Development Policy

Abstract

Europeanization, in relation to development policy, has particular meaning and significance. This flows from the parallel nature of EU development policy, which encompasses the policies of the 27 member states and the common policy managed by the European Commission.¹ When combined, the funding provided by these 28 donors accounts for approximately 57 percent of all overseas development assistance (ODA), making the EU the world’s largest donor.² Consequently, claims to EU preeminence in this policy area form an important part of the Union’s identity claims as a value-based international actor. The validity of such claims, however, is dependent upon the attainment of coherence, in terms of values and of aims, between member state and Commission’s policies. Given the propensity for member state governments to view their bilateral development efforts as an aspect of foreign policy, and hence subject to state sovereignty, Europeanization, in this chapter, is seen as the extent to which it is possible to speak of a common approach to EU development policy, involving harmonization of Commission and member state efforts, rather than transfer of formal competence to the EU level. Such harmonization would require modification of both Commission and member state approaches to development through adoption of shared principles, aims, and practices.