The EU and the Global Development Agenda

Abstract: At the turn of the twenty-first century the international community began to construct a new agenda to address growing global inequalities. The European Union has been a core partner in this movement, which has involved the UN, the World Bank, the IMF, the G8 as well as international activists, such as Bob Geldhof and Bono and the 'Make Poverty History' campaign. This article examines the EU's connection to this wider global governance development agenda, particularly in relation to the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Africa, Official Development Assistance, debt reduction and untied aid. It explores the link between EU development policy and that of the international community and questions whether the impact is enhanced by complementarity or reduced due to duplication and competition.