Window of Opportunity

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On 9 November 1989 the Berlin Wall fell, taking world leaders by surprise and bringing an end to the Cold War. A ‘policy window’ was opened leading to the redefinition of development co-operation in Europe and internationally. A self-confident and assertive European Union, searching for its ambition, seized the opportunity to emerge from these events as a global player.

This study looks at the history and evolution of EU development co-operation policy, the factors that triggered the change and the forces that influenced the direction of that change. It examines current issues in EU development co-operation policy to answer the important question of where the EU is headed in the future, and when this policy window will close for a new chapter in EU external relations history to open.

 “This book is an excellent basis for reflection for those who have spent their working life in development co-operation. The red line in the reasoning is clearly visible, rock-solid and undeniable. This is a ‘must read’ for those who try to understand what development co-operation is all about. Understanding today’s policies, priorities and methods of work in development co-operation is not possible without situating it in history and context. If this is true in general, it is even more relevant at the European level.”
– Koos Richelle, Director General, EuropeAid, European Commission

“This book importantly points out that aid should be an instrument for empowering those seeking positive developments in their political and economic systems.”
– Malgorzata Tarasiewiecz, Director, Network of East-West Women Poland

“This is an extraordinary account of how the policies that shaped two decades of development policies came into being. It provides a solid analytic basis on which to build new policies for the decades to come while the opportunity component of the global financial crisis is still open.”
– Roberto Bissio, Coordinator, Social Watch

“I find it interesting that Window of Opportunity puts the European development Co-operation in the political-historic context of the EU itself - and of the European relations with the rest of the world. The analysis of the post-second world war shifts in the relations between North and South and the implications of this for the European co-operation, the way in which the Cold War shaped development co-operation, and the way in which the EU development co-operation policy was developed after the iron curtain had disappeared, is a valuable contribution to the current European development agenda. To determine the way forward, we should after all know where we are coming from, and this book offers new perspectives.”
– Bert Koenders, Minister of Development Cooperation, The Netherlands

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mirjam van Reisen is the founder and Director of European External Policy Advisors (EEPA) based in Brussels. EEPA is a centre of expertise on the European Union and its international policies, especially in relation to developing countries. She is the author of numerous publications and commentaries on the EU’s policies and their impact on poverty eradication, including EU ‘Global Player’. The North – South policy of the European Union, and contributed to publications such as Reality of Aid, Social Watch (subsequent editions) and Development Policy in a Changing World: Challenges for the 21st Century.

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