The EPP has shown once again its double-faced tactics. With the support from the extreme right, the EPP has diverted the content of the INI Report on Efficiency and Effectiveness of Aid, approved today by the European Parliament, obviously with the intention to challenge the EP’s common position during the negotiations of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI), by imposing an immediate conditionality on the European aid to developing countries and their capability to manage migration flows. This reckless move aims at jeopardizing the EP mandate on NDICI negotiations. The Socialists and Democrats will not allow this.

S&D development committee coordinator, Udo Bullmann MEP, said:

“We want to say it loud and clear: the lame attempt put forward by the EPP, backed by the extreme right and part of Renew, to exploit the important report on the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Aid to impose a conditionality on the management of migration to development aids is simply shameful and will not succeed. We won’t let it happen.

“The Socialists and Democrats will fight to defend the crucial EU development cooperation policy and the European Parliament mandate on the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI): Support and empowerment for the weakest, education and health must never be subordinated to building fences and migration management measures. Those who think to succeed like that know nothing about the Global South and the way ahead out of the cumulation of our current crisis.

S&D co-rapporteur on the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI), Maria Arena MEP, commented: 

“European Development and Neighbourhood Policy cannot be subjected to and conditioned by the management of migratory flows from developing countries. We will not allow the EPP, with the help of their friends from the extreme right, to jeopardize the scope and the functioning of one of the most important and successful policy put forward by the European Union in the foreign affairs committee.

“The EPP has irresponsibly hijacked the report on the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Aid with the only purpose of undermining the mandate of the European Parliament on the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) in which we had established, as a common red line, to firmly reject the Council’s intentions of linking development aid allocations to developing countries to migration management. This is unacceptable for the S&Ds, for both the method and the content.”