EU Development Policy

Latest news on the development policies of the European Union.

Banana Split, How EU Policies Divide Global Producers: Policy Issues in International Trade and Commodities Study Series. 31 — 09 April 2008, 16:29 CET

This publication looks at the likely impact of the change of arrangements for the import of bananas into the EU. At present banana prices within the European Union are almost double world levels. These prices are maintained by restrictive import quotas and tariffs that generate rents that accrue to producers and distributors. The European Union is obliged to remove its quantitative restrictions and replace them with tariffs that are likely to give preference to existing quota holders from ACP countries. Indications are that a relatively small proportion of the rents are currently accruing to ACP producers and the loss in rent would be more than offset by the expansion of EU imports.

Banana Wars: The Price of Free Trade - A Caribbean Perspective — 09 April 2008, 16:21 CET

In the Caribbean Windward Islands, one in three jobs and half of export earnings depend on bananas. But from the end of 2005, the European Union will give up the last non-tariff measures designed to protect this trade. Looming over the islanders are unemployment, poverty, further emigration, and the almost inevitable switch to growing illegal drugs. Banana Wars tells how the US government, answering the grievances of a single American corporation, forced the World Trade Organization to nullify a European Community commitment to protect small Caribbean banana growers. The international trading system lacks the flexibility needed to give states like the Windward Islands the protection that they need to survive, while powerful supermarket chains insist on ever-lower prices, to the short-term benefit of consumers but the serious detriment of growers. This book calls for new EU arrangements to help the Caribbean banana industry beyond 2005 and for the WTO to give greater consideration to the needs of very small states with vulnerable economies.

EU commitment to the Millennium Development Goals - milestones — 30 May 2019, 23:24 CET

At the half-way stage of the Millennium Development Goals timetable, 2008 is a crucial year on the international stage as regards the development agenda. In 2000 the international community set eight Millennium Development Goals to be achieved by 2015.

The European Union and Developing Countries: Trade, Aid and Growth in an Integrating World — 05 March 2008, 22:40 CET

The EU is the main trading partner of developing countries, and the main provider of development aid. The contributors to this book evaluate critical aspects of EU trade and aid policies in order to ascertain whether, and to what extent, they help promote growth and accelerate the development of the Third World. The evaluation takes into account current changes in EU trade and aid policy and makes use of recent advances in empirical methods in order to provide accurate estimates of the policy impact on developing countries. The various studies may contribute to improve the design and implementation of EU policy and its effectiveness in strengthening growth of developing countries and promoting the well-being of their populations. This independent evaluation of EU trade and development policy towards developing countries will strongly appeal to: undergraduate and graduate students in international economics, development economics and European economics; policy makers in the EU and developing countries, development community; non governmental organizations; and those interested in the impact of the EU trade and aid policy.

Hunger and Health (World Hunger Series 2007) — 05 March 2008, 22:33 CET

"Hunger and Health" explores the multiple relationships between hunger and poor health, and how they affect the growth of individuals, physiologically and psychologically, constraining the development of nations both socially and economically.

ACP-EU Trade Website — 31 October 2007, 12:52 CET

Information and analysis relevant to ACP-EU trade relations - non-partisan sourcing and knowledge sharing on ACP-EU trade

Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) - principles & objectives — 31 October 2007, 12:47 CET

The negotiations leading to the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) were launched in Brussels on 27 September 2002 to be conducted in two phases. The first phase is conducted at "All-ACP"-EU level and takes on board cross-cutting themes of interest to all parties concerned, mainly: legal matters, the development "dimension" of the EPAs, Agriculture and Fisheries agreements, services, market access and trade-related matters. The Second phase is conducted at ACP national and regional level with spotlight on specific commitments.

Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) - guide — 31 October 2007, 12:55 CET

The negotiations leading to the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) were launched in Brussels on 27 September 2002 to be conducted in two phases. The first phase is conducted at "All-ACP"-EU level and takes on board cross-cutting themes of interest to all parties concerned, mainly: legal matters, the development "dimension" of the EPAs, Agriculture and Fisheries agreements, services, market access and trade-related matters. The Second phase is conducted at ACP national and regional level with spotlight on specific commitments.

EU-27 trade with ACP countries 2006 — 25 July 2007, 22:35 CET

This publication relates to the EU27 trade with ACP countries in 2006. It contains an analysis of the European Union's exchanges with ACP countries and the trend of these trade flows between 2000 and 2006. It focuses on the main partners and on the main products traded. The main source for the statistics is Eurostat's Comext database on trade in goods.

ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly — 22 June 2007, 18:48 CET

The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly was created out of a common desire to bring together the elected representatives of the European Community - the Members of the European Parliament - and the elected representatives of the African, Caribbean and Pacific states ("ACP countries") that have signed the Cotonou Agreement: it is the only institution of its kind in the world.

EU Humanitarian Aid: Frequently asked questions — 13 June 2007, 15:42 CET

The European Commission on 13 June 2007 adopted a Communication paving the way for greater efficiency and coherence in delivering humanitarian aid. The Commission is calling for the European Union to work more closely together on a consensus that would boost its collective response to humanitarian crises. This includes advocating full respect for international humanitarian law, so that aid and aid workers can reach people in need.

European Commission Technical Assistance Office for the West Bank and Gaza Strip — 11 June 2007, 14:52 CET

The EU’s relationship with the region, and the Palestinians in particular has grown deeper over the past decades. The EC hopes that this relationship will be successful in helping pave the way towards a just peace and a Palestinian State in the near future. The website of the European Commission Technical Assistance Office for the West Bank and Gaza Strip contains information about the role of this office and various areas of cooperation with the Palestinian Authority. You will find an overview of the EU’s activities and relevant information on EC’s assistance and programmes. It is designed to provide easy and accessible information on the EU in general, its external relation policies, its institutions and its activities.

Market Access Partnerships - questions and answers — 19 April 2007, 12:56 CET

On 18 April 2007, the European Commission adopted the Communication 'Global Europe: A Stronger Partnership' to deliver Market Access for European exporters. This strategy for breaking down trade barriers abroad and creating new export opportunities is part of the Commission's new Global Europe trade policy framework. The centre-piece of this new approach is a new decentralised partnership between the Commission, EU Member States and business on the ground in third countries where local expertise makes trade barriers easier to identify and tackle.

EU offers full market access to former colonies — 04 April 2007, 17:55 CET

The EU offered on Wednesday to scrap most tariffs and quotas on exports from African, Caribbean and Pacific nations to boost talks on new trade pacts, but the proposition quickly met with scorn.

EU - Caribbean partnership — 27 March 2007, 12:07 CET

A European Union – Caribbean partnership for growth, stability and development

Generalised System of Preferences — 11 September 2006, 18:24 CET

The EU's generalised scheme of tariff preferences (GSP) offers lower tariffs or completely duty-free access for imports from 178 developing countries and territories into the EU market. The EU's scheme grants special benefits for the 49 least developed countries and to countries implementing certain labour or environmental standards. The EU grants the preferences without asking for concessions from the beneficiary countries. In 2002, EU imports benefiting from GSP preferences amounted to EUR 53 billion.

Development and the EU — 11 September 2006, 18:24 CET

Nearly half the money spent to help poor countries comes from the European Union and its member states, making it the world’s biggest aid donor. But development policy is about more than providing clean water and surfaced roads, important though these are. The EU also uses trade to drive development by opening its markets to exports from poor countries and by encouraging them to trade more with each other.

ECHO EU humanitarian aid — 28 May 2010, 16:10 CET

Since 1992, ECHO has funded humanitarian aid in crisis zones of more than 85 countries via its partners. Its grants cover emergency aid, food aid and aid to refugees and displaced persons worth a total of more than EUR 700 million per year. The European Union’s mandate to ECHO [Regulation (CE) n° 1257/96] is to provide emergency assistance and relief to the victims of natural disasters or armed conflict outside the European Union. The aid is intended to go directly to those in distress, irrespective of race, religion or political convictions. ECHO’s task is to ensure goods and services get to crisis zones fast. Goods may include essential supplies, specific foodstuffs, medical equipment, medicines and fuel. Services may include medical teams, water purification teams and logistical support. Goods and services reach disaster areas via ECHO partners.

Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) — 11 February 2020, 16:25 CET

The EU's GSP removes import duties from products coming into the EU market from vulnerable developing countries. This helps developing countries to alleviate poverty and create jobs based on international values and principles, including labour and human rights.

Developing Countries: Expanding Exports Helpdesk — 06 August 2006, 11:09 CET

The Export Helpdesk is an online service, provided by the European Commission, to facilitate market access for developing countries to the European Union. This free and user-friendly service provides relevant information required by developing country exporters interested in supplying the EU market.

EU trade - access to essential medecines — 05 August 2006, 23:08 CET

Infectious diseases are responsible for almost half of all deaths in developing countries, and half of these diseases are caused by HIV (AIDS), tuberculosis and malaria. More than 2 billion inhabitants of the world do not have regular access to adequate treatment and cure. AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria alone kill 5 million people each year mostly in developing countries. European Union initiatives

Development DG European Commission — 05 August 2006, 22:59 CET

The mandate of DG Development of the European Commission is to enhance the development policies in all developing countries world-wide. DG Development provides policy guidance on development policy and oversees the programming of aid in the ACP countries (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific) and the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT). The Cotonou Agreement provides the framework for a 20-year partnership for development aid to 77 ACP countries, funded mainly by the European Development Fund.

Millennium Development Goals - Europe Cares — 04 August 2006, 00:07 CET

The European Union has signed up to the Millennium Development Goals and is conscious of its particular responsibility as the largest donor of development aid and the most important commercial partner of the developing world. In order to advance progress on the MDGs, the Union has agreed on ambitious proposals in three main areas: the European Union will make more money available for development, it will improve the coherence of its policies and it will put a special focus on sub-Saharan Africa, the region most lagging behind in achieving the MDGs.