Ireland as an EU Donor Coherence

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Ireland as an EU DonorCoherence coordination
Yesbut What about complementarity?

• James Mackie
• ECDPM
• Maastricht, The Netherlands
• www.ecdpm.org

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Objectives

• Consider Irish White Paper debate from two
  angles
• What is debate at EU level ?
• To help situate Irish debate
• Role Ireland might play on EU scene
• Try to bring in some fresh ideas

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Starting point for policy formulation

• How does Ireland compare?
• Irelands strengths as a donor its handicaps
  assets weaknesses?
• In what international fora does Ireland have
  influence?
• EU the like-minded group UN development
  banks ?

4
EU Framework

• The acquis
• 50 years cooperation experience
• The 3Cs of the Maastricht Treaty
• Reform of EC External Assistance
• Good progress has been made
• Growing consensus on policy
• Strong joint effort on ODA levels
• Common commitment to UN
• effective multilateralism

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EU Framework

• Current debates and issues
• Exploring the Policy Mix concept
• New additions to EU framework
• Financial Perspectives 2007-2013
• Draft Constitution (?)
• An EU all-Africa policy
• Review of DPS

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Joint EC Development Policy Statement, Nov 2000

• Main features
• Primary objective poverty eradication
• 6 focal sectors for EC aid
• Cross-cutting issues limited success
• Key improvements required
• New thinking MDGs, DDA, policy mix
• Ownership levels, status

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New Development Policy Statement

• Broad agreement emerging
• Primary aim poverty eradication
• MDGs as a framework
• To cover all developing countries
• Differentiated approach LDCs/LICs/MICs
• Country ownership
• Policy coherence

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New Development Policy Statement

• Open questions
• Statement for EC or EU?
• Focal sectors or looser themes?
• EC comparative advantage?
• Complementarity at EU level
• One way or 2-way complementarity
• Implications for Member States

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Comparative advantages of EC

• Possibly use 3 categories
• Objective characteristics of EC as a donor
• ? Volume of aid, global reach, grants, range of
  instruments, EC own experience and competence
• Points dependent on political will of MS
• ? EC focal point for coordination/collective
  action
• Relative and subjective characteristics
• ? EU political neutrality, European values

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Complementary Policies?
?
National MS Policy Statements
European Policy Statement

Best Role for EU
At present Member State policies tend to say
Europe is an opportunity work to ensure
EC aid is more efficient
Should MS policies not also be adjusted to
match EC policy ?
Best Role for MS?
But
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Ireland Complementarity?What is Ireland best
at?
0.4 ODA/GNI going up
Politically neutral image
Target countries for aid
Popular interest in aid
Positive DAC Peer Review
Active NGO movement
Public support for growing aid budget
Strong on HIV / AIDS
Reputation as a good broker in EU Council
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How does Ireland compare with other EU Member
States?

• On ODA Levels (2003)
• gt 5b pa D, F, UK
• 1 - 5b pa NL, I, S, E, B, DK
• 0.5 - 1b pa FIN, A, IRL
• lt 0.5b pa P, GR, L 10 new MS

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How does Ireland compare?

• On ODA / GNI ratios (2003)
• gt 0.7 DK, NL, S, L
• 0.35 - 0.69 IRL, FIN, F, B
• 0.25 - 0.34 A, D, P, E, UK
• lt 0.25 GR, I

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How does Ireland compare?

• On Concentration of Aid
• N of countries targeted in Africa
• gt15 F, D, UK
• 10-15 B, DK, F, D, NL, E, S
• lt10 FIN, IRL, L, P
• though according to the DAC Peer Review (2003)
  there are signs of dispersion in Irish aid

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How does Ireland compare?

• Volume of ODA - Ireland is 12th MS in EU
• On Sectoral Concentration
• Health 7th
• Relief Food Aid 7th
• Food Aid 8th
• Programme Assistance 9th
• Water Sanitation 10th
• Education 11th

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Policy statements Sweden

• Shared Responsibility Swedens Policy for
  Global Development May, 2003
• 2 underlying perspectives
• A rights perspective
• The perspectives of the poor
• Strong emphasis on policy coherence
• Holistic view embrace all areas of policy
  political decision making
• ODA target 1 of GNI

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Sweden (contd.)

• 8 Central components of the policy
• Respect for Human Rights
• Democracy good governance
• Gender equality
• Sustainable use of natural resources
• Economic growth
• Social development social security
• Conflict management human security
• Global public goods

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Policy statements Finland

• Development Policy Govt. Resolution February
  2004
• Coherence
• Development policy refers to coherent activity
  in all sectors of international cooperation and
  national policy that have an impact on the status
  of developing countries
• ODA/GNI target 0,44 by 2007
• 0,7 by 2010

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Finland (contd.)

• Main principles
• Values goals of the MDGs
• National commitment policy coherence
• Rights-based approach
• Sustainable development
• Comprehensive financing for development
• Partnerships for development
• Respect for integrity responsibility of
  partners
• Long-term commitment transparency

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On the European Union

• Sweden
• offers great scope for learning opportunities
  for influencing policy quality effectiveness
  should be strengthened
• Finland
• membership has increased Finlands influence
  coherence, effectiveness of aid improved
  quality is key for presidencies
• But neither mention complementarity

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Complementarity

• In 2000 DPS 6 focal areas fixed for EC
• MS reluctant to take up debate
• Except on large scale funding projects
• Yet all agree harmonisation important
• But argue coordination best done in country not
  in EU
• But also using EU frame seems obvious
• Urgency with new MS will get worse

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In sum Ireland is

• Medium but upcoming donor in EU group
• Already strong on ODA/GNI ratio
• More targeted than some
• By country and by sector
• Strong focus on HIV/AIDS
• Policies in line with others
• Good collaboration with others
• Irish EU Presidency went well

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Could Ireland provide leadership on
complementarity in the EU?

• Why Ireland ?
• ? respected medium scale donor
• ? targeted programme
• Larger donors will not take lead
• How ? ? alliance with other similar MS?
  Finland Austria Poland ?
• Someone has to take the first step

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Steps to complementarity

• Dialogue with other MS on
• Distribution of target countries
• Choice of target countries
• Avoid over-concentration
• Focal sectors
• Sectors for specialisation
• Eg. focus on HIV/AIDS ?
• Own programmes but also
• Offer specialist support to others

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Conclusions

• Policy orientations growing consensus
• Ireland should not work on its own
• Some good models (eg. S, FIN, )
• Ideas on Coherence how to achieve it
• should try to break new ground
• Ireland may be a smaller donor but
• does not exclude showing leadership

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• Thank you for your attention
• James Mackie
• jm_at_ecdpm.org
• For more information on
• ECDPMs work on ACP-EU relations
• www.ecdpm.org