USEU RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON CLARIFICATION OF

UNCLAS BRUSSELS 001613 SIPDIS STATE FOR MPLOWDEN, MLURIE, AND EWILLIAMS; USAID FOR JHILL, FMOORE, SBRADLEY, JLEWIS, AND DSKORIC; USUN ROME FOR HSPANOS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EAGR ECON ETRD EUN SOCI SUBJECT: USEU RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON CLARIFICATION OF L'AQUILA FOOD SECURITY COMMITMENTS REF: A. STATE 120804 ¶B. USUN ROME 0061 ¶1. SUMMARY: USEU USAID officer delivered reftel demarche to the European Commission's (EC) Directorates General for Development (DG DEV) and for Agriculture (AGRI). USEU officer spoke with DG DEV's Head of Sector Sustainable Management of Natural Resources Marc Debois. USEU also engaged the DG for Agriculture's Head of Unit for Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) and South Africa, UN Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO),and Food Aid Leonard Mizzi, who suggested USEU contact DG DEV. DEV reiterated its support for the 2010-2012 timeline for L'Aquila Commitments and stressed overall objectives should be to increase donor coordination. END SUMMARY ¶2. DG DEV's Debois confirmed DEV is working from the 2010-2012 timeline and committed to USD 3.8 billion. DEV will continue to rely on its primary budget line (European Development Fund (EDF)) to satisfy the majority of its pledge. As the EDF runs from 2008-2013, the EC's L'Aquila funding does not represent new or additional streams of money coming online. While DEV would not identify a regional or country focus, the EDF covers former EU colonies in African, Caribbean, and Pacific regions. DEV will prioritize food security funding through individual country plans as part of its ongoing EDF strategic review. ¶3. The EC's Food Security Thematic Program (FSTP) will supply a smaller portion, making up roughly 30 percent of the aggregate L'Aquila funds. Like the EDF, FSTP is funded on a multi-year basis, but the current cycle runs from 2007-2010. The EC will negotiate a new FSTP budget and strategy with the Council and Parliament in 2010. DEV anticipates the same funding levels for the next FSTP. ¶3. DG DEV will utilize a number of criteria for prioritizing its food security funds. The Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Program (CAADP) is primary among them. However, DEV's priorities also include the importance of the agriculture sector to host countries; impact of food prices and the price crisis; as well as the EC's Food Facility target countries and criteria. The EC will channel 85 to 90 percent ofQll L'Aquila funds through bilateral mechanisms. Multilateral channels will include the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research and FAO's work on early warning systems. ¶5. The Commission does not plan to send a Brussels representative to the December 7-8 CAADP meetings. However, A representative from the EC Kigali Delegation will participate. USEU officer conveyed the strong USG desire to see higher level EC participation to match our engagement. ¶6. Debois said he was not concerned about commitment timelines. He expressed a desire to have donors clarify contributions for any period as new information will inherently enhance coordination. He said he did not find it necessary to release publicly details on contributions at this stage. Rather, donors should wait until new information is available beyond a regurgitation of L'Aquila commitments. He noted a need to avoid duplicating activities of the newly forming High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) within a reformed FAO Committee on World Food Security. MURRAY .