October 2014: The European Parliament Development Committee has released a draft report containing a motion for a European Parliament Resolution on EU priorities and positions on the post-2015 development agenda. Building on an assessment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the motion states that the post-2015 development agenda should respond effectively to the challenges of the MDGs and tackle important issues. It underlines that the new agenda should be universal, while taking into account different national circumstances, and calls for the EU to continue to lead in the process to define the next development agenda.

The motion outlines the following priority areas for post-2015: poverty eradication and sustainable development; a human rights-based approach; conflict prevention, post-conflict recovery, peace-building, and promotion of lasting peace; climate change mitigation and disaster risk reduction (DRR); food security, nutrition, sustainable agriculture, combating land degradation, water, and sanitation; health and education; the central role of women in the new development framework; inclusive and sustainable growth, employment, and decent work creation; the private sector; civil society; and local authorities. It highlights which of these priorities should be mainstreamed across the post-2015 development agenda, and the specific issues that the EU believes should be reflected.

On mobilizing financial resources, the motion calls on the EU to work closely with other donors to develop innovative financial mechanisms and partnerships, with blending mechanisms that are accountable, transparent, and have a clear impact on sustainable development. It also calls for the EU to work closely with developing countries to increase domestic revenues and put in place equitable tax systems. The motion also stresses that reliable data is crucial for devising development policies and holding governments accountable.

Finally, the motion calls for a strong, cohesive EU position on the post-2015 development agenda. While welcoming the progress made by the Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it considers that the number of goals identified “need to be simplified and significantly reduced.”

The motion instructs the President of the European Parliament to forward this resolution to the European Council and Commission.

An explanatory statement follows the resolution, giving more detail to each of the priority areas and EU positions. [Publication: Draft Report on the EU and the Global Development Framework After 2015]