EU renewable energy targets may boost land grabbing in developing countries

The EU’s renewable energy target of 20% of its energy supply from renewable energies by 2020 will cause widespread ‘land-grabbing’ in developing countries, according to a new Action Aid report. The EU adopted the target in the ‘Renewable Energy Roadmap’ in January 2007, and has come under increasing scrutiny from civil society. http://tinyurl.com/5ucwlbv

Filed under: Development, Development, energy, EU

Priorities of the French EU presidency, security and migration on top

The French Presidency wishes to address four key priorities: energy and the climate, migration issues, agriculture and security and defence.

On Development policy:
- responses to be made to the rise in prices of basic products.
- definition of a common positions for international meetings that makes good use of the role and experience of the EU.
- effectiveness of aid: progress needs to be speeded up with a view to better complementarity of aid between countries and responses to situations of conflict and of fragility.
- local governance, particularly in relation to the European Development Days. Based on the Commission communication on local governance and territorial development, a charter for cooperation on support for local governance will be put forward.
- work on access to care and the sustainable funding of health systems.
- links between migration and development (impact of migrants’ savings, job needs in productive sectors, regional dimension and the impact of climate change).

Finally, the Presidency will also attempt to include aspects of adaptation of developing countries connected with climate change in its external actions, particularly with a view to the Conference of the Parties to be held in Poznań in December 2008.

Migration: a comprehensive European migration policy remains a fundamental priority of the Union. The French Presidency will respond by proposing to its partners that a European Pact on Immigration and Asylum should be adopted at the European Council in October 2008 (see the separate articles on migration in EU sectoral Policies).

EU-Africa strategic partnership: in particular, Presidency will develop initiatives in the fields of peace and security, migration, access to energy and adaptation to climate change. It will also endeavour to progress towards the signing of full economic partnership agreements, including accompanying measures, especially to promote agricultural development, making it possible to renew a commitment to regional integration in Africa. (Source: APRODEV)

French presidency website:
http://www.ue2008.fr/PFUE/lang/en/accueil

French platform of NGOs, CoordinationSud:

http://www.coordinationsud.org/spip.php?article5923

18 months rolling programme of the three presidencies (French, Czech and Swedish):
http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/08/st10/st10684.en08.pdf

Filed under: Economy, European Union, EU