ECDPM is delighted to be able to mark 50 years of European cooperation by publishing the account of an observer and a protagonist of the many events described in this paper.

This paper, essentially historic in nature, is unlike ECDPM’s usual publications which generally examine technical or political issues and look resolutely to the future. Its aim is to examine how development cooperation came about in the Community and then the Union in order to shed light on the past and ensure that the origins of this staunchly international side of our Union are not lost from sight. To some extent, this paper is also educational in nature since it helps us better to understand the events and ideas that have led to many of our present practices and structures. It also has a political dimension, as the author does not hide his European beliefs and tells us in detail about the various stages along the road towards more integrated and coordinated European cooperation, while giving his view of the added value of this kind of integration. It also reflects his respect for the ACP Group partners to which he devoted a good part of his career. While this is therefore a very personal account, it is also the account of someone recognised for his experience and command of the issue.

The development policy of the European Union (EU) is a lesser known but nevertheless very interesting and even fascinating dimension of the process of European integration. Built with perseverance and pragmatism from 1958 onwards, and acquiring increasing substance, this policy nevertheless had no specific legal basis until the Treaty of Maastricht (1993) finally provided it with one. The fact that development policy had become, even before Maastricht, a solid pillar of the EU’s external relations bears witness to the political creativity of the Community of the time.

This paper looks at the main ways in which the EU’s development policy evolved during three periods: from Rome to Lomé, from Lomé to Maastricht and from Maastricht to Lisbon.

It is available in English and French