Pakistan aid effort tests EU policy

An effort to grant trade concessions to Pakistan to help it recover from devastating floods during August 2010 is testing the European Union ambition of executing a more coherent and influential foreign policy.

The debate over what was supposed to be a straightforward humanitarian gesture has revealed the complexity of designing policies in a bloc comprising 27 member states, each with its own national interests, say participants.

At the European Council on the 16 September 2010 agreed to make trade concessions to Pakistan to help it overcome the impact of flooding.

ESO: Background information: Humanitarian action in Pakistan: A case for EU political involvement http://www.europeansources.info/record/humanitarian-action-in-pakistan-a-case-for-eu-political-involvement/

ESO: Background information: France proposes EU reaction force for natural disasters http://www.europeansources.info/record/france-proposes-eu-reaction-force-for-natural-disasters/

EEAS: Floods in Pakistan – Update: European Union Humanitarian response to floods in Pakistan, September 2010 http://eeas.europa.eu/top_stories/010910_en.htm

EEAS: Pakistan http://eeas.europa.eu/pakistan/index_en.htm

European Commission: DG Trade; Bilateral relations: Pakistan http://ec.europa.eu/trade/creating-opportunities/bilateral-relations/countries/pakistan/index_en.htm

BBC News, 16.9.10: EU agrees trade concessions to flood-hit Pakistan http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11323528

EurActiv, 17.9.10: EU agrees trade deal with South Korea, Pakistan http://www.euractiv.com/trade/eu-agreed-trade-deal-with-south-korea-concession-pakistan-news-497879

EUObserver, 17.9.10: EU overcomes objections on Pakistan trade plan http://euobserver.com/9/30830

EurActiv, 10.5.11: EU-Pakistan trade plan faces fresh criticism http://www.euractiv.com/global-europe/eu-pakistan-trade-plan-faces-fre-news-504667

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