Malta oversees EU common development policy agreement

The European Union today signed a strategic blueprint outlining the future of European development policy aimed at eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable development.

The new European Consensus on Development sets up a common framework for European development cooperation, which, for the first time, applies in its entirety to all European Union institutions and all member states.

The new consensus integrates the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, aligning European development action with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It also underlines the links between development and other policies, including peace and security, humanitarian aid, migration, the environment and climate change.

The new consensus furthermore takes a comprehensive approach to means of implementation, combining traditional development aid with other resources. It includes a more coordinated EU and member states approach to development, promoting joint programming and joint actions, while putting emphasis on better-tailored partnerships with a broader range of stakeholders and partner countries.

“The consensus provides the basis for the EU and its member states to engage in more innovative forms of development financing, leveraging private sector investments and mobilising additional domestic resources for development,” a government statement read.

The consensus is a jointly developed strategy, signed during the annual two-day European Development Days by Joseph Muscat, Prime Minister of Malta, that currently holds the presidency of the EU Council, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission vice president Federica Mogherini, and European Parliament president Antonio Tajani.