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European Year for Development (2015)

2013/0238(COD)

The European Parliament adopted by 546 votes to 48, with 38 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Year of Development (2015).

Parliament adopted its position at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure. The amendments adopted in plenary are the result of an agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council. They amended the proposal as follows:

Title of the European Year: the year 2015 should be designated the ‘European Year for Development’ and the motto should be ‘Our world, our dignity, our future’.

Objectives: the European Year should pursue the following objectives:

  • to inform Union citizens about the Union 's and the Member States' development cooperation, highlighting the results that the Union, acting together with the Member States, has achieved as a global actor and that it will continue to do so in line with the latest discussions on the overarching post-2015 framework;
  • to foster direct involvement, critical thinking and active interest of Union citizens and stakeholders in development cooperation including in policy formulation and implementation;  
  • to raise awareness of the benefits of the Union's development cooperation not only for beneficiaries of the Union's development assistance but also for Union citizens and to achieve a broader understanding of policy coherence for development, as well as to foster among citizens in Europe and developing countries a sense of joint responsibility, solidarity and opportunity in a changing and increasingly interdependent world.

Union measures: the measures taken to achieve the objectives of the European Year should include the following measures, which may be organised at Union, national, regional or local levels, and in partner countries:

  • communication campaigns to disseminate key messages targeted at the general public and more specific audiences, in particular young people and other key target groups , including through social media;
  • the organisation of conferences, events and initiatives with all relevant stakeholders, to promote active participation and debate, and to raise awareness at all levels;
  • concrete measures in the Member States aimed at promoting the objectives of the European Year, in particular through development education, the exchange of information and sharing of experience and good practices among national, regional or local administrations and other organisations;
  • undertaking studies and surveys and disseminating their results.

The characteristics of these measures are detailed in the Annex to the future Decision.

Financing should take the form of the direct purchase of goods and services under existing framework contracts. It may also take the form of grants covering up to 80% of the final cost of activities. Measures may include a prize for innovative and successful communication concepts and campaigns which help, or which have helped, to raise awareness and foster reflection about development issues in unusual or original ways, in particular those designed to reach target audiences which previously have had little or no exposure to global development issues.

Coordination of actions: it is provided that the national coordinators should, in close coordination with the Commission, consult and cooperate with a wide range of relevant stakeholders, including civil society and the private sector, national parliaments, social partners and, where appropriate, the national agencies, the federal State or sub-national government level, including regional and local authorities and, where applicable, associated Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs).

The Commission, together with the European External Action Service (EEAS), should cooperate closely with the European Parliament, the Council and the Member States, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the bodies and associations active in development issues at Union level.

To this effect, the Commission should convene meetings of the national coordinators to coordinate the implementation of the European Year and to exchange information on implementation at Union and national levels and invite representatives of civil society and regional and local authorities and members of the European Parliament to attend those meetings as observers.

Moreover and with a view to their participation in activities related to the European Year, whether those activities take place in the Union or in third countries, development partners in third countries should be supported through EU Delegations while OCTs should be supported through appropriate institutional channels.

The EEAS and EU Delegations should make the European Year an integral part of their ongoing information and communication activities.

European added-value of financed actions: lastly, in order for measures to be considered eligible for financing under this Decision they should be required to make effective use of public spending, to bring added value and to be results-orientated.