ODA cut: Parliamentary amendments to prevent reductions in ODA allocations

At the beginning of the Parliamentary debate on Decree 112, providing for a three year ODA reduction by 170 million euros (-25% of Ministry of Foreign Affairs ODA envelope), in the Committee for Foreign Affairs, the bill speaker from the ruling coalition expressed his concerns to the Government. Undersecretary Scotti, on behalf of the Government, replied that the government is still working to clearly detail which development cooperation expenditures to cut. Despite some concerns within the ruling coalition, at the moment only member of the opposition presented 3 amendments to avoid the ODA, with no support by any member of the ruling coalition. The in the Foreign Affairs Committee could still provide some space to foster bipartisan agreement to prevent the cut.