The EU Lisbon Treaty, which came into effect in December 2009 marked the end of a difficult period of EU internal reform by providing a legal framework and new institutions that should enable the EU to underpin its political role on the world stage. In a context of economic and financial crisis, with emerging new global players as China and India, it is increasingly important for the EU to become a more coherent, credible, effective and visible actor in the world.
The EU has been promoting a long-term vision on integration, cooperation and sustainable development for decades. A major donor worldwide, a trading partner with the developing world and a renowned supporter of strategic partnerships with other regions, the 27 member states prove a major interest in providing stakeholders with the means of encouraging economic growth.
It is increasingly recognised that the Treaty of Lisbon presents opportunities but also harbours risks to development therefore we must carefully assess the potential offered by it and utilise it in EU's interests and its partners. The main goal is to develop more consistent EU external actions, ranging from diplomacy to defence, from trade to development, supporting sustainable economic, social and environmental development.
The key European actors are:
Herman Van Rompuy - President of the European Council
Catherine Ashton - High Representative for Foreign affairs and Security Policy
Andris Piebalgs - EU Commissioner for Development
Stefan Fule - EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy
Karel De Gucht - EU Commissioner for Trade
Kristalina Georgieva - EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response
EU objectives regarding development policy and cooperation
- increased EU coherence towards developing countries
- safeguarding development objectives and funds
- closer cooperation in global fora
- a more influential European Parliament
- better coordinated delivery of EU development cooperation
Are they feasible goals or not? What do YOU think?
I find it hard to believe that the EU really expects to complete all those goals(taking into account the fact that half of them are too abstract for such big demands). They must acknowledge the fact that not a single country would like the EU to interfere with its internal businesses or politics, as it would mostly affect the leading 'staff'(an inconvenience in a country where the politicians are corrupt - and that's the case of a large number of the EU members). Maybe a closer cooperation in global fora would be doable, but stepping too much into a government's 'garden' will only lead to spoil their image as a democracy-promoting community.
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