February 3, 2012
The high share of aid provided to relatively better-off middle income countries is one of the biggest challenges to the aid record of the European Commission. But what are the reasons behind this?
Simon Maxwell sets out to explore the issue in this EDCSP Opinion.
January 26, 2012
The UK’s International Development Committee (IDC) has launched an inquiry into EC development assistance. The inquiry comes at a momentous time considering the new poverty landscape, changing economic and geopolitical dynamics in the world, the economic crisis, and the potential ramifications of a possible EU treaty change. As the global development scene changes, the UK and the EC’s approaches to development must also change.
The terms of reference established for the inquiry call for evidence regarding: the EC’s comparative advantage as a channel for UK development assistance, ‘An Agenda for Change’, future funding of EC development cooperation and progress towards policy coherence for development (PCD). These areas of inquiry ultimately lead to four key questions:
ODI’s Siân Herbert and Romilly Greenhill set out to answer these questions in this submission of written evidence.
Submissions from other organisations are available here.
January 11, 2012
Over on his website, Simon Maxwell looks at the outcome of the climate talks in Durban, focusing on the central role played by the EU. Simon notes:
“The most interesting aspect for me is the role of the EU in brokering this deal, first by developing the idea of a ‘road-map’ to a post-Kyoto framework, and second by stitching together an alliance across the traditional dividing lines of Annex 1, Annex 2 and non-Annex 1 countries, as well as large and small emitters. I can’t say that I have studied the internal EU processes in any detail, nor been able to disentangle the role of European institutions versus Member States, but at first sight Connie Hedegaard, the EU Climate Commissioner, deserves a great deal of credit. There are a couple of implications.
First, Durban may well provide a case study of why it is sensible for Member States to work together through the EU, and of how to do it. At a time of political crisis in Europe, there are valuable lessons about the benefits of developing an EU-wide vision and set of targets, as well as specific instruments like the European Emissions Trading Scheme, however flawed (but NB worth celebrating and defending, especially given the current row with the Chinese, Americans and others about bringing airline emissions into the Scheme). Are there implications for development ministers working on climate change, but also more widely?
Second, it is interesting to speculate whether and how EU momentum will be sustained. Is it sensible to think, for example, that the global public good would be served if EU Member States concentrated more of their climate change energy through Brussels institutions rather than bilaterally – giving Connie Hedegaard more bargaining power in the negotiations over a new treaty? From a development angle, there might be implications for the funding of the EU’s Global Climate Change Alliance, so far very poorly funded, and for the allocation of bilateral funds, like the UK’s International Climate Fund.”
To read more, click here.
December 20, 2011
In development circles, we often ask what ‘Europe’ can contribute to our development objectives. However, with Europe in financial and perhaps even political crisis, isn’t time we asked what development can contribute to our European objectives? Simon Maxwell sets out three answers to this question in his latest EDCSP blog.
December 19, 2011
On 16 December, EDCSP jointly hosted a panel debate, as part of the European Think-Tanks Group and with French research institute Ferdi, looking at ‘Modernising European Development Policy’, at the European Development Days conference in Warsaw.
To watch a video of the debate, click here.
December 10, 2011
