Implications for developing countries: Aid

For the developing countries the effects of the EU enlargement on development aid are two-fold. On one hand there is a possibility that funds will be directed towards the candidate countries at the cost of the funds which are used for aid to developing countries. On the other hand the Central and Eastern European countries will have to meet the standards of the Union according to the acquis communautaire which includes development aid. The future member states will need to make contributions to European aid in the future. However, development aid has a low profile in the accession negotiations and it is questionable whether the candidate countries will be able to make substantial contributions after accession.

Relevant publications

EU Enlargement: a brake on development co-operation? V. Michaux, 2002, in: The Courier ACP-EU, July-August 2002.

This short article discusses the possible impact of EU enlargement on development aid. The article mentions that the accession to the EU will make the candidate countries in Central and Eastern Europe financial contributors. Development aid is included in the accession negotiations for these countries. However, the contribution will be minimal. This stems from the fact that the candidate countries do not have a tradition in development aid nor is there awareness of the issue in the countries. Some progress has been made recently. Five countries seem to have changed their development aid policies according to the guidelines set by the OECD Development Assistance Committee. The ACP leaders seem to believe that development aid to their countries will not be deeply affected by the enlargement. Their main worries are related to possible effects on trade relations.

For the full article, click here.

Development Policy in the Candidate Countries, L. Krichewsky, 2002, Trialog, Vienna

This report discusses the state of development co-operation in the candidate countries. It also touches upon the effects of the enlargement on the EU development policies. Development co-operation has been part of the acquis communautaire in order to guide contributions of the candidate countries to the funding of development aid and the implementation. Still there are no other official documents on the implications for the candidate countries and the EU on development co-operation. The aim of the report is to describe the situation of development co-operation in the candidate countries and make comparisons between the candidate countries. The report concludes that there is diversity in the state of development co-operation in the candidate countries. The differences range from countries which have not really started to develop and implement such policies to countries which now have initial structures for a development policy. The author furthermore underlines the challenge of the different priorities in current development policies in the candidate countries and in the European Union. The candidate countries focus mainly on regions in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union in relation to its experience of political and economic transition, whereas the European Union has much broader policies, focusing on issues such as poverty reduction, capacity building, good governance, SMEs, and environmental issues in a wide range of countries throughout the world.

This document is available here.

Enlargement and Development Co-operation – Policy Paper, TRIALOG, 2001, Vienna.

The report discusses the role of development co-operation policies in the negotiations of the European Union with the candidate countries for accession. The report claims that although development co-operation is part of the Treaties underlying the European Union, it is not negotiated explicitly in the talks between the Union and the candidate countries. Through the document the NGO initiative TRIALOG attempts to increase the awareness of the inclusion of development issues in the accession negotiations. The organisation’s recommendations are addressed towards the institutions of the European Union, the governments in the future member countries and the NGO’s in both Western and Eastern Europe.

For the report click here.