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European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM)
Encyclopedia
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.
The ECDPM deals with the international policies that govern development
International development
International development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...
cooperation between the ACP countries
ACP countries
The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States is a group of countries , created by the Georgetown Agreement in 1975. The group's main objectives are sustainable development and poverty reduction within its member states, as well as their greater integration into the world's economy...
and the EU member states. The most recent and most significant of these policies is the Cotonou Agreement
Cotonou Agreement
The Cotonou Agreement is a treaty between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States . It was signed in June 2000 in Cotonou, the largest city in Benin, by 78 ACP countries and the then fifteen Member States of the European Union...
, signed in June 2000 by 77 ACP countries and the EU. The Cotonou Agreement
Cotonou Agreement
The Cotonou Agreement is a treaty between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States . It was signed in June 2000 in Cotonou, the largest city in Benin, by 78 ACP countries and the then fifteen Member States of the European Union...
has been considered a landmark in EU-ACP relations due to its new political dimension and the integration of non-state actor
Non-state actor
Non-state actors are categorized as entities participating or acting in the sphere of international relations; organisations with sufficient power to influence and cause change in politics which are...
s into development cooperation.
The vast increase in the amount of actors involved in the debate about and the negotiations of ACP-EU development policy constitutes a major challenge. The need to provide information and facilitate interaction between all stakeholders is one of the main objectives of the ECDPM.
The ECDPM has its main office in Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
, the Netherlands and a regional office in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
Aims and objectives
ECDPM wishes to provide development stakeholders with information and resources necessary to better understand EU-ACP development cooperation. To this end ECDPM engages in:- policy-related research and information
- capacity-building approaches
- hands-on facilitation of dialogue between parties
- networking
- seminars and conferences.
The long-term strategic objectives of the Centre are:
- To enhance the capacity of public and private actors in developing countries
- To improve cooperation between development parters in Europe and the ACP regions.
Thematic programmes
Participation
Participation (decision making)
Participation in social science refers to different mechanisms for the public to express opinions - and ideally exert influence - regarding political, economic, management or other social decisions. Participatory decision making can take place along any realm of human social activity, including...
is one of the key principles of the Cotonou Agreement
Cotonou Agreement
The Cotonou Agreement is a treaty between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States . It was signed in June 2000 in Cotonou, the largest city in Benin, by 78 ACP countries and the then fifteen Member States of the European Union...
. This programme recognises the legitimate role of central and local governments and the need for improved cooperation between state and non-state actors. Furthermore, as the idea of good governance
Good governance
Good governance is an indeterminate term used in development literature to describe how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources in order to guarantee the realization of human rights. Governance describes "the process of decision-making and the process by which...
is considered a fundamental element in EU-ACP development cooperation, the Multi-Actor Partnerships and Governance programme of the ECDPM deals with this issue and the controversies attached to it, such as the Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement
Cotonou Agreement
The Cotonou Agreement is a treaty between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States . It was signed in June 2000 in Cotonou, the largest city in Benin, by 78 ACP countries and the then fifteen Member States of the European Union...
.
This programme of the ECDPM is concerned with the definition and evolution of EU development policy. It furthermore monitors the role of development policy in the context of EU external relations. The Development Policy and EU External Action programme of the ECDPM aims to secure the appropriate level of priority for development policy in the "policy mix" of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
Trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
is one of the most crucial elements of development cooperation. This programme of the ECDPM wishes to promote the establishment of a fair trade
Fair trade
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
regime between the EU and the ACP countries and to ensure the sustainable development
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
of the ACP countries' economies and their integration into the world economy
World economy
The world economy, or global economy, generally refers to the economy, which is based on economies of all of the world's countries, national economies. Also global economy can be seen as the economy of global society and national economies – as economies of local societies, making the global one....
. The most recent focal point of this programme is the establishment of the new Economic Partnership Agreements
Economic Partnership Agreements
Economic Partnership Agreements are a scheme to create a free trade area between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States . They are a response to continuing criticism that the non-reciprocal and discriminating preferential trade agreements offered by the EU are...
between the EU and the ACP countries.
Efficient organisations are crucial to making development cooperation work. The ECDPM Development Cooperation and Capacity programme works on the changes necessary for organisations to effectively implement development policy. One of the main aspects of this process is the building of capacity
Capacity Development
The commitment, sealed in the in September 2000 in New York, of 190 countries to achieving the by 2015, and the urgent need for countries, particularly developing countries, to effectively and speedily respond to the current global economic recession, climate change and other crises that are...
. In this context the ECDPM wishes to improce EU development assistance to the ACP countries by improving interaction and facilitating dialogue among and between the actors involved, such as the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
, partner countries and other donors.
Support programmes
- Communication and Information
- Strategy and Innovation
- Finance and administration
Funding
The Centre receives strategic and financial support from Foreign Ministries in the Netherlands, SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
as well as the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Instituto Português de Apoio oa Desenvolvimento in Portugal.