The overall challenge for development cooperation posed by the translation into practice of the Lisbon Treaty is whether the Treaty will be effectively used to increase policy coherence for development in EU external action. The 1992 Maastricht Treaty introduced a legal obligation to improve the coherence of European policies towards promoting development, a requirement which the Lisbon Treaty (Art. 208) extends to the whole of the Union. The aim of this requirement is to ensure that the Union’s various policy areas do not undermine achievement of its international development objectives and, where possible, even contribute to their achievement. The issue of coherence has featured prominently in ACP-EU policy discussions. It is the subject of several EU political statements, such as the 2005 European Consensus on Development which reformulates the concept as “policy coherence for development” (PCD). The Lisbon Treaty makes promoting international development an EU goal. Consistency of EU external action is an explicit aim, and a number of measures, such as the “doublehatted” post of High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Commissioner for External Relations, are now in place, which should promote general policy coherence. The question remains, however, whether this will also lead to further coherence for development. The debate is not just an EU institutional one, but reflects a wider trend towards seeing development as best achieved through an integrated international cooperation effort that includes policy inputs from different sectors, including development cooperation, working together in a coherent manner to promote development. More information in our work plan

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The impact of the Lisbon Treaty on development cooperation

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ECDPM has been thinking about the implications of the Lisbon Treaty for EU development cooperation since 2008 (click to read ECDPM InBrief 21). While the new institutions were formed in 2010, ECDPM cooperated with other think tanks and made proposals for a truly comprehensive EU external action, safeguarding the place of development (See 'Setting up the European External Action Service: Building a comprehensive approach' and 'Development-proofing the European External Action Service'). ECDPM also looked at the implications of the Lisbon Treaty for trade policy (See ECDPM Discussion Paper 98). ECDPM was invited to give presentations on Lisbon at the ACP House in September 2009 and March 2010. The Department of Economic Affairs of the African Union Commission invited ECDPM to Addis in October 2010, to speak on the implications of Lisbon for Africa (See the presentations). At the European Development Days 2010, ECDPM, in cooperation with the Belgian Presidency, organised a high-level panel on the implications of Lisbon for development policy and provided the background note (See ECDPM Briefing Note 18). ECDPM continues to follow this topic and is currently working on a study for the European Economic and Social Committee. Click here to access more publications on the implications of the Lisbon Treaty

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Monitoring and informing the EU's efforts to promote Policy Coherence for Development

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Following the exposure and the public discussion of instances in which EU policies adversely affected the interests of developing countries, the 1992 Maastricht Treaty introduced a legal requirement for the European Community to try and improve the coherence of European policies for promoting development. The Lisbon Treaty, which entered into force in December 2009, extends this obligation to the whole Union. The Cotonou Partnership Agreement also creates the possibility for the EU and ACP to engage on this topic. The ECDPM has for several years been engaged in monitoring and informing the EU's efforts to promote what is commonly known Policy Coherence for Development (PCD), and has among other activities contributed to the available knowledge on institutional approaches to promoting coherence, the 2009 EU report on PCD, as well as how to improve result-orientation through making investments in monitoring and evaluation. In 2011 and beyond, the ECDPM will continue to engage in specific assignments and monitor the EU's decision making processes. EU Policy Coherence for Development: from moving the goalposts to result-based management? (Discussion Paper 101).This Discussion Paper analyses the present state of play in the European Union’s efforts to promote the coherence of its policies with development objectives, with a particular focus on the attempts to strengthen result orientation. In December 2010, the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DEC/OC) asked the ECDPM to conduct a background analysis in relation to upcoming revisions in three important European policy domains: the Common Agricultural Policy, the Common Fisheries Policy, and the General System of Preferences. The studies were conducted from the perspective of developing countries, which meant that they focused on the external dimensions of the policy areas concerned and were based on a combination of document analysis and a limited number of interviews with key stakeholders. The findings of the three studies were presented to Dutch government officials, to inform the formulation of the government’s position on the three policy revisions. Following the completion of the studies, the Ministry encouraged the ECDPM to adapt those elements that were based on the analysis of policy documents, research data and other public documents and publish separate papers on each of the three policy domains. These papers aim to inform other interested actors about the implications of these policy revisions for developing countries. > Fishing in troubled waters? An analysis of the upcoming reform of the Common Fisheries Policy from the perspective of Policy Coherence for Development (ECDPM Discussion Paper 120) > Still a thorn in the side? The reform of the Common Agricultural Policy from the perspective of Policy Coherence for Development (ECDPM Discussion Paper 126)

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Future of EU development cooperation

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The EU is in the process of rethinking the future EU development cooperation to increase its impact. In this context the European Commission adopted the Green Paper “EU development policy in support of inclusive growth and sustainable development: Increasing the impact of EU development policy” in November 2010, which was followed by a consultation process. This will feed into a Commission Communication on a modernised EU development policy that is to come out in June 2011, and possibly a revision of the European Consensus on Development. This new thinking on EU development policy is to shape the EU financial instruments for external action post 2013. The ECDPM contributes to this process. This includes a submission to the consultation process and a briefing note to the ACP Secretariat with an analysis of the green paper and the opportunities and risks it may bring for the ACP Group. The centre briefed several EU member states and in February 2011 it organised a lunch seminar to discuss the green paper with a group of ACP ambassadors and the ACP Secretariat in Brussels. ECDPM continues its engagement in this area.

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The next multi-annual financial framework

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The European Commission is currently developing proposals for the EU financial instruments post-2013. ECDPM is following this process and currently writing a paper on the implications of EDF budgetisation. ECDPM has a long history of working on EDF budgetisation, which you can find here. ECDPM has also been commissioned to examine the current legal instruments.

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Supporting EU conflict prevention in a post-Lisbon content

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Working with the Hungarian EU Presidency and with officials of the EEAS, ECDPM is supporting the revision of the EU Programme of Action for the Prevention of Violent Conflict (Gothenburg Programme) with technical input and facilitation support. This work links to our wider work on EU international cooperation post-Lisbon and the expertise build on evaluating conflict prevention and peace building as well as EU support to African Peace and Security Architecture.

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ERD 2012: European Report on Development

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This is an ODI project funded by the European Commission, in partnership with ECDPM and The German Development Institute / Deutsche Institut für Entwicklungspolitik . Read more

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Study on Legal Instruments

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ECDPM, together with Particip, conducts this evaluation study for the European Commission. The Joint Evaluation Unit has established Terms of Reference for an evaluation study with the following overall objective: “Based on the JEU evaluations from 2006 to 2010 to identify results of the EC’s external and development cooperation and lessons learned in order to provide inputs for the revision of the related EU Budget legislative instruments (post 2013).” The study will be finalised during the first half of 2011.

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Visibility of EU External Action

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ECDPM, together with DRN, conducts an evaluation of the Visibility of EU external actions. The evaluation will take consideration on the seven evaluation criteria: relevance, impact, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, coherence and the EC value added. The main objectives of the evaluation are: to provide the relevant external co-operation services of the EC and the wider public with an overall independent assessment of the visibility of the Commission’s external action; To identify key lessons in order to improve the current and future strategies of the Commission on visibility.

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Previous activities

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Click here to see ECDPM's previous activities on EU International Cooperation Post-Lisbon For more information on our activities, please contact Tilly Bogataj

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Related publications, news and events

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Revolutions need to come from inside but transitions can do with support from outside” – So, what is the EU offering? Faten Aggad, ECDPM Talking Points, 13 January 2012 The role of France and the French in European development cooperation policy. Testimony of Dieter Frisch, ECDPM Board Member and former Director General Development of the European Commission. Presented at the Symposium "France, Europe and development aid from the Treaty of Rome to the Present". 8 December 2011. This text of ECDPM Board Member Dieter Frish, only available in French, has been presented at a seminar in Paris. It distinguishes between the evolving role of France in European development policy and that of European Commissioners and officials of French nationality. It shows a striking independence of the latter. van Seters, J. and H. Klavert. 2011 EU development cooperation after the Lisbon treaty; people, institutions and global trends. Discussion Paper 123 Still a thorn in the side? The reform of the Common Agricultural Policy from the perspective of Policy Coherence for Development. Discussion Paper 126. This study examines the current effects of the CAP on developing countries and looks at the role PCD plays, or could play, in reforming the CAP. It studies the most recent proposals presented in the European Commission’s November 2010 Communication, and member states’ positions on them, with a view to the compatibility with development concerns. Fishing in troubled waters? An analysis of the upcoming reform of the Common Fisheries Policy from the perspective of Policy Coherence for Development. Discussion Paper 120 In December 2010, the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DEC/OC) asked the ECDPM to conduct a background analysis in relation to upcoming revisions in three important European policy domains: the Common Agricultural Policy, the Common Fisheries Policy, and the General System of Preferences. The studies were conducted from the perspective of developing countries, which meant that they focused on the external dimensions of the policy areas concerned and were based on a combination of document analysis and a limited number of interviews with key stakeholders. The findings of the three studies were presented to Dutch government officials, to inform the formulation of the government’s position on the three policy revisions. Following the completion of the studies, the Ministry encouraged the ECDPM to adapt those elements that were based on the analysis of policy documents, research data and other public documents and publish separate papers on each of the three policy domains. These papers aim to inform other interested actors about the implications of these policy revisions for developing countries. This particular paper is devoted to the Common Fisheries Policy. The EU’s Multi-Annual Financial Framework post-2013: Options for EU development cooperation On 29 June, the European Commission is expected to come out with a Communication on the EU Multi-Annual Financial Framework post 2013, which will include proposals affecting EU development cooperation. This will mark the beginning of a negotiation process with EU Member States and the European Parliament. To inform the debate, the European Think-Tanks Group, composed of DIE (Bonn), ECDPM (Maastricht), FRIDE (Madrid) and ODI (London), has published a joint paper. It reviews the landscape of EU development cooperation, which is marked by major questions around the comparative advantage of a Europe-wide-approach to development assistance and the role of the EU in the future global aid architecture. The authors propose and analyse a set of options for the EU external action instruments, specifically related to: priorities and assistance towards Middle Income Countries and emerging economies; flexibility of instruments; dealing with climate finance; strengthen security and development linkages; and budgetising or maintaining a separate European Development Fund. On development policy, the EU’s External Action Service is looking vulnerable The idea of making European policies coherent with EU development objectives is vitally important. But Paul Engel warns that the cracks in the Brussels’ new bureaucratic structure are already starting to show. Read the full article at Europe's World. The European Think-Tanks Group have published a new paper on EU Blending Facilities: Implications for Future Governance Options.’ The paper offers an independent contribution to the European Union’s (EU) internal discussions on its future mechanisms for the complementary use of grants and loans (blending). It reviews the existing EU blending mechanisms, comparing their different governance arrangements, drawing lessons from each, and considers the pros and cons of possible future governance options for blending operations. To read the full paper, click here. The European Think-Tanks Group is made up of DIE, ECDPM, FRIDE and ODI. The European External Action Service: Preparing for success (by Clingendael). James Mackie contributed with the chapter 'New competition in town'. This section first provides some contextual elements to situate the EU contribution to development cooperation, and the development provisions in the Treaty of Lisbon are then outlined. Key structural issues regarding the EEAS are raised and the roles of the High Representative and the EEAS in development are discussed. Increasing the impact of EU development policy. What the European Commission needs to prioritise now The European Commission will publish a communication later this year on a modernised European Union (EU) development policy that will propose new policy guidelines on development aimed at improving EU support to developing countries to speed up their progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and beyond. As part of the process towards formulating this communication, ECDPM submitted its contribution this week to the EC’s public consultation on the Green Paper “EU development policy in support of inclusive growth and sustainable development: Increasing the impact of EU development policy”. ECDPM argues that a more effective EU development policy requires the EC make its partnerships with third countries more strategic in the context of a changing geopolitical environment and develop political economy approaches to integrate in its development policies and practices. A more coherent and integrated EU approach to development that ensures the EU can deliver on its ambitions is also necessary. ECDPM also provided the ACP Secretariat with reflections on the EC’s Green Paper, and the context within which the consultation is taking place, to assist the group in preparing contributions to the EC consultation. Read ECDPM's contribution to the consultation on the EC green paper on Inclusive Growth Read ECDPM's preliminary analysis for the EC Green Paper on Inclusive Growth Stakes and challenges of the new trends in EU development policy. A preliminary ECDPM analysis of the European Commission's Green Paper on inclusive growth and sustainable development This presentation, by ECDPM’s Jeske van Seters and Henrike Klavert to an 8 December meeting to prepare Caritas Europe’s response to the consultation on the green paper, provides a preliminary analysis of the trends in the paper. These include (i) emphasis on results and impact; (ii) focus on inclusive growth & private sector development; (iii) aid as a catalyst to leverage additional sources of development funding; and (iv) priorities: climate change, renewable energy and agriculture/food security. Opportunities and risks related to these trends are presented. It also considers what is missing in the green paper. ECDPM is co-organising events at the European Development Days from 6 till 7 December. On "Post Lisbon Landscape: Development at a Crossroads" and "Domestic Accountability and Aid Effectiveness" with the Belgium EU Presidency. Also on "Is there a New Consensus on European Development Cooperation" with European Think-Tanks Group: Deutsche Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM), Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior (FRIDE) & Overseas Development Institute (ODI). For further information on the programme, click here and on the European Development Days, click here. ECDPM perspectives on Policy Coherence for Development and the European External Action Service were quoted in a recent article by European Voice ECDPM provides a very short perspective on the post-Lisbon EU external action innovations one year on in Foreign Policy magazine's website (in Spanish) European Development Cooperation: Brokering environmental knowledge beyond Lisbon. Discussion Paper 102 This report provides an overview of the current policy framework of EU Development Cooperation with as a main objective an assessment of how environmental concerns are being mainstreamed. It is timely since it follows the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty on 1st December 2009 and the subsequent changes of the ‘playing field’ when it comes to EU development cooperation. It is also being published a few months after the Copenhagen negotiations where developing and emerging countries voiced their concerns on climate change. EU Policy Coherence for Development: from moving the goalposts to result-based management? Discussion Paper 101.This Discussion Paper analyses the present state of play in the European Union’s efforts to promote the coherence of its policies with development objectives, with a particular focus on the attempts to strengthen result orientation. Summary Report: Workshop for ACP Ambassadors The implications of the Lisbon Treaty for the ACP Group. Read also the Background Paper Brussels, 27 May 2010. Whither EC Aid? Compendium This Compendium is the final element of the joint ECDPM-ActionAid project, ‘Whither EC Aid’ (WECA), a project initiated in mid-2007. This publication archives all the outputs generated through WECA – from the Initial Discussion Note issued in January 2008, to the reports of the dozen roundtables held and the thematic Briefing Notes. A year after the adoption of the Accra Agenda for Action in the 3rd High level Forum on aid Effectiveness, it is interesting to look back on the perceptions of various group of stakeholders about the aid effectiveness agenda, and to what extent the different point of views, trends and ideas shared during the WECA process find an echo in the international agenda. External Evaluation of the Policy Coherence Unit of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs The Dutch Policy Coherence Unit (PCU) was first set up as a dedicated task force in May 2002 and is part of the Directorate General for International Cooperation (DGIS). In 2006, OECD peer review concludes that The Netherlands now has a “winning combination” of political commitment, a clear policy framework and the capacity to deliver through a dedicated PCU. How has it been achieved? This ECDPM PCU evaluation looks into its internal setup, but offers also concrete examples of unit's engagement in the areas of non-trade concerns, access to medicines in developing countries and Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). Examining the effectiveness of French Development cooperation Together with (GRET), the ECDPM is doing a study for the Agency Française de Développement (AfD), which concerns an assessment of the performance of France in implementing the aid effectiveness agenda, starting from the perception of the operators in the field. The specific thematic focus includes inter-donor coordination and division of labour; alignment to country systems; support to public policy ownership. To see full list of programme publications, click here.