European countries must re-think their approach to international development and work more effectively together, according to a new report. In the first undertaking of its kind, more than 25 researchers from four of Europe’s leading think-tanks – ODI (London), DIE (Bonn), ECDPM (Maastricht) and FRIDE (Madrid) – have joined forces to call for:
- New EU leadership in thinking in terms of development cooperation;
- EU states to meet their aid promises and improve the targeting and effectiveness of aid spending;
- New efforts to ensure consistency between development and other policies;
- New investment in development partnerships; and
- Improved cooperation between Member States, so that the EU works as one.
The Report is timed to coincide with the inauguration of the new European Commission. It argues that new challenges like the global financial crisis and climate change mean that European countries must work together much more than in the past.
Download