The committee unanimously adopted the report by Gay MITCHELL (EPP-ED, IE) rejecting the proposed regulation under the 1st reading of the codecision procedure.
MEPs argued that the EU's development policy should preserve its independence and not become part of economic cooperation. The "umbrella regulation" would, however, result in the merger of two policy areas with quite separate goals and working methods, to the detriment of development cooperation. MEPs also believed that the regulation would undermine Parliament's powers, since it would give extensive powers of implementation to the Commission and Council, at the expense of the Parliament's legislative and budgetary powers.