The International Development Committee has launched a new
inquiry into the future of UK-EU
development cooperation.
As a Member of the EU, the UK currently contributes £1.3bn a year
as Official Development Assistance (ODA) through the EU Budget
and the European Development Fund. This forms part of the UK’s
commitment to spend 0.7% of gross national income each year
on development assistance. The UK is also bound by EU trade
policy with respect to developing countries; and works closely
with the EU on development-related aspects of foreign and
security policy, and with respect to climate.
Our inquiry
This inquiry will focus specifically on what the relationship on
aid and international development should be with the EU after the
UK leaves. In particular, the Committee would welcome written
evidence addressing some or all of the following:
- · Options for
UK collaboration with the EU on development after UK Exit from
the EU, especially with respect to aid, trade and climate policy
affecting developing countries.
- o Whether, after its departure, the UK
should continue to contribute to development through the EU
and if so, how this could operate without the UK being a
Member State, and how such spending should be scrutinised.
- o Whether the UK should participate in
joint programming with the EU?
- o How the UK should operate in areas
where it had previously relied on the EU (especially ECHO)
leading, for example Yemen, North and South Sudan, and
Jordan.
- o How the UK might manage future
collaboration with the EU on other aspects of development
policy.
- · Coherence of
UK and EU policy frameworks for international development in the
future, for example in relation to DFID’s priorities as set out
in the Bilateral Development Review (such as the Arc of
Instability, stretching from Somalia across the Sahel to Northern
Nigeria).
- · Whether the
UK will have residual obligations after leaving the EU. For
example, in respect of commitments made but not disbursed from
the 2014-20 Multi-Annual Financial Framework, and to the European
Development Fund into the 2020s?
- · Whether
there is likely to be a reduction in EU development funding for
Commonwealth countries.
The deadline for written evidence is Monday 15 May 2017.
