On 2 June 2008 the EDC2020 project was officially launched in Brussels. EDC2020 is a three-years project funded by the 7th Framework Programme of the European Union.
The project is co-ordinated by EADI (European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes) in a consortium with 5 other development organizations: Overseas Development Institute (ODI), Institute of Development Studies (IDS), German Development Institute (GDI-DIE), Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior (FRIDE) and Society for International Development (SID) through the Netherlands Chapter and has the objective to improve EU policymakers and other societal actors’ understanding of emerging challenges facing EU development policy and external action. EDC2020 deals with three emerging challenges: new actors in international development; energy security, democratization and political development; and European development policy and climate change.
The conference reflected the growing impact of developing countries such as China, India and Brazil, which not only gain economic influence but also emerge as new actors on the international development landscape. These ‘new actors’ follow a distinct agenda which often conflicts with OECD/DAC agreements. and their engagement in least developed countries does not fulfil ODC criteria for development assistance.
Instead, new actors use specific funding instruments, trade relations as well as investment in infrastructure which are often paid “in kind” with exploitation concessions for specific resources. In these engagements the boundaries between profit seeking private investment and public policy are unclear, as well as the effectiveness of the instruments for the development of the recipient country. Research regarding rationales, interest groups and policy processes of these new actors are vital in creating new tools and scenarios for European policy makers. Only with such insights can new areas of convergence be found and strategic partnerships for effective development cooperation be formed. In this regard, the project tries to explore the following questions:
• Is rich country policy on poverty reduction driven by genuine concern or by self interest?
• What is the rationale of new actors in aid provision, the choice of partners and the level of
aid?
• Where are challenges in partners’ positions for European external relations or where might
points of convergence emerge?
With regard to energy security, democracy and political development, the conference called intention to the 2006 Green Paper, in which the European Commission notices that there is a need for an increased linkage between energy policy and development policy . “Europe has entered into a new energy era” and the “increasing dependence on imports from unstable regions and suppliers presents a serious risk… [with] some major producers and consumers…using energy policy as a political lever.“ However, so far energy security remains a subject studied by energy (political) economists and is not integrated into the normal purview of work on foreign, security and development policies. EDC 2020 therefore aims at correcting these shortcomings and at creating scenarios for the following questions:
• What are possible combinations of energy, development and Common Foreign Security
Policy (CFSP)?
• What is the relationship between Member States’ and EU interests regarding energy
policy?
• How can a practical balance between access to energy policies of poor communities and
own supply concerns be achieved?
• Is the EU striking the right balance between free market and geopolitical approaches?
In the area of Climate Change, the conference emphasized that this topic has become importnant to European policymaking. Much of the effort has so far focused on emissions from European countries, getting the EU emissions trading system to work, setting ambitious renewable energy policies, and negotiating Europe’s role in the international climate regime. However, it is only relatively recent that the relationships between climate change and development have been discussed in development policy circles. In its Green Paper the Commission emphasized in 2007 that it “is examining how to promote an enhanced dialogue and co-operation between the EU and developing countries on climate change.” EDC 2020 will support European policy makers by concentrating on two policy fields.
• What are the implications of domestic policy processes (promotion of bio-fuels) which have
links to developing countries?
• What are implications of policy processes designed specifically to support developing
countries in dealing with climate change (financing for adaptation and mitigation,
technology transfer etc)?
Please visit the website for any further question on the project – html
