International agreements on aid effectiveness (like the Paris Declaration) and the European Consensus provides a framework for building a more unified and effective system of EU external aid. The current multiplicity of EU (EC & bilateral) aid programmes and procedures reduces the effectiveness of the  Union's collective effort. European Commission procedures are particularly cumbersome and difficult to blend with those of the Member States. This imposes heavy burdens on ACP governments and discourages the EU Member States from making their work more complementary. At the same time, the Paris Declaration encourages the European Commission and the EU Member States to re-examine these issues and enhance the effectiveness of EU aid.   This policy process includes two areas of work: the effectiveness of EC assistance to ACP and Promoting more unified and effective EU External Assistance. Read more...

---

Effectiveness of EC assistance to ACP

---

EC aid is perceived as ineffective due in large part to cumbersome EDF procedures. These are also seen as obstacles to harmonisation with and implementation of the Paris agenda. Heavy procedures also reduce ownership by ACP government officials. In this section, you can find more information about out work on: examining the effectiveness of French development cooperation European Consensus for Development Technical assistance Support to southern actors on aid effectiveness Read more...

---

Promoting more unified and effective EU External Assistance

---

The EU Member States have made slow progress in promoting a real EU approach to external assistance. The Paris agenda, however, urges donors, including the EU, to progress in the fields of joint programming, harmonisation and alignment. In this section, you can find more information about out work on: Whither EC Aid project Policy Coherence for Development Read more...

---

Related publications

---

Whither EC Aid? Compendium This Compendium is the final element of the joint ECDPM-ActionAid project, ‘Whither EC Aid’ (WECA), a project initiated in mid-2007. This publication archives all the outputs generated through WECA – from the Initial Discussion Note issued in January 2008, to the reports of the dozen roundtables held and the thematic Briefing Notes. A year after the adoption of the Accra Agenda for Action in the 3rd High level Forum on aid Effectiveness, it is interesting to look back on the perceptions of various group of stakeholders about the aid effectiveness agenda, and to what extent the different point of views, trends and ideas shared during the WECA process find an echo in the international agenda. External Evaluation of the Policy Coherence Unit of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs The Dutch Policy Coherence Unit (PCU) was first set up as a dedicated task force in May 2002 and is part of the Directorate General for International Cooperation (DGIS). In 2006, OECD peer review concludes that The Netherlands now has a “winning combination” of political commitment, a clear policy framework and the capacity to deliver through a dedicated PCU. How has it been achieved? This ECDPM PCU evaluation looks into its internal setup, but offers also concrete examples of unit's engagement in the areas of non-trade concerns, access to medicines in developing countries and Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). The 2010 Revision and the future of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement As an independent foundation specialising in ACP-EU relations, ECDPM was approached by a number of stakeholders with the request to facilitate informal discussion on the revision before the formal negotiations start. In response the Centre organised an informal seminar in Maastricht on 4 July 2008 with a view to stimulating debate on the upcoming revision and the possible implications for the future of ACP-EU cooperation. A small group of people participated in the meeting, including ACP Ambassadors from different ACP sub-regions, the ACP Secretariat, the AU Permanent Mission to the EU, a select group of EU Member States, as well as ECDPM Board members and staff. To see full list of programme publications, click here.

---

WECA website

---

The main objective of the joint ECDPM-ActionAid project “Whither EC Aid?” is to re-position the debate on monitoring the effectiveness of EC development cooperation. A website is supporting the initiative by offering a space to contribute, read related material and learn how to participate in face to face events.