External publications

Good governance in EU external relations: what role for development policy in a changing international context?

Hackenesch, Christine
External Publications (2016)

Straßburg: European Parliament

ISBN: 978-92-823-9495-3

EU support for governance reforms has gained prominence in the EU’s external relations and particularly in the EU’s development policy. However, the EU’s engagement in this field has come under considerable pressure in recent years. It is by no means automatic that the EU will continue and further increase its engagement in supporting governance reforms. In this context, the objective of this study is to summarise evidence from academic research on why the EU and other donors should support governance reforms and under which conditions EU support positively contributes to governance reforms. Moreover, the study analyses how the EU has aimed at contributing to governance reforms during the past decade, focusing in particular on the Development Cooperation Instrument and the European Development Fund. The study puts emphasis on EU development policy, but places the analysis of governance support through development policy in the broader context of EU external relations. The study makes recommendations related to EU good governance support, to good governance support through the DCI and EDF, to ongoing strategy processes in EU external relations, and also in regard to the future of the EU’s relations with the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.