Internationalising EU development policy

Abstract

EU development policy is broad in its range of instruments and geographic scope. It is also an area of mixed competence, where the member states conduct diverse national development policies alongside the European Commission, raising the issue of policy co-ordination. The challenges are highlighted when it comes to international development policy as articulated by the intergovernmental international organisations (including the UN and the Bretton Woods institutions), where the European Commission has to address a dual challenge, the co-ordination of the individual member states' development polices, and the representation of the EU in international organisations where the European Commission holds largely an observer status. In these circumstances, to what extent can the EU influence international development policy? Or, is it effectively a follower in the context of the hegemonic position of these global organisations and the dominance of neo-liberal ideas on development?

Key Words:

• European Union
• international organisations
• international development policy
• Africa

Notes

1 Occasionally, the EU is represented by the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy. Under the provisions of the Lisbon Treaty, signed by the member states in December 2007, this post will be replaced by a High Representative of Foreign Affairs, and the six-month rotating country presidency will be replaced by the role of president of the EU, a two and a half-year position.

2 The membership of the IMF Executive Board is: Germany, France, UK, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Finland, Switzerland, US, Japan, Venezuela, Australia, China, Canada, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Kenya, Russia, Iran, Brazil, India, Peru, Rwanda. The G-7 membership is: France, Germany, Italy, UK, Canada, Japan, United States. The G-10 is Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Holland, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Canada, Japan, US.

3 In practice, there are a number of policy and financial frameworks governing EU relations with Africa: the Cotonou Agreement, the European Neighbourhood Policy (for North Africa), the Trade and Co-operation Agreement with South Africa, the EU Africa Strategy, the response to NEPAD and the Africa-EU Strategic Partnership (agreed in December 2007).