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Contributions from
the Column
Focus
A model for other world regions – progress in Europe
New consensus
The view from Paris. What the French government thinks of co-ordination
“Contribute at the global level” – ideas and priorities of accession countries
“More of the same” is not an option: putting support for ACP countries on a new base
For NGOs, support from Brussels means a lot of money – and a lot of work
12/2005
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“Contribute at the global level”
Eight transition countries in Central and Eastern Europe joined the European Union along with Malta and Cyprus last year. Doing so included the commitment to get involved in development cooperation as donors. Thanks to their history, the new members have a potential to enrich the debate in Europe. Michael Bohnet, Special Representative of the German Development Ministry for the Accession Countries, explains the motives of the new EU members and identifies their key concerns.
[ Interview with Michael Bohnet ]
The accession countries are newcomers to international development cooperation (DC). Why have they taken on such a financial commitment, even though their own standard of living does not yet equal Western Europe?
They want to make a contribution at the global level. This is not simply about the awareness that EU membership involves obligations as well as rights. The new EU members know that international relationships are becoming increasingly complex. They understand that drafting own development strategies and participating in the EU enable them to contribute to forming democratic structures at the global level.
What are the priorities of the new EU member states?
They have identified key issues, both in the sense of regions and topics. Regionally, these ten states focus their DC on neighbouring countries such as the Ukraine, Moldavia and White Russia. Other significant regions are the Caucasus, Central Asia and Southeast European countries. However, they also contribute to development cooperation in some African and Asian states – for example, in Angola, Zambia, Vietnam or Mongolia.
The focus seems to be on members of the former Soviet Bloc.
That is correct. Maintaining relationships within the former Soviet Bloc is a vital consideration for the definition of targets – but it is not the only one. The new EU members want to pass on their positive transition experience. Their history puts them in an ideal position to encourage and support other states undergoing transition. But this is not the only plausible role they can play. They also have the potential to enrich the debate in Europe.
Isn’t the regional emphasis also about revitalising trade relations?
Business contacts are being cultivated, of course. This is true for ties with Ukraine, Moldavia, the Caucasus and Central Asia in particular, but also with post-socialist developing countries such as Vietnam, Mozambique, Angola or Nicaragua. However, trade is not the prime focus of the development strategy papers, which the cabinets of eight of the ten accession countries have adopted. On the contrary, the core issues are poverty reduction and the promotion of regional security, democracy and human rights.
Which of the accession countries stands out conceptually?
Almost all of them have come up with development policies in a remarkably short time. The Slovak Republic, for instance, deserves to be mentioned. Its government is putting a great deal of energy into reforming the public sector – including finances. It is remarkable that environmental issues such as urban and regional planning are taken into account in this context. The Slovak Republic is the only new EU member that makes a distinction between programme countries and project countries. Programmes have a much wider scope, only apply to a few countries, and are planned and implemented in cooperation with other EU members. This approach goes far beyond financing traditional projects and is geared towards policy-based basket funding.
Are there any other countries of special interest?
Another country I find very inspiring is Estonia. Just like the Slovak Republic, Estonia adopted its development guidelines back in 2003, with the approval of both government and parliament. The particular emphasis is on disseminating information technology. Estonia itself is very advanced in this field.
As already mentioned, the accession countries are relatively poor – at least compared with the rest of the EU. To what extent are they capable of providing development assistance at all?
In 2004, the accession countries together spent about ¤ 150 million on official development assistance (ODA). As a percentage of gross domestic product, their ODA ratios fluctuate between 0.01 and 0.1 %. Obviously, they are still far below the 0.7 % target. But the governments have committed to increasing their ODA considerably. The official goal the accession countries are to achieve by 2015 has been set at 0.33 % of GDP – with an interim goal of 0.17 % in 2010.
The European Commission wants to reform DC, in an effort to increase efficiency. What do the accession countries say?
The EU’s Joint Statement on development of November 2000 is binding for the new members as well. It is their duty to accept and implement the principles of coordination, coherence and complementarity as guidelines. The aim is to improve the coordination of aid programmes between the Union and its member states, to harmonise development objectives with other EU policies, and to ensure that national development programmes are compatible with those of the EU. Two specific tools serve this purpose – first, EU Country Strategy Papers, which provide common guidelines for drafting national policies; and second, policy-based budget support funded jointly by the Commission and member states. In my view, greater use should be made of the second tool. The goal is clear, but we still have a long way to go.
With regard to the accession countries, what does Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) do to achieve that goal?
For many years, the BMZ, actively supported by GTZ and InWEnt, has employed a number of measures to support the integration of new members in EU development cooperation. In addition to training experts from the new member states, these include visiting programmes and professional stints at German institutions. The BMZ has especially organised such opportunities for representatives from Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Finance, as well as from non-government organisations. If desired, the BMZ also offers advice to countries and helps them to draft development policies as well as to build civil society platforms.
Has the BMZ thus gained allies in the Council of Ministers – the most powerful EU institution?
Yes, I think so. Extensive dialogue with the ten countries has naturally stimulated the formation of networks, which are proving effective for political engagement. Like Germany, other countries such as Austria, Denmark and Sweden have also made a positive impact in this area.
Questions by Hans Dembowski.
Prof. Dr. Michael Bohnet
is Special Representative of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) for the EU Accession Countries. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta joined the EU in May 2004.
bohnetmichael@web.de
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