Please welcome new staff at AGEG’s Head Office

AGEG Consultants eG has two new Managing Directors, who share general management tasks. Both are experienced Consultants and are named Harald, but are not relatives. Harald Himsel will lead the business development, while Harald Speidel looks more on the administration and financial management. Martina Jacobson joined the team as Project Manager for Training, E-Learning, and Sustainable Tourism. All activities of AGEG Consultants are coordinated from AGEG’s Head Office in Kirchheim unter Teck, Germany. A team of 16 people is responsible for the acquisition and management of short and long term projects as well as for the provision of services to AGEG’s members and associates. http://www.ageg.de/headoffice/headoffice_team/

Filed under: Development, Directories, Economy, European Union, Germany, News

AGEG Consultants eG sign Multiple Framework Contracts with the European Commission

The European Commission has selected three consortia in which AGEG participates as partner for the Multiple Framework Contract to recruit technical assistance for short-term expertise. The Framework Contract Beneficiaries is an instrument for fast and transparent recruiting of experts for activities in the sole interest of the beneficiary countries/authorities of the European Commission’s external aid programmes. We expect to receive requests for international and national expertise by the European Commission from now on.

AGEG is now a ‘preferred supplier’ for Technical Assistance services to the EC for the following specific areas of expertise:
– Transport and Infrastructure sector (Lot 2)
– Environment (Lot 6)
– Humanitarian Aid and crisis management (Lot 12)

AGEG is enlarging the database of individual experts especially for these sectors. We are looking for interested and qualified experts. Candidates should have experience in EC development co-operation and in conducting short-term missions (evaluations, studies, technical assistance, etc.). If you are interested and agree that we can include your CV in our database, please send your updated CV to Angela Kirchherr at a.kirchherr @ ageg.de. See http://www.ageg.de/project_jobs/

Filed under: Employment, European Union, News, Jobs

EU Development policy to focus on climate and democracy, says Mrs Carlsson

As president in office of the EU Council, the Minister for International Development Cooperation of Sweden, Gunilla Carlsson, presented to MEPs from the Committee on Development the presidency’s priorities for the second semester of 2009: development as part of the climate change agenda, democracy building as well as policy coherence and effectiveness. Helping to ensure that developing countries can effectively fight poverty in all its forms and meet the challenges that follow in the wake of the global economic crisis and climate change are the main priorities the Swedish presidency in the field of development. Replying to some questions of MEPs about the sometimes incoherent EU approach, the Swedish minister encouraged the European Parliament to make full use of its scrutinising powers (budgetary and co-decision procedures) in order to ensure that the EU makes the development cooperation more effective and ensures that different EU policy areas and actors work together more coherently. http://www.europarl.europa.eu

Filed under: Crisis, Development, Environment, European Union, OECD

EU confirmed its position as the world’s leading donor in 2008

The newly published 2009 annual report on the European Community’s development and external assistance policies and their implementation in 2008 shows that the European Union continues to be the world’s leading development aid donor, accounting for 60% of world aid in 2008. The Commission alone committed EUR 12 billion, more than a fifth of the EU total. At the same time the quality and effectiveness of aid are improving, as are transparency and the monitoring of results. The Commission has continued its efforts to make its aid more effective by working more closely with other international donors and by simplifying its procedures. Considerable efforts have also been made to channel aid through national systems in order to strengthen ownership at local level and reduce transaction costs for the partner countries. In 2008 the Commission also stepped up its efforts to mainstream such issues as gender, the environment, and the rights of children and indigenous people in the development process. Source: RAPID http://tinyurl.com/yd4aodv

Filed under: Development, European Union, OECD, Poverty

EU Commission report on European competitiveness

The European Commission issued its Annual Report on Competition Policy for 2008. The report provides a summary of the most important developments with regards to EU competition policy and focuses on major enforcement actions. Furthermore, the ways in which tools of competition policy have been applied to combat the financial crisis are outlined and the benefits to consumers of competition policy are underlined. For the first time, the 2008 Annual Report includes a special chapter on a topic considered to be of particular importance in the field of competition policy. The topic chosen is ”Cartels and consumers”. In 2008, the Commission fined 34 undertakings in seven cartel decisions. In cases such as the Banana cartel, consumers directly suffered from higher prices until the Commission broke up the price fixing cartel. http://ec.europa.eu/competition/publications/annual_report/index.html

Filed under: Clusters, Crisis, Economy, Employment, European Union, Technology

EU: Access to finance major problem for SMEs

The European Commission published the results of the new ”Flash Eurobarometer: SMEs’ access to finance”. The survey, conducted with 9071 firms in 27 EU Member States, Croatia, Iceland and Norway, was set up to assess EU companies’ use of various sources of finance, to get a picture of the magnitude of companies’ difficulties in getting access to finance, and to obtain an overview of companies’ expectations for financing their future projects and developments. Overall, the survey revealed that businesses face difficulties in accessing finance, as almost half of them have problems to access bank loans. Despite the fact that availability of bank loans has deteriorated over the last six months for 46% of SMEs, over 70% of small businesses were able to receive all or part of the bank load they wanted, and only 15% were fully rejected. http://tinyurl.com/yantrpd

Filed under: Banking, Economy, Entrepreneurship, European Union, Microfinance

AL-INVEST IV: A bridge between EU and Latin American SMEs

The fourth phase of AL-INVEST, financed by the European Commission, aims at supporting the internationalisation of Latin American SMEs in collaboration with their European partners in order to contribute to reinforce social cohesion in the region. Unlike the previous phases, the fourth phase of the AL-INVEST (2009-2012) is implemented through three groups of business organisations belonging to three distinct geographical areas of Latin America: 1. Central America-Cuba-México; 2. Andean Region; 3. Mercosur Chile and Venezuela. These three groups are supported through horizontal services delivered by a European consortium lead by EUROCHAMBRES. This consortium will carry out market studies, business meetings, technical assistance, individual exchange programmes and trainings. In addition, all European business organisations with experience and/or interest in working with Latin America will be gathered under a Network of Interested Institutions. AL-INVEST IV website: http://www.al-invest4.eu

Filed under: Banking, Clusters, Economy, Entrepreneurship, European Union, Networks, Trade, Latin America

Launch of a new financial product for development

AFD and Crédit Agricole Asset Management have launched CAAM AFD Avenirs durables (Sustainable Futures), an innovative mutual fund that allows savers to participate in financing projects in developing countries. This innovative product aims to create new sources of financing for development, while at the same time meeting the demands of savers seeking socially responsible investments http://www.caamafdavenirsdurables.org

Filed under: Banking, Development, Microfinance

Asia must promote employment, support those without decent jobs, ADB says

Creating the conditions for good jobs and, more importantly, social protection programs for those unable to find decent work is an urgent priority for governments in Asia and the Pacific, Asian Development Bank (ADB) Vice President Ursula Schaefer-Preuss told a conference in Ha Noi, Viet Nam. Speaking at the conclusion of a three-day conference titled ”The Impact of the Global Economic Slowdown on Poverty and Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific,” Ms. Schaefer-Preuss said that the recent global economic downturn has cut demand for the exports on which the region’s economies depend, forcing job cuts in many of the industries that send their goods overseas and slashing the incomes of thousands of people in the region. Many may struggle to find alternative employment. ”Before the crisis – in the context of high growth rates – only about half of the region’s young labor entrants could find decent jobs, while the rest had to sustain themselves and their families through the informal sector,” said Ms. Schaefer-Preuss. ”The need for social protection strategies to address the post-crisis labor market becomes more urgent with the prospect that growth rates may not reach the levels of just a few years ago.” The conference, organized by the ADB, together with the governments of Viet Nam and the People’s Republic of China, the ASEAN Secretariat and nine development partners, saw over 350 representatives from ADB, regional governments, civil society, intergovernment organizations and academe discuss the social impact of the global crisis and the need for social policy reforms. http://www.adb.org/Media/Articles/2009/13020-asian-employments-priorities/

Filed under: Asia, Economy, Employment

Asia’s Progress on Millennium Development Goals Remains Mixed

Asia and Pacific countries continue to make broad progress in reducing extreme poverty but hunger still remains widespread and many economies are struggling to meet other Millennium Development Goals, including reductions in maternal mortality rates and access to sanitation, latest available data show. Source: ADB http://www.adb.org/article.asp?id=12968

Filed under: Asia, Development, Economy

Call for Contributions – Migration and Development, CEFE

GTZ has contracted CEFE International to develop a Tool Box for the Promotion of Private Sector Development Commitment of Migrants. 15 innovative and well described ideas are needed. Approved contributions (4 pages) will be honoured with up to 375,00 USD. But you can gain even more. http://www.cefe.net/en/makemoney/call-contributions-migration-and-development

Filed under: Economy, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Migration

EIT needs experts for the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs)

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) launched a call addressed to individuals for the establishment of a database of independent experts to assist the EIT in the process of the evaluation and implementation of Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs). The database will include profiles from the following areas: Sustainable energy, Climate change adoption and mitigation, Future information and communication society, Business creation and venture capital, Innovation in existing business, Entrepreneurial education, Research and product development. The list drawn up from the date of publication of this call will be valid until the end of 2013. Applications may be submitted at any time, up to the last 3 months of validity of the list. To register as an independent expert, see http://eit.europa.eu/experts.html

Filed under: Entrepreneurship, European Union, OECD, Research, Standardisation, Technology

CfP: The Microinsurance Innovation Facility

The Microinsurance Innovation Facility and the European Development Research Network (EUDN) invite academic researchers to submit proposals for research that will contribute new knowledge to support microinsurance development in developing countries. Deadline: 30 October 2009. http://www.eudnet.net/microinsurance.html

Filed under: Banking, Development, Microfinance, Research

Weitzenegger’s International Development Job Market

Looking for a job in development cooperation? This Website gives you a list of professional opportunities around the world. Updated as you arrive. I am still working on updates, so come back soon.
http://www.weitzenegger.de/new/jobmarket.php

Filed under: Africa, Asia, Development, Directories, Economy, Employment, Networks, News, Jobs