Tag: developing countries

With the EU agreeing a near freeze in overseas development aid, persuading citizens to back further national contributions will be a tricky but necessary task, says Irish Trade and Development Minister Joe Costello.

The EU's new strategy for the developing world should be good news for the microfinance sector as is fosters the kind of sustainable growth that the EU is looking for, writes Christoph Pausch, executive secretary of the European Microfinance Platform.

Despite a dramatic increase of its GDP, China is still a "rising developing country" rather than a developed one, writes Song Zhe, China's Ambassador to the EU.

Liberalising global agricultural trade without any regulation would threaten global food security as private investment funds would buy huge amounts of land in developing countries and produce for a profit rather than to feed the poor, warned Jacques Carles, founder of French think tank Momagri. 

The World Bank is seeking synergies with the EU in an attempt to incorporate climate change considerations into the long-term economic planning of developing countries, Michele de Nevers, senior manager of the bank's environment department, told EurActiv.

The European Commission yesterday (28 January) presented proposals for a global agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, urging rapidly developing countries such as China and India to take on their fair share of responsibility in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Calls for increased investment from rich countries in low-carbon technologies for the world's poorest regions have intensified in Bali, as new reports point to the climate risks related to the rapidly accelerating energy demand in developing countries.

As the deadline for ACP countries to conclude controversial Economic Partnership Agreements with the EU draws closer, the Commission and EU business interests called on anti-poverty activists to put an end to their "caricatural" criticism of negotiations, which they insist are essential to eradicating poverty.

Political leadership is vital in addressing energy poverty issues in Africa and other developing regions, writes Alejandro Litovsky for Open Democracy – calling on leaders to adopt a "stronger and more coherent vision".

A debate organised by Friends of Europe, an EU policy think-tank, explored whether the EU's strict authorisation procedures on genetically modified food are preventing developing countries from investing in potentially lifesaving technologies.

A new report by the World Health Organisation warns that the new Baltic Member States are among the worst sufferers of multidrug-resistant TB.

On 28 August, the EU published a shortlist of 41 food products whose names it would like to see included in a future WTO Geographical Indications (GI) register.

Less than two weeks ahead of the Ministerial gathering in Cancún, the Commission presented a guide to the EU's negotiating position for the WTO talks on agriculture.

The WTO's General Council meets on 25-26 August to bridge positions with a view to working towards a declaration to be adopted at the ministerial meeting on 10-14 September.

A draft statement was adopted at the Thessaloniki Summit, carefully stating that the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria would receive a "substantial contribution, on a long-term basis" from the EU.

In a coordinated effort and only three months ahead of the Cancun WTO meeting, civil society groups have begun a lobbying campaign to block the launch of WTO investment negotiations.

On 26 May, the Council adopted a Regulation, which aims at encouraging the pharmaceutical industry in the EU to offer the lowest possible prices to developing countries. In exchange, it puts into place safeguards to ensure cheap medicines do not find their way back onto the EU market, undermining profits.

Many argue the latest missed WTO negotiation deadline is a consequence of the disagreement over Iraq that may spread further to the broader WTO talks, as well as other global economic meetings.

The EU Commissioners expressed their disappointment on 19 March after seeing the new draft of the WTO paper aimed at serving as blueprint for the agriculture negotiations.

Fifty civil society groups signed a joint statement on 21 February in Geneva rejecting the current Harbinson farm liberalisation draft.

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on 12 February 2003 on the WTO discussion on access to affordable medicines; trade ministers are to take up the issue on 14-16 February in Tokyo.

Having missed the end of 2002 deadline to find a solution to the issue of access to medicines for poor countries with no manufacturing capacity, trade negotiators are to meet again in Geneva on 10-11 February to discuss the matter.

The EU has proposed a new multilateral solution to the issue of disease coverage in the WTO debate over the access to medicines for developing countries with no manufacturing capacity.