About DG Development

Development policies

Intervention areas

The Directorate General for Development (DG DEV) works on policy formulation at global and sectoral level. DG Development formulates the development policy applicable to all developing countries and conducts forward studies to this end. The main thematic and sectoral areas covered (sub-activities) are those on which the development policy focuses: linking trade with development, regional integration and co-operation, support for macro-economic policies and promoting equitable access to social services in coherence with the macro-economic framework, supporting transport, promoting food security and sustainable rural development and support for institutional capacity building.

Cross-cutting

Cross-cutting concerns comprising the promotion of human rights, the equality between men and women, children's rights and the environmental dimension are both activities in their own right and are also issues to be mainstreamed in the other focal activities. As part of this activity, both policy orientations and implementation guidelines are prepared for those sectors.

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Programming

DG Development furthermore programs the use of financial resources dedicated to certain sectors and themes in support of the development policy under the Commission budget. The most significant budget lines are food aid/food security, environment/tropical forests, health and NGO co-financing. The implementation of programs funded under the budget rests, however, with AIDCO.

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Policy formulation

DG Development also contributes significantly to policy formulation in other policy areas such as environment, trade, fisheries etc., which fall under the responsibility of other Commission services. It also does substantive policy coordination for example with the European Investment Bank, the Bretton Woods Institutions, the African Development Bank, the African Union/Commission, G-8 and others.

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Geographical partnerships

ACP Countries

DG Development has a direct responsibility for the Community relations with sub-Saharan Africa as well as the Caribbean, the Pacific and the Indian Ocean. Most of those countries are signatories of the Lomé Convention (i.e. the 77 ACP countries), which has been replaced by the Cotonou Agreement signed in June 2000 and having come into force since 1 April 2003. Relations with Cuba and South Africa are different in the sense that they do not benefit from the European Development Fund (EDF), although South Africa is also a signatory of Cotonou. Moreover, relations with the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) are covered by DG Development. The 20 OCTs benefit from the EDF under a specific association agreement. Relations are maintained at national and regional (for example ECOWAS, UEMOA, SADC, EAC, etc...) as well as international (ACP institutions, OAU, Cairo process, NEPAD etc.) level.

Overseas countries & territories (OCT's)

In the framework of its mandate, DG Development develops and monitors strategies for the Community relations with countries and regions as well as OCTs under its responsibility. Strategies comprise the programming of financial resources and the monitoring of development co-operation as agreed with partner countries and regions taking due account of their ownership in the development process.

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Political dialogue

Substantial financial resources have been committed to the co-operation (9th EDF 16.4 billion for 2002 to 2007). Bilateral relations with ACP countries also comprise a flexible political dialogue that encompasses co-operation strategies, conflict prevention, resolution and conflict management. A political dialogue also takes place in the regional context, for example with IGAD, SADC and ECOWAS. Any EU position in the context of the political dialogue requires close consultation and co-ordination with the EU Member States.

Economic co-operation

The third dimension of EU relations with the ACP countries is the economic co-operation with the overall objective to integrate their economies gradually and smoothly into the world economy. Economic Partnership Agreements will complement traditional co-operation instruments in future.

Particular attention will be given to strategies and activities to strengthen regional economic integration.

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The key issues

The external effects of the various policies become visible at the level of third countries. Similarly, the different approaches, policies and co-operation programmes of donors and development banks crystallise at country level. Consequently, coherence, co-ordination and complementarity (3 C) are key issues in the relations with our partner countries, which require intensive interaction with all actors.

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