The Lisbon Treaty, the Cotonou Agreement, the Development Cooperation Instrument and the EU Consensus on Development all clearly state that the eradication of poverty is the main objective of EU development policies.  Therefore we believe that any discussions on financing of external relations post 2013 must begin with the Lisbon Treaty, which provides the principal framework governing EU cooperation with all developing countries. In order to eradicate poverty the EU must focus on tackling the root causes of poverty such as inequality, discrimination, exclusion and vulnerability in the partner country.  This implies the Five Red Lines on Development Policy defined by CONCORD.

1.      Increasing and protecting ODA.
2.      Integrating policy coherence for development.
3.      Improving transparency and prioritise aid effectiveness.
4.      Increasing flexibility in the budget.
5.      Supporting the participation of CSOs in development.