§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she has taken to ensure that European Commission development assistance is spent in an effective and efficient way and that environmental and social procedures are improved and implemented. [41109]
§ Mr. FoulkesWe continue to seek to ensure resources are spent effectively and efficiently through dialogue with Commission officials in Brussels and in delegations, and through our active participation in the Commission's management committees. We have also seconded 13 staff to work in the external development Directorates-General to use their expertise to assist the Commission. Amongst those seconded are a social development adviser and a forestry specialist.
Although the European Commission's own internal project cycle management guidance stresses the importance of cross cutting issues such as environmental and social issues in the project cycle, continuing efforts are required to ensure this is always fully reflected in the design and implementation of projects and programmes.
This is why one of DFID's priorities during the UK Presidency has been to try and improve the poverty focus and effectiveness of the Community's aid programmes. This has involved reviewing the implementation of important previous policy resolutions, on poverty and gender, to see how effective we have been and consider what more needs to be done to improve performance and impact in these key areas. We expect conclusions on this work to be adopted at the Development Council on 18 May.
In addition, we are seeking to promote the integration of environmental and social issues into the programme and project cycle through: our participation on the Commission's Scientific Environmental Monitoring Group and the forestry and water expert groups; providing a project leader to prepare an EC/Member States strategy for bio-diversity conservation; working closely with the 25W European Commission to develop procedural guidelines on the integration of social and environmental issues into development projects.