Permanent secretary Filimone Waqabaca headed a team from the Ministry of Finance in Suva to the European Union – Pacific consultations on the programming of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF).
This is because of the phasing out of the 10th EDF, which was from 2008 – 2013 with a budget of €22.7 billion.
This represents about 30 per cent of EU spending on development co-operation aid, with the remainder coming directly from the EU budget.
The EDF Programme is the financial arm of the Cotonou Agreement between the EU and 78 countries of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) region and the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs).
The meeting is an opportunity for officials from the European Commission headed by the Commissioner for Development, Adris Piebalgs and a high powered government delegation of the Pacific ACP Countries to discuss the proposed 11th EDF programming which is to be from 2014 to 2020.
The meeting was attended by ministers from Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu and EUs national authorizing officers and deputy national authorizing officers from the respective governments.
A main feature of the meeting was the bilateral sessions between the EU team and respective government representatives of the region whereby discussions were undertaken behind closed doors of potential EU assistance for a country’s National Indicative Programme for the upcoming EDF 11.
During Fiji’s bilateral session, the Mr Waqabaca updated the EU team on our economic performance, progressive developments of the 2014 elections, the continuation of the EUs assistance to the sugar industry through the accompanying measures for the sugar protocol programme and potential sectors linked to the sugar industry that will also need assistance.
Other issues discussed during the session include assistance in the areas of climate change and renewable energy.
The EUs commissioner for development, in his response acknowledged the positive economic and development progress in Fiji.
He reiterated that the EU was willing to provide support for preparations towards elections and provide an observer team during the elections.
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