, but our member states remain committed to it. Solidarity lies at the very heart of the European project, and we have the responsibility to provide support to the poorest people in the world. Development cooperation is of mutual interest — it benefits EU citizens, too. Extreme poverty is also a source of conflict, pandemics, illegal migration and extremism … Further down the line, it will be more effective to address the root causes than the symptoms. By working with partner countries, we can help them achieve a solid grounding for long-term, stable and sustainable development, and thus for a more stable, more prosperous world. This year’s EDD edition will mark the 20th anniversary of the creation of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the first CFSP mission in the field of human rights. Back in 2011, when the Arab Spring was unfolding and EDD took place in Warsaw, you said that — if proposals were approved — EU action to promote democracy and human rights would be increased by over 40 percent. Following the vote on the forthcoming financial perspectives, how confident are you that you will be able to make good on this pledge? Negotiations with the [European] Council and the Parliament on the proposals have been ongoing and I am more than confident as regards the outcome. I am happy to say that we are close to achieving an ambitious external dimension of the next seven-year budget that would express a strong EU commitment on democracy and human rights. The European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights is our main tool in this area. Last week, an agreement was reached to increase its funding for 2014-2020 by 21 percent compared to the current budget. The part of it that is dedicated to human rights and their defenders … has doubled its share, from 10 percent to 20 percent of the program. Moreover, one of the financial instruments within EU budget to channel development aid, the Development Cooperation Instrument, will contain from 2014 an additional and new objective: It will use a rights-based approach that includes human rights in all EU development cooperation activities. De facto this will transform the DCI into a pro-democracy and human rights instrument. This is a major achievement that actually goes beyond the 40 percent that you are referring to. Finally, our support to consolidating deep and sustainable democracy and respect for human rights in the European neighborhood will continue, through the European Neighborhood Instrument. It will apply the “more for more” principle, which is the cornerstone of our renewed neighborhood policy: Progress on the implementation of democratic and political reforms is rewarded with additional support from the European Union, notably increased financial assistance. How satisfied are you with the EU’s contribution and that of partner countries to the MDG process? The Millennium Development Goals have had a huge impact on reducing poverty, delivering results and saving lives in many of the world’s poorest countries. But there is another aspect that should not be neglected — the MDGs have done an incredible job in making poverty a focus for world attention and have taken global development efforts and their results onto an entirely different plane. I am not saying that the work is over; we realize there is a lot of unfinished business we will need to tackle between now and 2015, and we may be running out of time. But the EU will remain ready to help partner countries towards the path to development and growth. The European Commission acknowledges that both challenges — MDGs and SDGs — must be tackled together in a “joined-up approach.” But with dissenting voices from middle-income and emerging countries — Russia, Brazil, China — on this proposal growing ever louder, how can the EU help win hearts and minds and secure a majority vote at the United Nations General Assembly? Indeed, the commission is a strong advocate for a joined-up approach towards an agreement on the post-2015 framework. We are in good company here, with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and many other global leaders. We strongly believe that in a post-2015 era, poverty eradication and sustainable development cannot be considered as two separate things. They are really two sides of the same coin – poverty cannot be eradicated if we do not tackle the challenges posed by global environmental degradation at the same time. For this reason, I decided that the work towards an EU approach on the post-2015 agenda should be co-led by my services responsible for environment and the services responsible for development cooperation. EU member states followed our example. At the international level, I think that there is broad consensus that sustainable development should play a major role in a post-2015 framework. The outcome document adopted by all heads of states and government in September during the U.N. special event on the MDGs emphasizes the central role of poverty eradication and the importance of ensuring sustainable development. It makes it clear that a post-2015 framework should integrate the root causes of poverty and not only the symptoms, reflect the three dimensions of sustainable development — economic, social and environmental pillars – and promote peace and security, democratic governance, the rule of law, gender equality and human rights. This is our current basis of work. However, I agree that we will have to carefully observe how the debate is evolving — it will be important to stay in continuous dialogue with our strategic partners on the importance to confront the challenges posed by poverty eradication and sustainable development in an integrated manner. At the end of the day, a post-2015 agreement will not deliver if it is not endorsed and owned by all countries. In May 2014, Europeans will go to the polls to elect a new 766-member European Parliament. With political extremes garnering increased support in some member states — tapping into public concerns about issues such as jobs, growth, public services and immigration — a very different group of MEPs might be returned to parliament next year. What consequences could this have on mobilizing resources for getting the MDGs across the finishing line and for European development efforts post-2015? We cannot speculate on what will happen after the elections, not least because I deeply respect the democratic choice of European citizens. What is important is to remember, on the one hand, is the commitment made by member states and the European Parliament to support development aid and, on the other hand, the ongoing support by citizens to continue with our development programs I mentioned earlier. What are you most looking forward to at this year’s EDD? The European Development Days are a key opportunity to come together and reflect on the future of international development post-2015 — a future that must provide for a decent life for all. As explained, the MDGs have had a huge impact on reducing poverty. Yet much still needs to be done and this cannot be business as usual — the world has changed and with these changes come new challenges. We are confident that a limited and ambitious set of new goals and targets, for every country in the world, is the right way forward post-2015 — both to eradicate poverty and boost sustainable development. These goals should establish a floor under which no man, woman or child should fall by 2030. They should address not only quantitative targets, but also qualitative ones such as standards in education, nutrition, access to clean water and air. This is the vision that was set out in “A Decent Life for All,” the European Commission’s communication on a post-2015 framework. The mandate of this European Commission ends in October next year. How will its legacy in the field of development cooperation and humanitarian aid be assessed? This is not the time for speculation. The commission is working hard until the very end of this mandate to help those most in need, both on the global scene and on the development strands. We are about to start implementing the new multiannual financial framework and preparing for 2015’s key issues: the new global development agenda and the new global climate treaty. The European Union has been able to adapt the way it delivers aid and the way it fights poverty to such a changing world. That is one of the reasons behind our “Agenda for Change,” which is now being implemented. In practice, this means that from 2014 onwards, EU aid will be tailored to concentrate our resources in those countries where it is most needed and in fewer sectors — those which can generate greater results. We realize that we cannot work with Tanzania as we do with Brazil or China, for example. And all this — from policies, to concrete action of the ground in support to those in need — is a daily commitment. As I’ve said many times, it is not the time to throw in the towel, it is time to roll up our sleeves! Visit us at the 2013 European Development Days and watch out for more Devex coverage of news and views from Europe’s global development event of the year. See more: - The buzz from EDD: Reporting live from Brussels - EuropeAid: ‘We are focusing our action… on planetary problems’ - UN Women: 3 things that must happen to advance women’s empowerment - Agriculture needs decent wages for farmers — ITC chief