§ 13 Mr. DobbinTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she last met her European counterparts to discuss the United Kingdom's priorities for the EU presidency in respect of poverty alleviation; and if she will make a statement.[34639]
§ Clare ShortI met all the EU Development Ministers or their representatives and Commissioners Pinheiro and Marin at a High Level seminar in Brussels on 17 March. The seminar, which was arranged on the initiative of British Presidency, provided a valuable opportunity for an open and informal discussion on how the European Union can more effectively contribute to the implementation of the International Poverty Eradication Strategy, a key target of which is to halve world poverty by 2015. There 175W will be a further discussion of these issues and the future of the Lome Convention at the General Affairs Council on 30 March, and Development Council on 18 May.