Will Europe make a difference The Future of European Development Policy

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Will Europe make a difference ? The Future of
European Development Policy

• SID Briefing Session
• IPC Brussels, 1 September 2005
• James Mackie
• ECDPM, Maastricht EADI

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Outline

• Assessment of the DPS 2000
• Key conclusions of our study
• Issues to be addressed in a review
• Importance of a new DPS
• Proposals for the DPS 2005
• Some key features
• Reflections

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The DPS of 2000

• Valuable document in its time
• Single authoritative statement of policy
• Joint Council / Commission statement
• Focal point for reform of EC external assistance
• Clear focus on poverty
• Principle of concentration

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The EC-DPS of 2000 (contd)

• Difficulties encountered
• Mainstreaming cross-cutting issues
• Choice of focal sectors
• Focal sectors vs country ownership
• EC comparative advantage
• Complementarity not pursued

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The EC-DPS of 2000 (contd)

• Key shortcomings
• New policy issues
• MDGs became very widely accepted
• EU external action now more complex
• Limited Ownership
• Inside Commission
• European Parliament
• only applies to EC not EU

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Value of Renewal of DPS

• Address limitations of DPS2000
• Renewal of political commitment in current EU
  context
• Refocus strengthen collective effort of Europe
• New basis for accountability
• International signal support for MDG
• Take a step forward

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EC Proposal for DPS2005

• Not an easy document to draft
• Debate will be lively
• Dilemmas
• Content scope / poverty / focal sectors
• Application to EU or just EC ?
• Audience(s) to satisfy
• Ownership political status
• What is best for cause of development?

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Proposal for DPS2005 (contd)

• Positive features
• Consultation process clear diversified
• Concise document, reads easily
• Politically ambitious
• Builds on existing EU policy consensus
• ODA commitments made clear
• Poverty still the focus
• Values principles driven
• Strong support for MDGs UN consensus
• Places development policy in broader EU external
  action context

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Proposal for DPS2005 (contd)

• Question marks
• Common thematic framework for EU
• Interesting, but logic not clear MS reaction?
• Target areas for EC
• Continuity change loss of concentration?
• Capacity to handle increase in areas?
• How strictly will this be interpreted?
• Differentiation poverty reduction strategies
• More clarity on policies for LICs/MICs?
• Poverty reduction in Neighbourhood countries?

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Proposal for DPS2005 (contd)

• Areas for stronger language
• Poverty eradication
• Not just poverty reduction
• Commitment to cross-cutting issues
• Policy Mix idea for external action
• EC comparative advantage
• Policy coherence for development

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5 key issues for debate

• Keep poverty focus up front
• EU statement essential
• Complementarity
• Cant we go further?
• EC comparative advantage
• Coherence can we strengthen tool?
• Maximising ownership political status

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• Thank you for your attention
• James Mackie
• www.ecdpm.org
• www.eadi.org/edc2010