the commission shares the concern of the honourable member that population growth in africa and the long-term impact of high fertility rates could contribute significantly to increased pressure on africa's natural resources and determining the development trajectory of the african continent
fertility rates tell an important part of the story according to the un population division africa's overall population today is eight lower than if its fertility rate had stayed at its nineteen seventy levels
indeed its fertility rate is expected to decline even below two point five by twenty fifty
in urban parts of the continent an emergent middle class is having fewer children at rates comparable with europeans
this story is one of promise of the countries which have attained political stability and achieved impressive economic growth
aware of these challenges the european commission has a development policy geared to fight poverty promote sustainable development and tackle political challenges in order to help foster stability
in this field the commission is also bound by the strategy endorsed by the nineteen ninety-four international conference on population and development further reviewed in nineteen ninety-nine
the strategy has extended the concept of family planning to that of sexual and reproductive health and rights
it emphasises human rights the empowerment of women the importance of investing in health and education and the provision of comprehensive reproductive health services to all those who need them
in particular the education of women has an impact on their reproductive behaviour
many studies have found a strong correlation between education and fertility as literacy improves fertility rates tend to decrease
across all of its programmes the commission expects to commit around eur one point seven billion to education for the years two thousand and seven twenty thirteen more generally we are firmly engaged in increasing the level and effectiveness of the collective eu aid to health systems delivering universal coverage of basic services including reproductive health
in this respect under the eu agenda for action on mdgs millennium development goals the eu has undertaken to contribute an additional eur eight billion of which eur six billion for africa to health providing that all aid commitments are fully met
in order to address environmental pressure it is of key importance to ensure that local livelihoods are sustainable
this means combating desertification and land degradation and enhancing agricultural productivity halting over-exploitation of biodiversity forests and other natural resources including oceans and inland waters and finally ensuring that climate change remains within certain limits and assisting african populations to adapt to climate change
the commission together with the eu member states is working on an environmental integration strategy to ensure that development cooperation efforts contribute to these objectives
our preparations for the copenhagen climate change summit are to be seen in this light
at present the eu is working with the african union and other regional organisations to strengthen their capacity to address environment and climate change issues
it promotes important initiatives to enhance forest governance especially through forest law enforcement governance and trade
