§ 26. Mr. EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in other European Union member states about the efficient delivery of European Union aid to developing countries. [132207]
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§ Clare ShortI frequently meet my counterparts from the other EU member states. We most recently met as a group at the May 2000 Development Council. My Under-Secretary of State attended a seminar in Paris in June to discuss reform with EU Development Ministers and officials and non-governmental organisations. I met the French Development Minister, Charles Josselin, in July to discuss plans for improving EC development policy during the current French Presidency of the Union. This issue will also be discussed at the next meeting of the Development Council on 10 November.