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Development policy proposals Relations with non-EU donors
Cooperation and coordination among development partners is increasingly important if we are to make development aid more effective/ efficient and meet the millennium development goals by 2015.
This is why the EU works together with both traditional donors and emerging partners, in line with the Paris declaration on aid effectiveness (2005) and the Accra agenda for action (2008).
Traditional donors
- USA - assisting African (especially African Union) crisis management capabilities; more coordinated policies and force deployment in crisis areas (e.g. Sudan/Darfur, Great Lakes); more support for implementing the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), regional integration, poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS, good government, human rights and social development
- Japan - through the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) and dialogue with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) about cooperating on agriculture and water, rural development and food security in ACP countries, infrastructure policy and planning, and climate change
- Canada - disaster-risk reduction, operational preparedness, protecting civilians, conflict prevention, human rights and gender mainstreaming.
In addition, the Commission takes part in political dialogues on Africa and development issues with major donor partners such as the USA, Japan, Canada, the European Economic Area ( Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) and more recently with China. In these dialogues, the EU is represented by 3 bodies - the government holding the EU presidency, the High Representative for foreign and security policy, and the European Commission.
Emerging partners for development
In recent years, new partners - China, Brazil, India, South Korea, Russia, the Arab funds – have become increasingly active (especially in Africa), and the EU has stepped up cooperation with them.
This will feed into actions in form of triangular cooperation between the EU, the emerging partner and the developing country. The idea is to complement (not replace) bilateral development in cases where a third partner is clearly going to make the difference.
Trilateral cooperation is based on the principles that all partners involved are treated as equals and all agree that the beneficiary country is the driving force - all aid activities must fit into its national development plan.
So far, cooperation with emerging partners is most advanced with:
- China - the EU is offering to start official trilateral dialogue and cooperation (Africa, China, EU) on peace and security, agriculture, infrastructure and sustainable management of natural resources. Work towards implementation is ongoing.
- Brazil - the EU and Brazil have agreed to join forces to help countries implement their national development plans in agriculture, health, education and energy (starting with Portuguese-speaking countries and Haiti).
