Source: Concord Flash, nr. 56, November/December 2008Remember the SAG? The Stakeholders Advisory Group (SAG) is a group gathering representatives from civil society, including
CONCORD, to discuss and advise the European Commission (EC) on the processes of dialogue and consultation in the European Union (EU), but also in the South through the EC Delegations. The last December SAG provided interesting information about the forthcoming EC consultations and meetings. Several documents (the calendar of consultations, the list of
consulted organisations in the 10 th European Development Fund programming, and the DG RELEX "non paper" on the involvement of Non-State actors in the programming process in Asia and Latin-America) were handed out by the Commission.
Till now, the SAG meetings have been chaired by Bernard Petit, deputy Director general of DG Development, who is about to retire. The group will now be chaired by Stefano Manservisi, Director General of DG Development, and the next meeting will be a timely moment to reflect on the added-value of the SAG for all the participants.
For DG Development, the SAG has changed the relationships between the Commission and CSOs. Some participants highlighted, as a positive and indirect effect, the fact that CSOs are working more closely and coordinating better, including among themselves.
Timetable of upcoming civil society consultations in DG Development in 2009
♦ The EC agreed to organise a specific meeting on the mid- term review in January.
♦ Another specific meeting on budget support/ MDG contracts will be organised at the end of January.
♦ Regarding the so-called “April Package” (Communication on EU Financing for Development and the Aid Effectiveness Agenda – towards achieving the MDGs) the Commission would like to advance its approval. They intend to present a first “Issues paper” to the Informal Development Council meeting at the end of January. Consultation with CSOs would take place in February and the “package” should be approved at the end of March.
♦ On the Communication on cross-cutting issues, two staff working papers on environment and gender are being prepared. The gender one is expected to be approved in the second semester of 2009, during the Swedish presidency.
♦ On the next Policy Coherence for Development Report (PCD) – A meeting will be organised in January.
♦ On Climate Change, DG Development will prepare a staff working paper on Global Climate Financing Mechanism (GCFM) which is expected to be approved by March 2009. They intend to organize a consultation meeting with CSOs by February 2009.
♦ Implementation of the Governance initiative – a staff working paper should be adopted in January 2009 and a meeting with CSOs organised during the summer.
For further information: Ester Asin (easin@concordeurope.org)
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