A Shift in the European Union's Development Cooperation With the Global South After 2015
A Shift in the European Union's Development Cooperation With the Global South After 2015

Summary/Abstract: Over the past decade, there has been a significant shift in the European Union's (EU) relations with the Global South in the area of development cooperation. The objective of this article is to outline this shift and identify its key manifestations. Due to the fact that this transformation is quite a recent (and even an ongoing) phenomenon, this article is based on the available online publications and the assessments of think-tank experts, rather than on the author's own empirical research. The author believes that the EU development policy has lost its identity, and has been subordinated to the objectives of other Union policies. The EU treats its own strategic interests as the primary driver of its involvement in development cooperation, thereby marginalising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These changes are evident not only at the level of discourse and policy orientation, but also in the organisational and financial structures underpinning the provision of aid to developing countries. Moreover, they coincide with reductions in development assistance budgets among major EU donors, which only deepens mistrust between the Union and its partners in the Global South. Nevertheless, the current crisis in international development cooperation may be understood as a critical opportunity for the EU to reaffirm its commitment and demonstrate a strong leadership role in global development.

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