To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on European Union aid for reconstruction in south Sudan of the Government of Sudan not signing the Cotonou agreement; and what contingency plans are being explored by the European Union. [HL2446]

The UK Government have been in close consultation with the European Union (EU) (both in Brussels and Sudan) and are concerned about the potential impact of the Government of Sudan's not signing the Cotonou agreement on Sudan's access to European Development Fund (EDF). The main impact would be the net loss to Sudan of approximately €300 million from the 10th EDF. Although we do not have clear figures, we know that southern Sudan would lose a substantial amount of development assistance, and this is an issue that the Government of Southern Sudan has raised with us. The withdrawal of these funds leaves potentially significant gaps in support to the World Bank managed Multi-Donor Trust Fund for the South, and other programmes which the EC has previously supported such as the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process, and recovery and rehabilitation needs throughout Sudan.

Contingency options are being explored at the moment by the European Commission. We believe that the principle that all countries receiving EDF support must be signatories of the Cotonou agreement is fundamental to the partnership between these countries and the European Union and should be upheld.