History

With the European Union and the world evolving, development policy evolved along with them.

In the time of setting the EU’s foundation the founding states (France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg) agreed to have the responsibility of helping less developed countries in the world, especially in Africa, mainly because of their history and moral obligation. Further enlargement of the European Economic Community and the entry of Great Britain, the aid has been extended to the former British colonies in Africa as well.

With other Member States joining in - Spain and Portugal - the EU development aid began to focus on Latin America.

On the basis of the Cotonou Agreement which was ratified in 2002 (revised in 2005), deeper political and economic relations between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP countries) were established and a special European Development Fund was created to finance development projects in these countries. (Slovakia is to be contributing to this fund since 2011).

New EU members from central Europe, including Slovakia, are trying to focus their development aid to the Balkans, since these countries are possible future EU members, but also to Eastern Europe and the Post-communist Central Asian countries. In providing assistance to these regions the Central European EU members began to emphasize their comparative advantages such as experience with the transformation of the economy and society.

In 2005, the EU Member States agreed that the Union will provide development assistance to 0.56% of GNI by 2010 and will increase it to 0.7% by 2015 - as it is required by the obligations of developed countries of United Nations. On the basis of an internal agreement of the EU, the new Member States, including Slovakia have agreed to lower goal - to give a 0.17% of GNI by 2010 and 0.33% by 2015.

In 2005, the EU also adopted the so called European Consensus on Development which sets the common objectives and principles of development cooperation. It also confirms the EU commitment to eliminate poverty, provide development assistance based on needs of developing countries, based on partnership, and to provide better and more effective aid, promote coherence of policies related to development and developing countries.

In spite of the fact that the EU is the biggest donor of development aid in the world, most of its Member States do not fulfill their commitments to the amount and quality of development assistance.