In October 2012, the European Commission published a Communication on ‘The EU approach to resilience’. This is to be followed by Council Conclusions and an Action Plan. The former will formalise EU policy in this area. The second will put flesh on the bones of the policy. In this opinion, Simon Maxwell sets the Communication in context and offers some thoughts on next steps.
January 23, 2013
How can the EU take forward the resilience agenda: a ten point plan
Posted by edcsp under Blog | Tags: "Simon Maxwell", development, European Commission, resilience |Leave a Comment
July 26, 2012
The next decade of EU trade policy: confronting global challenges?
Posted by edcsp under Research | Tags: development, Dirk Willem te Velde, European Commission, trade |Leave a Comment
In January, the European Commission launched proposals for a new EU trade strategy. EDCSP has today published a report bringing together 18 essays from the world’s leading trade and development experts to discuss the main issues covered.
The report warns that the EU’s increasingly protectionist stance over trade policy will damage the economies of a range of developing countries. Read the report here.
June 26, 2012
Reassessing aid to middle-income countries: the implications of the European Commission’s policy of differentiation for developing countries
Posted by edcsp under Uncategorized | Tags: aid to middle-income countries, development cooperation, differentiation, EDCSP, European Commission, ODI, Sian Herbert |Leave a Comment
The new European Commission policy of ‘differentiation’ aims to recalibrate its development cooperation with middle-income countries, and introduces two significant changes: (1) new aid allocation criteria; and (2) differentiated development partnerships for different categories of countries. This ODI working paper written by Siân Herbert explains the European Commission’s new policy and looks at its implications for developing countries.
June 18, 2012
Rio+20 side event on Insights from the European Report on Development
Posted by edcsp under Events | Tags: Dirk Willem te Velde, EuropeAid, European Commission, European Report on Development, Janez Potočnik, ODI, Rio +20, sustainable development goals |Leave a Comment
On 19 June, The European Commission’s DG Development & Cooperation, EuropeAid and the United Kingdom jointly organise a side event to the Rio+20 Conference, on Sustainable Development Goals: From ‘silo thinking’ towards an integrated approach. Insights from the European Report on Development.
The high-level panel will provide the opportunity to discuss how the integrated thinking of The European Report on Development (ERD) could inform the development of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Keynotes speakers include Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for the Environment and Caroline Spelman, UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. From ODI, Dirk Willem te Velde, ERD Team Leader will give an introduction to the European Report on Development, together with Imme Scholz from the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE).
April 30, 2012
ODI Submission to the European Commission Consultation on the Proposed EU Platform for External Cooperation and Development
Posted by edcsp under Uncategorized | Tags: Dirk Willem te Velde, EC consultation, European Commission, Isabella Massa, Matthew Geddes, Mikaela Gavas, ODI, Proposed EU Platform for External Cooperation and Development |Leave a Comment
In this ODI Submission to the European Commission on the Proposed EU platform for external Cooperation and Development, Mikaela Gavas, Matthew Geddes, Isabella Massa and Dirk Willem te Velde analyse what are the benefits of blending, whether or not loans and grants have differential trade distortionary effects, and what are the optimal governance arrangements for the EU blending facilities.
April 20, 2012
Time to end ambiguity in European policy-making
Posted by edcsp under Blog | Tags: "Simon Maxwell", development policy, European Commission, policy-making, trade and development policy |Leave a Comment
On 27 January 2012, the European Commission published a Communication on ‘Trade, Growth and Development: Tailoring trade and investment policy for those countries most in need’. On 12 March, this was discussed in the Council of Ministers, which adopted Conclusions on the subject. Simon critically analyses the ambiguity of European policy-making, taking the Commission’s Communication as a case study in this EDCSP blog.
April 11, 2012
Public consultations launched by the European Commission
Posted by edcsp under News | Tags: civil society, development, European Commission, external cooperation, grants, loans, public consultation |Leave a Comment
The European Commission has recently launched two public consultations. The ‘Proposed EU Platform for External Cooperation and Development’ takes a look at setting up a platform to oversee blending of loans and grants, while the second one focuses on the future EU policy on ‘Civil Society Organisations in development cooperation’.
February 21, 2012
Simon is appointed to Andris Piebalgs’ Scientific Advisory Board
Posted by edcsp under News | Tags: "Simon Maxwell", Andris Piebalgs, European Commission, Scientific Advisory Board for EU development policy |Leave a Comment
We are delighted to announce that Simon Maxwell has been appointed a Founder Member of European Commissioner Andris Piebalgs’ Scientific Advisory Board for EU development policy.
After the publication of the Commission’s new development strategy – ‘An Agenda for Change’, the Scientific Board is another step to further modernise EU development policy.
The other members are:
- Ha-Joon Chang (University of Cambridge)
- Paul Collier (Oxford University)
- Dirk Messner (German Development Institute)
- François Bourguignon (Paris School of Economics)
- Elizabeth Sidiropoulos (South African Institute of International Affairs)
- Jonathan White (German Marshall Fund)
- Lennart Wohlgemuth (Gothenburg University)
February 3, 2012
Too much aid to middle income countries? The EU’s aid allocation conundrum
Posted by edcsp under Blog | Tags: "Simon Maxwell", development, differentiation, EU Development Policy, European Commission, MICs, Poverty focus |Leave a Comment
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.
December 7, 2011
Commission adopts legislative proposals for external action instruments (2014-2020)
Posted by edcsp under Facts, News | Tags: Agenda for Change, Andris Piebalgs, European Commission, legislative proposals |Leave a Comment
The European Commission has today adopted legislative proposals for its external action instruments (2014-2020), setting out the practical implications of the new proposed development strategy – ‘An Agenda for Change’. These instruments will come under increasing scrutiny over the next few months, in the lead up to the Foreign Affairs Council in May 2012.
October 31, 2011
EU budget support: both a ‘name changer’ and a ‘game changer’
Posted by edcsp under Blog | Tags: aid, budget support, development, EU, European Commission, European development policy, Heidi Tavakoli, ODI |Leave a Comment
In this ODI blog, Heidi Tavakoli analyses the European Commission’s new strategy for budget support.
As one of the biggest providers of budget support, any policy changes by the EC will not only affect the budget support landscape, but may also drive changes in many of its member states. Heidi notes that the new proposal introduces two significant changes: firstly, the EC proposes that budget support becomes a political instrument; and secondly, as with DFID, the EC will change the name of its budget support instruments to better reflect its objectives. Read more here to see how this could be both a ‘name changer’ and a ‘game changer’.
October 25, 2011
Simon Maxwell discusses the Commission’s new Agenda for Change
Posted by edcsp under Events | Tags: "Simon Maxwell", Agenda for Change, aid, Commissioner Piebalgs, development, EU, European Commission, European development policy, growth |Leave a Comment
On 19 October, the EDCSP’s Simon Maxwell was invited to speak on the panel at Commissioner Andris Piebalgs’ launch event for the European Commission’s new development strategy – An Agenda for Change. Simon welcomed the document and the new directions it signals, noting that it is still work in progress, with seven more months of negotiations ahead. He also identified some key points of unfinished business that the strategy uncovers.
To watch the panel discussion, click here.
To watch Simon’s speech, click here.
To watch Simon’s interview by Capacity4dev, click here.
October 18, 2011
An Agenda for Change for EU Development Policy
Posted by edcsp under Blog | Tags: "Simon Maxwell", Agenda for Change, aid, development, EU Development Policy, European Commission, Mikaela Gavas, Sian Herbert |Leave a Comment
After more than a year and a half of consultations, Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs has released a new proposed strategy for EU development cooperation – in a document called ‘An Agenda for Change’.
The new policy directly descends from the European Consensus on Development, however also signals four important shifts:
- a higher profile for good governance and human rights, linked to greater conditionality;
- a higher profile for growth, with a strong focus on leveraging in private sector money;
- the introduction of the concept of differentiated development partnerships, with new allocation criteria for aid; and
- an attempt to boost EU joint work.
Read our response to the Commission’s proposal here
April 28, 2011
European Aid: Aspiring to the Gold Medal
Posted by edcsp under Blog | Tags: "Simon Maxwell", aid, comparative advantage, development, donor, European Commission, European development policy, GIZ Magazine, UN, World Bank |Leave a Comment
In the Olympic Games of development cooperation, the European Commission (EC) stands among the top three in the table of medal winners – boasting more medals than the World Bank and about as many as the whole of the United Nations (UN). But can it continue to hold its position in the next Olympic Games? The challenge will certainly be fierce. The victory medal will go not just to the most efficient, nor to the athlete with the widest range of sports. Four big problems need to be solved by all hopeful contenders; four hurdles need to be jumped.
In an article published in the GIZ Magazine, Simon Maxwell puts forward four big challenges facing EU development cooperation.
February 13, 2011
The European Commission one year in. How is it doing?
Posted by edcsp under Blog | Tags: "Simon Maxwell", Andris Piebalgs, EEAS, European Commission, European Commissioner for Development, José Manuel Barroso |Leave a Comment
The current European Commission, headed by Jose Manuel Barroso, took office on 10 February 2010. One year in, how is it doing?
That’s a good question, but not one I am qualified to answer. The question I might be qualified to answer is much narrower, namely how is Andris Piebalgs doing? (more…)
February 2, 2011
ODI contributes to Commission consultation on budget support
Posted by edcsp under News, Research | Tags: budget support, consultation on the future of EU budget support, EU Development Policy, European Commission, results |Leave a Comment
ODI have submitted their opinion to the European Commission’s consultation on the future of EU budget support to third countries.
Given the growing interest in the results-based aid agenda, this consultation comes at an opportune time. In the current economic climate, tough decisions will be required about aid and it is likely that those decisions will be guided by performance. A better understanding of the complex relationship between aid modalities and their effects on outcomes is needed now to inform such decisions.
To read ODI’s submission click here
January 17, 2011
ODI submits opinion to the Commission’s consultation on inclusive growth
Posted by edcsp under Research | Tags: "Simon Maxwell", Claire Melamed, development, Dirk Willem te Velde, EU Development Policy in Support of Inclusive and Sustainable Growth, European Commission, growth, Jodie Keane, Karen Ellis |Leave a Comment
ODI today submitted their response to the European Commission’s Green Paper on ‘EU Development Policy in Support of Inclusive and Sustainable Growth’
There is much to welcome in the EU’s Green Paper on EU development policy. The emphasis on the relative importance of growth in promoting development is particularly important. ODI’s submission focuses on the growth section of the Green Paper, with contributions from Dirk Willem te Velde, the Head of the ‘Investment and Growth Programme’ together with Jodie Keane, Research Officer, Karen Ellis, the Head of the ‘Private Sector and Markets Programme’ and Claire Melamed, the Head of the ‘Growth and Equity Programme’. In addition, Simon Maxwell, ODI’s Senior Research Associate and Project Leader of the European Development Cooperation Strengthening Programme (EDCSP) sets out the challenges for the European Commission in designing the EU’s development policy as set out in the Green Paper.
To read the submission, click here
December 9, 2010
Simon Maxwell participates in high-level session on post-Lisbon development challenges.
Posted by edcsp under Events, Research | Tags: "Simon Maxwell", Andrew Mitchell, Andris Piebalgs, development, ETTG, European Commission, European development policy, European Think-Tanks Group, Gunilla Carlsson |Leave a Comment
As part of the official programme of the European Development Days, Simon Maxwell spoke on a high-level panel on ‘The post-Lisbon landscape: development at a crossroads’. Other panellists included the UK’s Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell MP, the Swedish Minister for Development Cooperation, Gunilla Carlsson and the European Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs.
Simon Maxwell presented the conclusions of the European Think Tanks Group, outlined in its Memorandum ‘New Challenges, New Beginnings’, and contributed to a wide-ranging debate which covered both the institutional and policy challenges facing EU development cooperation.
December 8, 2010
European Commission launches a public consultation on EU external action funding
Posted by edcsp under Research | Tags: EEAS, EU budget, European Commission, European External Action Service, Financial Perspectives, MFF, multi-annual financial framework |Leave a Comment
The European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) have launched a joint public online consultation titled ‘What funding for EU external action after 2013?’ The consultation will run until the 31st January 2011 and the results will inform the Commission’s legislative proposal on the new EU multi-annual financial framework, the Financial Perspectives, 2014-2020, expected in mid-2011.
ODI’s background note on ‘Financing European development cooperation: the Financial Perspectives 2014-2020’ highlights some of the key issues about the future design and funding of the EU’s external action instruments.
November 8, 2010
European Commission consultation on budget support
Posted by edcsp under News, Research | Tags: budget support, European Commission |1 Comment
The European Commission published on 19th October a Green Paper on the future of EU budget support to developing countries to kick-start a public consultation on how to improve the EU’s approach to budget support.
ODI has worked extensively on budget support across the world. The following are just some of ODI’s publications and resources on this issue:
- Sector Budget Support in Practice
- Aid effectiveness in Malawi: options appraisals and budget support
- General budget support and the MDGs
ODI will contribute to the consultation. Sign up to our monthly newsletter to be kept informed about this and other issues
July 13, 2010
Barroso responds to European Think Tanks’ letter on the EAS
Posted by edcsp under Research | Tags: EEAS, ETTG, European Commission, European External Action Service, European Think-Tanks Group, José Manuel Barroso |Leave a Comment
Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, has responded to the European Think Tanks’ Open Letter of May.
Read his response here.
