The European Union and International Development: The Politics of Foreign Aid (Uaces Contemporary European Studies)

209 Pages·2007·1.01 MB·English

by  Maurizi Carbone

The European Union and
International Development
The European Union is a leading actor in international development, providing
more than half of the world’s foreign aid, but also a unique case, combining
the characteristics of a bilateral and a multilateral donor. Despite the general
acknowledgement that policy co-ordination substantially improves both the
effectiveness of foreign aid and the visibility of the EU in the international arena,
Member States have consistently resisted any intrusion into what they consider a
key area of their national sovereignty. The increase in volume of aid, the ambitious
agenda on aid effectiveness and the adoption of the European Consensus on
Development indicate a change of direction.
Using development policy as a starting point, this book provides a systematic
analysis of the interaction between the European Commission and Member
States. It explores the conditions in which the European Commission influences
the outcome in the EU decision-making process. It ultimately argues that the
European Commission plays a leadership role, but this leadership is contingent
upon the presence of an institutional entrepreneur, its internal cohesiveness and
the astute use of a repertoire of tactics.
Demonstrating that development policy may provide fresh insights into EU
integration theory, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of
European Politics and International Development.
Maurizio Carboneis Lecturer in the Department of Politics at the University of
Glasgow, UK.
UACES Contemporary European Studies Series
Edited by Tanja Börzel, Free University of Berlin, Michelle Cini,
University of Bristol andRoger Scully, University of Wales, Aberystwyth
on behalf of the University Association for Contemporary European Studies.
Editorial Board:
Grainne De Búrca,European University Institute and Columbia University
Andreas Føllesdal,Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, University of Oslo
Peter Holmes,University of Sussex
Liesbet Hooghe,University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Vrije
Universiteit Amsterdam
David Phinnemore,Queen’s University Belfast
Mark Pollack,Temple University
Ben Rosamond, University of Warwick
Vivien Ann Schmidt,University of Boston
Jo Shaw,University of Edinburgh
Mike Smith,University of Loughborough
Loukas Tsoukalis,ELIAMEP, University of Athens and European University
Institute.
The primary objective of the new Contemporary European Studies series is to
provide a research outlet for scholars of European Studies from all disciplines.
The series publishes important scholarly works and aims to forge for itself an
international reputation.
1 The EU and Conflict Resolution
Promoting peace in the backyard
Nathalie Tocci
2 Central Banking Governance in the European Union
A comparative analysis
Lucia Quaglia
3 New Security Issues in Northern Europe
The Nordic and Baltic States and the ESDP
Edited by Clive Archer
4 The European Union and International Development
The politics of foreign aid
Maurizio Carbone
The European Union and
International Development
The politics of foreign aid
Maurizio Carbone
First published 2007
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2007.
“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s
collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.”
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group,
an informa business
© 2007 Maurizio Carbone
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted
or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Carbone, Maurizio.
The European Union and international development : the politics
of foreign aid / Maurizio Carbone
p. cm. – (UACES contemporary European studies series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Economic assistance, European – Political aspects. 2. European
Union. 3. European Commission. I. Title.
HC60.C2927 2007
338.91'4–dc22 2007031603
ISBN 0-203-94468-2 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN10: 0–415–41414–8 (hbk)
ISBN10: 0–203–94468–2 (ebk)
ISBN13: 978–0–415– 41414–2 (hbk)
ISBN13: 978–0–203–94468–4 (ebk)
– Nonna, ’ammi a benirizioni.
– Bonu e benirittu tuttu, figgiu.
To my grandmother, nonna Maria

Contents
List of figures viii
List of tables ix
Acknowledgements x
Author’s note xiii
List of abbreviations xiv
Introduction 1
1 Leadership in the European Union: the European
Commission and the EU decision-making process 11
2 The politics of foreign aid in the European Union: the EC,
the Member States and the end of aid fragmentation 30
3 Volume of aid: reversing trends in international
development 60
4 Global public goods: more aid, better aid or harnessing
globalisation? 81
5 Untying of aid: enhancing the quality of development
assistance 101
Conclusion 121
Appendix 132
Notes 151
Bibliography 165
Index 185
Figures
2.1 Performance of foreign aid by EU Member States,
2003–2006 42
2.2 Share of EC aid over EU aid, 1970–2005 52
3.1 Evolution of volume of aid in DAC members, 1960–2006 61
3.2 Evolution of ODA/GNI in DAC members, 1960–2006 61
5.1 Share of untied aid in DAC members, 1979–2005 104
Tables
2.1 Geographical distribution of bilateral allocable EC aid,
1984–2005 33
2.2 Financial instruments for EC external assistance, 2007–2013 36
2.3 Allocation of bilateral aid, selected EU Member States,
1984–2005 44
2.4 European Commissioners and DGs involved in EC/EU
development policy, 1999–2007 49
3.1 Volume of aid in EU Member States, 1960–2000 68
3.2 Positions of EU Member States on volume of aid, January 2002 72
3.3 Positions of EU Member States on ODA targets for 2010,
December 2004 76
3.4 Volume of aid in EU Member States, 2001–2006 and beyond 78
4.1 List of key global public goods 84
4.2 Sources of funding for activities related to GPGs, 1994–1998 85
4.3 Spending on GPGs by DAC donors, 1980–1998 85
4.4 Spending of funding for GPGs going to sectors, 1980–1998 85
4.5 Spending for GPGs in low- and middle-income countries,
1990–1999 86
4.6 Positions of EU Member States on GPGs, January 2002 94
5.1 Share of untied aid in EU Member States, 1979–2005 105
5.2 Positions of EU Member States on the applicability of the DAC
Recommendation to EC aid 111
5.3 Commitments of EU Member States on untying of aid beyond
the DAC Recommendation, January 2002 114
C1 Conditions of European Commission leadership 125
C2 Tactics used by the European Commission to secure
its preferences 126
C3 Volume of aid in 2006 and simulation for 2010 128
C4 The EU plan to improve effectiveness of aid 129