15/7/2005
New European Development Policy Is Poverty Focused

The European Commission this week adopted a proposal that it hopes will form the policy basis for the administration of overseas development, both for itself and for European Member States. Pointing out that Europe needed to do more in the field of development as well as doing it better, Louis Michel, the Development Commissioner, said at the launch that as this was an area where competence was shared between the EU and its member states, any strategy had to be based on co-ordination and harmonisation. "If we really want to make poverty history, we have to act together,” he said.

The accent of the new policy is, as widely expected, on reducing poverty. The aim will be to reduce poverty in line with the Millennium Development Goals. The policy will cover all developing countries within a single framework of principles for the 25 Member States and the Commission. If approved by the European Council (representing member states) and the European Parliament, it will form a “European Consensus” and would provide, for the first time in 50 years of development co-operation, a common framework of objectives, values and principles that the Union.

The EU is the biggest aid donor in the world, accounting for 55% of development assistance, 20% of which is managed by the Commission. The budget was recently increased putting the EU on track to achieve the UN target for overseas aid of 0.7 per cent of GDP, by 2015. But the new policy covers more than aid. “The EU development policy is a strategy for equitable globalisation. By addressing the links between development and security, development and migration, development and trade, development and environment, the Commission seeks to give the best possible response to a broad variety of situations and needs in our partner countries," said the External Relations Commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

The new Strategy reflects changed circumstances since the previous Strategy was published in November 2000: the stronger consensus on the Millennium Development Goals, the security context after the terrorist attacks on 11 September and the increased impact of globalisation.

The Commission proposes a new conception of development co-operation, with better co-ordination and common objectives as supporting pillars. It highlights the importance of the partnership with developing countries and the promotion of good governance, human rights and democracy. It stresses the role of civil society and tackles conflict situations and failed states.

The policy also sets development as a key element of the EU’s external action along with the common foreign and security policy and trade policy and explores links with these and other related policy areas such as migration, environment and employment. It recognises that the EU’s relations with each external partner are unique and require an individual ‘policy mix’ of aid, trade and other policies.