Language learning | English » Monok Sára - The international development policy of the European Union and Hungarian participation in it

http://www.doksihu Budapesti Gazdasági Főiskola KÜLKERESKEDELMI FŐISKOLAI KAR Gazdasági Idegennyelvi Levelező Szak Felsőfokú Szakképzés The international development policy of the European Union and Hungarian participation init Készítette: Monok Sára Budapest, 2005. március 31 http://www.doksihu Table of contents INTRODUCTION . 3 I. POVERTY IN OUR WORLD 5 II. THE EUROPEAN UNION’S DEVELOPMENT POLICY 7 III. HUNGARIAN POLICY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION 11 1. HUNGARY’S TASKS BEFORE EU ACCESSION 11 2. SCOPE OF IDC ACTIVITIES 14 3. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH CANADA 15 IV. THE EUROPEAN UNION’S INSTITUTIONS IN CONNECTION WITH DEVELOPMENT AND ASSISTANCE . 16 1. THE EUROPEAID CO-OPERATION OFFICE 16 2. THE DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR DEVELOPMENT 19 3. INTRODUCTION OF HUMANITARIAN AID 21 4. THE EUROPEAN OFFICE FOR EMERGENCY HUMANITARIAN AID 22 V. HUNGARIAN INTERCHURCH AID 25 1. HUMANITARIAN NON-FOOD ASSISTANCE IN URUS-MARTAN DISTRICT, CHECHNYA

IMPLEMENTED WITH ECHO FUNDS BY HIA . 25 2. LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IMPLEMENTED WITH EUROPEAID FUNDS ASSISTANCE TO DISABLED WOMEN, INSTITUTION -, AND NETWORK BUILDING IN UZBEKISTAN . 27 CONCLUSION . 28 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 30 2 http://www.doksihu Introduction A strange disparity has evolved in the world. Compared with other continents, there is relative social welfare in Europe. This is due to an exploitation by Europe of other regions (It’s enough if we think of the colonialism.) Perhaps this is what we can feel nowadays in connection with the natural disasters: there are several organisations, which want to help. Apart from a national cohesion, they want to achieve international solidarity. I have chosen this topic because I think it is very interesting. And it is also timely, because there are thousands of people suffering from poverty in the world, and it is a global problem to coordinate and organise assistance to them. There is another strange thing, which attaches to this

subject: we hear about a lot of helpful intentions, but we can all see that it is still not enough. A lot of organisations were established with the aim of reducing poverty. In my thesis I will examine a few of them especially in the Hungarian context and also Hungarian co-operation with the European Union. Due to the timeliness of this topic, it wasn’t too hard to find a theme. I wanted to proceed from an examination of the extent of poverty in the world. Then I investigated the development policy of the biggest international organisations, specifically as to the European Union. As a new member state of the EU, Hungary had to acceed to this policy too I have also looked into Hungarian policy for international development co-operation. My dissertation concentrates on Hungarian conditions. These will make up the first three parts of my thesis Then I will describe the institutional system of the European Union, which handles aid affairs by presenting EuropeAid, Directorate General for

Development. My purpose is to point out the differences between permanent development aid and humanitarian assistance. There is an office within the EU called ECHO, which deals with this special kind of aid. I will present it too. Finally I will introduce the only organisation in Hungary (the Hungarian Interchurch Aid) which is in contact with ECHO and I will show its work through a case study. (I obtained a description of the two projects, which it has implemented with Union funds.) My thesis will consist of 5 chapters excluding the introduction and the conclusion. Arising from the nature of the topic, most of my research material has been taken from the web. Besides the homepages of the EU institutions, that of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and many more, there are a lot of useful helping-systems, for example the Europe Direct web assistance, where I could ask for information. I also called the Europe 3 http://www.doksihu Direct line (00 800 67 89 10 11) several times.

But I began by going to the European Union collection of the Library of the Parliament, and the National Library of Hungary. I have read a few Hungarian and also English books about the European Union and international organisations in general. These have given me overall knowledge about the subject and through these I was able to decide on the specific topic. I also went to the office of the Hungarian Interchurch Aid in Budapest and I consulted with a member of staff. Sometimes I have also talked over my dissertation with my consultants at the college. My two consultants were Káldyné dr. Esze Magdolna and Neil Thurston 4 http://www.doksihu I. Poverty in our world Poverty has grown out of all proportion in the world. The question of development is even more crucial today than ever. “Poverty is defined not simply as the lack of income and financial resources but also as encompassing the notion of vulnerability and such factors as no access to adequate food supplies, education

and health, natural resources and drinking water, land, employment and credit facilities, information and political involvement, services and infrastructure.” 1 All people should live in a safe environment and we all should have equal opportunities. Unfortunately there are some parts of the world where people are disadvantaged and they need help to have these vital rights. Throughout the world, 800 million people, 200 million of them children, are suffering from chronic malnutrition. In subSaharan Africa and southern Asia, over 40% of the population is still living below the poverty line. The major communicable diseases, such as HIV, malaria and tuberculosis, are disproportionately rife among the poor peoples of the developing countries. Hundreds of people die just because they don’t have the knowledge to anticipate illness (for example they don’t protect themselves while having sexual intercourse or they use the same hypodermic syringe). The school attendance ratio in the

world’s forty-eight least developed countries is only 36%. Children are work instead of studying a huge number remain completely illiterate in all their lives. International attention is focused more sharply on poverty reduction now than for 20 years. The international target proposed by the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD has been widely adopted namely to reduce by half the proportion of people living in extreme poverty. Those who try to help to reduce these worldwide problems, i.e international organisations, non-governmental organisations, etc. have divided the world into geographical areas. These areas classified according to the extent of poverty, the mechanism of political decision-making, and the degree of social stratification. The geographical areas are the following: • South-Eastern Europe • Eastern Europe and Central Asia 1 The European Community’s Development Policy – Statement by the Council and the Commission:

http://europa.euint/comm/development/body/legislation/docs/council statementpdf 5 http://www.doksihu • The Southern Mediterranean, Near and Middle East • Africa, Caribbean and Pacific • Asia • Latin America 2 The development and assistance policies of international organisations, individual countries, and the work they do to achieve their aims are complex and interesting to investigate. 2 http://europa.euint/comm/europeaid/projects/index enhtm 6 http://www.doksihu II. The European Union’s development policy “Poverty, conflict and instability, wherever they are in the world, affect us all. In the context of globalisation, it is in our common European interest, to address these issues.” 3 The European Community (EC) has become a major player in the development process. External assistance is central to the European Union’s role in the world This essential solidarity is an underlying feature of its international activity. The exercise of such solidarity

has to be seen as a major political challenge. Development policy is one of the essential elements of the European Union’s external relations activities and like other common policies is an integral part of the acquis communautaire. The European Union (EU) undertakes development activity in all regions of the world and it provides almost the half of all public aid to the developing countries. It has more and more external partners, instruments and financial resources to define a clear and consistent strategy. “Community development policy is grounded on the principle of sustainable, equitable and participatory human and social development. Promotion of human rights, democracy, the rule of law and good governance are an integral part of it.” 4 The main aim of this policy is to reduce poverty with a view to its eventual eradication. To reach this objective, the EU has to assist a sustainable economic, social and environmental development of the affected regions and it has to

promote the smooth and gradual integration of these countries into the world economy, because sustained growth, although not sufficient in itself, is an essential condition for poverty reduction. Consolidation of democracy, respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and equality between men and women, development of social policies, peace and prevention of conflict in developing countries are other aims of the policy. It also intends to achieve the integration of social and environmental aims in macro-economic reform programmes to introduce an appropriate institutional framework and to strengthen public and private sector capabilities and natural disaster preparedness. By pooling their resources in the European Community budget for such common purposes, EU member states have shown their commitment to a Union defined by the values of external assistance. The EC and these countries should co-ordinate their development cooperation policies and consult each other on their aid programs

The other important aim, 3 A single department handling the Commission’s external aid: http://www.europaeuint/comm/europeaid/general/mission enhtm 4 The European Community’s Development Policy – Statement by the Council and the Commission: http://europa.euint/comm/development/body/legislation/docs/council statementpdf 7 http://www.doksihu which the Community and the member states should achieve, is complementarity. This means a better division of labour between them. There must be great coherence between the various policies too. Within the European Union, the European Commission is the institution, which deals with development affairs. The European Community is a global actor Through trade, political co-operation and external assistance, it plays an ever more important role abroad. In 2003, the European Commission spent approximately 12 billion EUR on new assistance programmes worldwide. Between 2000 and 2004 the European Commission redren its assistance projects abroad and

tried to better use the funds provided by member states. This reform has been successful. “It encompasses major policy reform, strengthening of strategic programming and evaluation, streamlining management structures, improving working methods and quality, and devolving decision-making to Commission Delegations.” 5 The new assistance programs and projects are more responsive to partners’ needs, and through them the European Commission can work more easily. In the promotion of the principles of the development policy, more precise sectoral strategies need to be defined. The European Community concentrates on some selected areas and it provides added value to them. These areas are the following: 1. the link between trade and development 2. regional integration and co-operation 3. support for macro-economic policies and promotion of equitable access to social services 4. transport 5. food security and sustainable rural development 6. institutional capacity-building 6 1. The

benefits brought by WTO (World Trade Organisation) have been huge and global, but not always distributed totally justly. Richer countries have gained more than poorer ones. The aim of the Community is to help the latter to integrate into the multilateral trading system. The European Union wants to ensure that trade and investment policies are complementary and mutually beneficial. 5 http://europa.euint/comm/development/body/publications/descript/pub7 13 encfm The European Community’s Development Policy – Statement by the Council and the Commission: http://europa.euint/comm/development/body/legislation/docs/council statementpdf 6 8 http://www.doksihu 2. The aim is that apart from integrating developing countries into the world economy to make them play a role in prevention of conflict and in consolidation of peace. 3. The Union improves the macro-economic framework of the partner countries In this area the policy is a determinative factor in ensuring public finance management,

a fair distribution of benefits, access to basic social services (e.g education or health) and in encouraging the emergence of an investment-friendly environment. 4. Efficient transport systems are essential to social and economic development and to access to the basic services. The Community has great experience in the construction and maintenance of transport infrastructure. The partner countries should be involved in these arrangements. 5. Food security is another emphasised area of the development policy, because it contributes to reducing poverty. A closer link will also need to be sought between food security and humanitarian aid in the context of the link between emergency and development. The Union can assure efficiency and sustainability only through longterm strategies implemented on a participatory basis, which make it possible to reflect the priorities of the rural world in general and sectoral policies, and it has achieved great results in these areas. 6. To reduce

poverty, the developing countries need strong government, which fights against corruption and the decisive rule of law. So the task of the Community is to establish and strenghten institutional capacities of the partner countries. Since 2004, Community assistance and co-operation has been delivered through a framework, which comprises six instruments: 1. The Pre Accession Instrument covers the candidate countries (Turkey and Croatia) and the potential candidate countries (the Western Balkans). 2. The European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument covers third countries participating in the European Neighbourhood Policy i.e the countries of the South and Eastern Mediterranean, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus, and the countries of the Southern Caucasus. This instrument also supports the EU’ s strategic partnership with Russia. 3. The Development Co-operation and Economic Co-operation Instrument covers all countries territories and regions that are 9 http://www.doksihu not

eligible for assistance under either the Pre Accession Instrument or the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument. 4. The Instrument for Stability is to tackle crises and instability in third countries and address trans-border challenges including nuclear safety and non-proliferation the fight against trafficking, organised crime and terrorism. 5. The Humanitarian Aid Instrument is to help the victims of natural and man-made disasters. 6. The Macro Financial Assistance is an instrument for economic stabilisation and a driver for structural reforms of the beneficiary countries. 7 We can see that the development policy of the European Union is extremely complex. The EU must consider several factors. Apart from the ones I mentioned, there is a very important task to concentrate on: to protect the environment. Nowadays this must be included in the definition and implementation of all Community policies, particularly in order to promote sustainable development. The development

policy concerns all developing countries. Regarding the allocation of resources, the least developed and low-income ones will be given priority, but the poverty reduction strategies will be encouraged in middle-income countries too, where the proportion of poor people remains high. 7 European Commission simplifies funding of external assistance: http://europa.euint/comm/external relations/reform/intro/ip04 1151htm 10 http://www.doksihu III. Hungarian Policy For International Development Co-operation 1. Hungary’s tasks before EU accession Apart from its efforts to accomplish the main development goal, namely the reduction of poverty, the European Union obligates all its member countries to co-operate in the development. Of course there are countries, which have received aids before, but they are engaged to be a donor country too after the accession. “EU member states are called upon to devote an average of 0.39 percent of their GNI (Gross National Income) to Official

Development Assistance (ODA) development goals by 2006. (To attain this average, a minimum contribution by each member state shall reach 033 percent of GNI.) These so-called Barcelona commitments are regarded as obligations of each member state, including the newly acceding members.” 8 Imminent EU membership also affected the national policies of new member states. As a part of the acquis communautaire, chapter 26 ”External Relations”, development cooperation was a subject of the accession negotiations and application of the acquis is contributing to the establishment and reform of development policy and its administrative structure in many acceding countries. This concerned Hungary too, so Hungary had to shape a development policy that is fully in line with European Community precepts. It has become an important component of Hungary’s foreign relations to establish the principles for the nature and delivery of ODA of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) as well as the

commitments and objectives that Hungary has approved in the context of the United Nations (UN) and other international organisations. As regards the support, - through subsidy programs of various ministries and institutions - Hungary has disbursed approx. HUF 41 billion (0027% of its GNI) for ODA purposes. Hungary had to increase this amount to HUF 57 billion (0035% of GNI) for development co-operation. For the Republic of Hungary - on the basis of a Government Decision in 1999 - a Concept paper was drafted by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Economy and Finance proposing a new approach to International Development Co-operation (IDC). The paper 8 Hungarian Policy For International Development Cooperation: http://www.kulugyminiszteriumhu/kum/hu/bal/Kulpolitikank/Nemzetkozi fejlesztes/NEFE politikahtm 11 http://www.doksihu proposed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should act as the interdepartmental co-ordinator and it should draw up the annual plan for the delivery of IDC. It

also suggested to replace the Hungarian practice of delivering its contribution to ODA as a series of decentralised initiatives with a practice adapted to United Nations, European Union and Development Assistance Committee standards. In 2001, the then government approved the Paper In 2002, the Development Co-operation Department was established. It became a part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and since then it has been executing all activities in connection with international development co-operation in the context of the Hungarian IDC program. However further efforts were needed to ensure that the administrative capacity needed for Hungary’s participation in EU decision-making for development co-operation was in place upon accession. The development co-operation department began operating in 2003 On May 1, 2004, Hungary became a member of the European Union; thus coordination of development policy became valid in our country too. “Hungary shall be obliged to apply all the

legal provisions of the EU, including parts of acquis communautaire on development co-operation upon its accession.” 9 With the adoption of the strategic development objectives mentioned above and the establishment of a specific IDC item in the National Budget, it was timely that Hungary’s international development activities be planned and determined for the longer term, taking into consideration budgetary conditions and the economic capability of the country. A development co-operation policy had to be elaborated with the foreign political and moral objectives of Hungary, which is based on national characteristics and interests, which aim at economic and social development of countries eligible for ODA and which form part of foreign relations. Hungary considered that foreign trade relations (regional stability, geographical proximity, traditional and active foreign relations, extensive social and political contacts, well-founded economic and commercial structures, etc.) are very

important, so our country decided to form a development partnership with countries that are important to these criteria and to Hungary’s foreign and security policy. The partnership also concerned countries that are well known to Hungarian social and economic actors (knowledge of local characteristics and needs, command of languages). There were some areas and sectors where Hungary had comparative advantages. These were the following: 9 Hungarian Policy For International Development Cooperation: http://www.kulugyminiszteriumhu/kum/hu/bal/Kulpolitikank/Nemzetkozi fejlesztes/NEFE politikahtm 12 http://www.doksihu • transfer of Hungarian experience related to the change of political systems (establishment and operation of democratic structures, establishment of conditions for the transition to a market economy, privatisation, support for small and medium enterprises, application of the „good governance” requirements, development of migration, election and population

statistics systems, etc.); • intellectual capital, know-how based assistance (information technology and communication, community Internet access, management and planning of labour policies, etc.); • education (university and post-graduate), training of experts and technicians, curriculum development, distance teaching arrangements; • health, pharmaceutical production (planning, equipment and operation of hospitals and polyclinics, birth control, reduction of epidemics, etc.); • agriculture (dissemination of the most up-to-date plant cultivation and stock-breeding methods, seed improvement, plant health and plant protection; consulting, freshwater mushroom pisciculture, growing, afforestation development programs, plans forestry for farms, biotechnology, agrometeorolgy, agricultural expert and engineer training), food industry (slaughter house design); • water management, planning and consultancy (storage basins and barrage dams, water purification plants,

dam planning, drainage, exploration and measurement of water resources, etc.); • infrastructure planning; • consultancy on environmental protection; • protection of cultural heritage; • general and transportation engineering activity; cartography. 10 The last task for Hungary was to strengthen its capacity in bilateral development cooperation at the initial stage. 10 Hungarian Policy For International Development Cooperation: http://www.kulugyminiszteriumhu/kum/hu/bal/Kulpolitikank/Nemzetkozi fejlesztes/NEFE politikahtm 13 http://www.doksihu 2. Scope of IDC activities There are some important areas in which Hungary had to employ the definitions of Official Development Assistance: 1. technical co-operation (essentially education, technical training and the transfer of experience) This is the area where Hungary has the greatest experience. Via experts-exchange and opportunities for post-graduate and university education Hungary has been nuturing good relations

with the developing world for decades. 2. project type development programs Experienced donor countries should compare their development plans with those of the new partners, they should co-operate. This approach requires for example management resources of a magnitude that Hungary does not yet possess. 3. humanitarian assistance The amount of aid which Hungary offers to humanitarian assistance is channelled through non-governmental organisations, because they are capable of delivering it proficiently and quickly, and they distribute it where needed. 4. credit with aid included These credit extensions are proposed primarily for infrastructure. Hungary has not yet taken this opportunity, the government on about this operating. 5. other assistance activities This means support for refugees, foreign students or those who live in Hungarian communities in neighbouring countries. 6. contribution to the IDC activity of international organisations Hungary and the new accession countries

co-operate with the United Nations, because the UN has the most experience in delivering IDC programs and projects. 14 http://www.doksihu 3. Memorandum of understanding with Canada Independently of the fact that - being a EU member state - Hungary has become a donor country, we still have to develop this role, and we need a lot of help for this. For Canada, which is a more developed country than Hungary and which also pursues a development policy, Hungary is a target of Canadian support. Canadas program of technical co-operation with Hungary was launched in 1989. To date, 140 technical co-operation projects have been approved for Hungary valued at $21 million. Key sectors included education and training, good governance, private sector development, and financial sector reform. This bilateral form of co-operation came to an end in April 2001 while all other activities were completed by December 2004. As one of these collaborations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the

Republic of Hungary and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) made an agreement, according to which they collaborate on the execution of the Official Development Assistance in Central Europe Program (ODACE), which is implemented in the four Visegrad countries, namely the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and the Slovakia. In this memorandum of understanding the two parties agreed to build and strengthen Official Development Assistance national capacities and institutions and implement trilateral development projects; progress was made in the transformation of the ODA systems, capacities and institutions. CIDA took upon itself to provide financial contributions towards the building and strengthening of the Hungarian ODA institutions and capacities, to support the fulfilment of trilateral projects that are of interest to both the MFA and CIDA and to promote the ODACE program in the Republic of Hungary by providing expert analysis and consultancies at the request of the MFA.

Hungary agreed to co-operate with Canada and support the program within its capacities. This was an important agreement, because Canada has great knowledge and expertise in the area of ODA delivery, thus it could provide considerable assistance to Hungary. 15 http://www.doksihu IV. The European Union’s institutions in connection with development and assistance I have already mentioned that the institution which deals with development affairs within the European Union, is the European Commission (EC). The Commission in general “is the politically independent institution that represents and upholds the interests of the EU as a whole. It is the driving force within the EU’s institutional system: it proposes legislation, policies and programmes of action and it is responsible for implementing the decisions of Parliament and the Council.” 11 One of its four main roles is to manage and implement EU policies and the budget. The Commission is the supervisor of this work, because

national and local authorities carry out most of it. The other main role of the EC, which relates to this topic, is to represent the European Union on the international stage. It has the responsibility of negotiating international agreements on behalf of the EU. The best example is the Cotonou Agreement, which is an important aid and trade partnership between the EU and developing countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. With the reformation of its assistance projects between 2000 and 2004, the Commission can better use the funds provided by member states. The new assistance programs are also more responsive to partners’ needs. 1. The EuropeAid Co-operation Office “As a part of its efforts to reform the management of external aid, the Commission formally set up the EuropeAid Co-operation Office on 1 January 2001.” 12 The EuropeAid (AIDCO) is a department of the Commission and is subject to the normal operating procedures of the Institution. EuropeAid, through the

European Commission’s external assistance programs, contributes to the reduction of conflict and instability in the world. It considers as its mission the implementation of external aid instruments of the EC. This is funded by the European 11 The European Commission: http://www.europaeuint/institutions/comm/index enhtm 12 A single department handling the Commission’s external aid: http://www.europaeuint/comm/europeaid/general/mission enhtm 16 http://www.doksihu Community budget and the European Development Fund. In a wider context, EuropeAid manages funds as part of the Commission’ s external assistance. EuropeAid is liable for all stages of the project cycle (identification and estimate of programs and projects, preparation of financing decisions, implementation and monitoring), which assure the bid of the purposes of the programs established by the Directorates-General for External Relations and Development (featured later in a separate chapter) and upheld by the

Commission. It groups together the management of issue-based programs (such as food aid, non-governmental organisation co-financing and human rights) in a single Directorate to ensure a consistent and co-ordinated approach. EuropeAid is not connected with preaccession aid programmes (Phare, Ispa or Sapard), humanitarian activities, macro-financial assistance, the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) or the Rapid Reaction Force. There are some other tasks of the EuropeAid with the aim of improving programming systems, establishing policy evaluation programs and developing mechanisms for feeding back evaluation results. These are the following: • EuropeAid has to assure that Community aid is implemented effectively while providing high quality and speed in the design and fulfilment of projects. It is liable for setting up mechanisms to support honest financial management, consistency and transparency in contract award procedures while continuing to simplify and rationalise

external aid management procedures. • EuropeAid has to handle the transfer to Commission Delegations of all operations, which can be better managed locally, and the decentralisation to beneficiary counties, and it has to set up all systems needed to achieve these purposes (management, supervision, support and control systems). • EuropeAid has to promote a culture based on collective and also individual responsibility. To carry out this task, EuropeAid gives staff clearly defined responsibilities and provides them with the initial and subsequent training they need to maintain a high level of professional skill. • EuropeAid has to work openly and constructively with the other external relation services of the Commission and the aid agencies of the member states, but it also has to work in close collaboration with Community agencies and bodies and with other bilateral and multilateral donors. It also keeps in contact with businesses, civil organisations and administration.

The EuropeAid Co-operation Office consists of eight Directorates: 17 http://www.doksihu 1. Directorate A has six units and is responsible for programmes in Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia (including Mongolia). 2. Directorate B has seven units and is responsible for programmes in the Southern Mediterranean and Middle East. 3. Directorate C has seven units and is responsible for programmes in the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (including South Africa and Cuba). 4. Directorate D has six units and is responsible for programmes in Asia 5. Directorate E has six units and is responsible for programmes in Latin America. 6. Directorate F has six units and manages all stages of the project cycle of issue-based programmes; these cover areas such as NGO cofinancing, democracy and human rights, the environment, social development (drugs, gender, etc.) and food security This Directorate is also responsible for designing means of intervention on new issues and providing technical

support to the geographical Directorates where it possesses the relevant, specialised know-how. 7. Directorate G has five units and provides operational support; it deals with budgetary issues, the harmonisation and simplification of financial and contract procedures, the publication of tender procedures, legal affairs and disputes, and auditing. It will also manage relations with international organisations. 8. Directorate H has six units and provides organisational support: human resources management, training, the management of individual experts, information systems, relations with the other EU institutions, information and communication. It will also provide the necessary methodological back up for evaluating the results of regional and sectoral policies, programs and the effectiveness of programming. 13 EuropeAid has achieved significant results all over the world. This includes enrolling 18 000 children (more than 50% girls) enrolled in grades one to six, creating several job

opportunities in Egypt, and strengthening the regional institutional response to HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean, for example. 13 EuropeAid: Structure: http://www.europaeuint/comm/europeaid/general/struct enhtm 18 http://www.doksihu 2. The Directorate General for Development The Directorate General for Development (DG Dev) is another institution within the European Commission. It works on policy formulation at global and sectoral level “Our mission is to help to reduce and ultimately to eradicate poverty in the developing countries and to promote sustainable development, democracy, peace and security.” 14 Its further role is to formulate the development policy applicable to all developing countries as defined in Title XX of the Treaty establishing the European Community. It also conducts forward studies towards this objective. DG Dev focuses on the same highlighted sectors as the development policies of the countries: linking trade with development, regional integration and

co-operation, support for macro-economic policies and promoting equitable access to social services in coherence with the food security and sustainable rural development and support for institutional capacity building. As I mentioned above, these are the most accentuated sectors for the European Commission too. There are some other policy areas such as environment, trade, fisheries, etc, which as a matter of fact fall under the liability of other Commission services, but in connection with which the DG Dev contributes significantly to policy formulation. Coherence, co-ordination and complementarity between the Community, the EU member states and multilateral organisations (such as the World Bank, regional development banks, the OECD and the United Nations) are key issues in the relations with its partner countries, which require intensive interaction with all actors. In order to realise the potential synergies and maximise the impact of development policy, DG Dev does substantive

policy co-ordination for example with the European Investment Bank, the Bretton Woods Institutions, the African Development Bank, and the African Union/Commission. It also works in close collaboration and interaction with the other services of the European Commission, in particular with the EuropeAid Co-operation Office, ECHO, and the Directorates General for External Relations, Trade, as well as with other departments of the EC (as Fisheries and Agriculture). As a part of its activity, it prepares policy orientations and implementation guidelines for the following areas: promotion of human rights, the equality between men and women, 14 Mission and Role: http://europa.euint/comm/dgs/development/organisation/mission enhtm 19 http://www.doksihu children’s rights and the environmental dimension. These are also issues to be mainstreamed in the other central activities. The development policy of the European Union is funded under the European Commission and with EuropeAid. Another

task of the DG Dev is to use this money dedicated to certain sectors and themes, of which the most important ones are food aid or food security, environmental protection, health and NGO co-financing. “DG Development has a direct responsibility for Community relations with subSaharan Africa as well as the Caribbean, the Pacific and the Indian Ocean. Most of those countries are signatories to the Lomé Convention (i.e the 77 ACP countries), which has been replaced by the Cotonou Agreement signed in June 2000 having come into force on 1 April 2003. Relations with Cuba and South Africa are different in the sense that they do not benefit from the European Development Fund (EDF), although South Africa is also a signatory to Cotonou. Moreover, relations with the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) are covered by DG Development. The 20 OCTs benefit from the EDF under a specific association agreement. Relations are maintained at national and regional (for example ECOWAS, UEMOA, SADC,

EAC, etc) as well as international (ACP institutions, OAU, Cairo process, NEPAD etc.) level” 15 Developing and monitoring strategies for the Community relations with countries and regions as well as OCTs are also the responsibility of DG Dev. The strategies consist of the programming of financial resources and the monitoring of development co-operation as agreed with these partners, taking due account of their ownership in the development process. Considerable financial resources have been devoted to the co-operation. Particular attention will be given to strategies and activities to strengthen regional economic integration. “The Community’s development policy is the tangible expression of Europe’s solidarity with poor countries and also embodies fundamental values such as democracy and human rights and the principle of participation. It is firmly rooted in the belief that all people, women and men, should be empowered to play their role as effective actors in the development

process and that all countries should be empowered to participate in global governance. On this basis, DG Development strives to promote effective multilateralism, equitable international relations and gives priority to the interests of the most disadvantaged people in the developing world.” 16 15 About DG Development: http://europa.euint/comm/dgs/development/organisation/about enhtm 16 About DG Development: http://europa.euint/comm/dgs/development/organisation/about enhtm 20 http://www.doksihu 3. Introduction of humanitarian aid Without the persistent development and external assistance, people whose own authorities are unable to provide effective relief often need emergency assistance too, this is what is called humanitarian aid. “The aim of humanitarian aid is to provide help to people in third countries, who have been victims of natural disasters (earthquakes, floods, droughts, hurricanes), or man-made disasters (wars, conflicts, outbreaks of fighting) or structural

crises (severe political, economic or social breakdowns). The focus is mainly on providing goods and services (e.g food supplies, medicine, vaccinations, water conveyance, psychological support, mine clearance, clothing, shelter, and rehabilitation). The aid is also preventive (planting of trees to counter floods, etc.) Its sole aim is to prevent or relieve human suffering This assistance is directed mainly towards vulnerable people and, as a priority, to those in developing countries. A key point is that it is accorded to victims without discrimination on the grounds of race, religion, sex, age, nationality or political affiliation. Humanitarian aid decisions are to be taken impartially and solely according to the victims’ needs and interests. There are therefore no criteria or conditions for the aid, which is non-refundable.” 17 Consequently in the case of the two forms of humanitarian assistance (responses to natural catastrophes and assistance to the victims of man-made crises)

it is usually necessary to be able to respond urgently to unforeseen circumstances, but this shouldn’t be only a shortterm relief, because there is a need for disaster prevention and reconstruction operations too. This is an important aspect of external relations. To ensure that policy is both effective and comprehensive, co-ordination between the member states and the Commission is reinforced by co-operation with non-governmental and international organisations. A Community humanitarian aid operation can be at the request of the Commission, non-governmental organisations, member states or beneficiary countries. Humanitarian aid is grant-financed and non-refundable, and can cover items such as relief distribution, expenditure on external staff, the construction of shelters, etc. EU humanitarian aid has three main instruments: 17 Humanitarian aid: introduction: http://www.europaeuint/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/rl10000htm 21 http://www.doksihu 1. emergency aid: It has to be flexible and

fast Its main objective is to help the immediate difficulties arising from natural or man-made disasters. It is given in the form of cash to finance basic essentials or repairs after the disaster. 2. food aid: The EU supplies quantities of food for regions suffering from famine In crisis situations there is also a need for emergency food aid. 3. refugee aid: The EU gives aid to people who are driven out of their country or forced to leave it to escape war, famine, persecution or other conditions, and to people who are displaced within their own country for the same reasons. 4. The European Office for Emergency Humanitarian Aid “ECHO, the Humanitarian Aid Office, was created in 1992 in order to improve immediate aid to people in difficulties. By focusing efforts on developing countries, the Office has provided aid to over 85 countries since its creation.” 18 ECHO, which is commonly known as “humanitarian aid office” is another institution of the European Commission, which was

set up on 1 April 1992 to handle the affairs specifically in connection with international humanitarian aid. The EU is the largest provider of this special kind of relief, accounting for 55% of the total aid, 30% of which comes from ECHO and 25% from the member states directly. ECHO works with a network of more than 200 partners, mainly organisations with a signed framework partnership agreement with the Commission, such as the specialised agencies of the United Nations (UN), the Red Cross, non-governmental organisations and other international bodies. The Community has a little influence on the implementation of UN policies (this is called an observer status), even though it is one of its principal donors. Efforts to increase the role of the EU include country strategies (multiannual programs aimed at improving the coherence of EU policy), a greater flexibility for the financing of UN activities and finally a permanent representation in UN planning and administration. Besides its

emergency measures, it makes preparatory and follow-up actions refer to alleviate human suffering. ECHO concentrates on the gap existing between humanitarian and development aid (known as the grey zone). The Office divides the crises into the following three categories: 18 Humanitarian Aid Office-ECHO http://www.europaeuint/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/rl10003htm 22 http://www.doksihu 1. natural disasters, where disaster preparedness measures should be implemented by the Community to enhance the self-help capacity of the population; 2. violent conflicts, where transition must be viewed in a boarder economic, social and political context and taken into consideration as an essential factor during the various phases and in the various fields of intervention; 3. structural and other types of crisis, where the EU must adapt its policy so as to enable ECHO to gradually withdraw from countries where there is no longer a humanitarian emergency. This means that if the EU agrees to continue with its

aid, the instruments required to ensure the changeover must be implemented in good time. 19 ECHO also uses the general budget of the Community, backed up by the European Development Fund. Each year it carries out an independent evaluation, and each operation of the Office are examined by the partners. Since its setting up in 1992, the ECHO has always worked with the partner relief organisations on the basis of Framework Partnership Agreements (FPA). “The FPA is the instrument that sets the principles of partnership between ECHO and humanitarian organisations, defines the respective roles, rights and obligations of partners and contains the legal provisions applicable to the humanitarian operations financed by ECHO.” 20 The new FPA, which means new selection of ECHO partner organisations, came into force in 1 January 2004 and it presents some innovative features. The ECHO wanted to develop the FPA with the aim of simplifying the funding administrative procedures and to optimise the

results and implementation of humanitarian aid. The new partner selection is based on well-defined eligibility and suitability criteria. The legal basis used for eligibility is country of registration in a member state, declaration of moral integrity and 2 years external audit obligation, and for suitability is administrative, financial and operational capacity. These have been established taking into account the following two things: 1. The existing legal and financial requirements, including those newly introduced by the forecast Financial Regulation adaptable to the general budget of the European Communities. 19 Humanitarian aid: introduction: http://www.europaeuint/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/rl10000htm 20 The FPA with NGOs: http://www.europaeuint/comm/echo/partners/fpa ngos enhtm 23 http://www.doksihu 2. The quality standards resulting from the endeavour developed over the years between ECHO and its partners on achieving quality partnership. The selection criteria are guided by

three European Community regulations: the Regulation on Humanitarian Aid (RHA), the new Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (FR) and its new Implementing Rules (FRIR). The fulfilment of these criteria can be verified by ECHO through relevant supporting documents provided by the applicant organisation, consultation with the relevant authorities of the non-governmental organisation’s country of registration and verification audits carried out by ECHO staff on the organisation’s premises. 24 http://www.doksihu V. Hungarian Interchurch Aid “Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA) as a charitable organisation of high public utility and of protestant spirituality was founded in 1991. Its intention is to provide assistance to those in need regardless of gender, nationality and religion.” 21 Today HIA has become one of the biggest aid agencies operating in Hungary has gained international reputation as well (it is an organisation of high

public utility). Priorities in the aid work of HIA are solely determined by needs specified by local conditions. In its relief activities they use methods which allow beneficiaries to participate in program implementation. The aid programs of HIA satisfy first of all basic, elemental needs but they also support preparedness for future disasters. Since the very beginning, HIA’s programs have been realised in co-operation with United Nations agencies, and its aid agency has been an active and acknowledged member of several international alliances, e.g the ECHO in Brussels HIA is the sole Hungarian relief organisation, which is in relationship with the humanitarian aid office. They signed the FPA agreement in 2003 HIA has used Union funds for two of its projects till now. One of them has already been completed; the other is still a plan. Henceforward I will present these projects 1. Humanitarian non-food Assistance in Urus-Martan district, Chechnya implemented with ECHO funds by HIA

Due to the war Urus-Martan district suffered damage of USD 1,060 million. The population of the district is 103,944 people, of which there are 77,540 adults, and the number of children is 16,600. There are many single-parent families, who have lost their last breadwinners as a result of mine accidents, thus being unable to find any kind of employment. It is also very general that families live in the partially destroyed houses, where they use one part of the house, which remained relatively safe. Families are rather big, as parents often have 5-7 children, and when children lose their parents, they are taken care of by relatives. Elderly people often live together with the big families. 21 Annual Report of the HIA, 2003 25 http://www.doksihu Children of school age attend school where the school is operating, however during the winter many children are forced to stay at home due to the harsh weather, as they have no appropriate clothing. As to the health conditions, tuberculosis

has become a widespread disease in the region, however local doctors are not prepared for this huge task, neither are health centres able to accept so many sick people. As to the security situation, Urus-Martan district is the last district that can be said to be a relatively safe location. The next districts are Shatoysky and Vedensky; they are mountainous districts, where armed attacks occur very often. HIA wanted to provide humanitarian assistance to the beneficiaries thus contributing to the improvement of the general living conditions of the most vulnerable children and households of the nine selected settlements in Urus-Martan district. The project was based on a proposal, which was financed completely by the EU (it was a grant). The total budget of the operation was 212 487 EUR The starting date was 16 September 2004, and it has run 4 months. The project has affected 3500 children, they were supported with winter coats and shoes and 2726 households, supported with hygiene kits

– the distribution of relief items were delivered only to the most vulnerable ones. HIA wanted to help children to be able to attend school during the whole school year, and to ameliorate the hygiene conditions in the beneficiary families. On preparing the proposal, a severe assessment was conducted, while a brief survey was implemented in the villages at the beginning of the program by visiting schools and gathering information. The main goal of this survey was to gather the exact data about the children. This was a very important point for starting the program, as HIA got the latest information on the exact number of children and as the measures had a direct effect on the prices (smaller clothes and shoes are cheaper, larger ones are more expensive). While distributing relief items, project staff worked with acknowledgements of receipts, signed by each beneficiary. During the timeframe of the program, they participated in regional co-ordination meetings organised by ECHO and had

bilateral discussions with other non-governmental organisations to have their impressions on the program. At the end, the staff visited the families at random in order to check the use of relief items that were distributed during the project. They also obtained statistics to find out changes in school attendance or in the families’ health conditions. 26 http://www.doksihu 3. Long-term development program implemented with EuropeAid fundsAssistance to disabled women, institution -, and network building in Uzbekistan Hungarian Interchurch Aid has been implementing humanitarian activity in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan since 2001. In the first phase of its activity, HIA established a field office in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The main task of the office was to operate as a background office for HIA’ s activities carried out in Afghanistan to participate in the United Nations co-ordination work of non-governmental organisations and to co-operate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of

Uzbekistan. HIA’s current development project will be implemented in Kibrai district, where there are 2500 disabled women and 385 disabled children. The total allocated cost of the project is 236,475 EUR of which 188,000 EUR is from the European Commission. The duration of the project will be 20 months. This is a long-term expansion The general objective of this program is to promote the social integration of disabled women and parents living with disabled children. The objective will be implemented by introducing new services that are increasing the target group’s access to equal opportunity and are supporting them in solving their everyday-problems, such as discriminating legislation, physically inaccessible buildings and conservative public opinion in respect of them. In case of realisation of the program, it will become possible to widen the project and reach other target groups living with disadvantages. The second aim of the program is to provide capacity building to HIA’s

partner organisation, Kibrai District Society of Disabled Women “Opa-Singillar”; and at the same time promoting the establishment of a new non-governmental organisation network, which is to comprise 31 Uzbek organisations. The purposes are to be achieved by establishing a service centre, where members of the target group will receive answers to questions and problems arising from their position of disability. The program plans to introduce advisory services, individual and group therapy, personal assistance service, job search assistance, and a professional training program. 27 http://www.doksihu Conclusion The aim of my thesis was to present the current situation of poverty in the world. I wanted to introduce that there are a lot of regions which need help and it is the obligation of every richer country (particularly in Europe) to do all for this purpose. Nowadays, the question of external aid and development is very difficult. The organisations try to help to all needs but

for total success, they would need much more money. Sometimes famous actors and other stars give them enormous amounts, but this is rather a characteristic of great disasters, and it is rather for their “marketing” activity. The daily practise is that little old aunts knock on the door of the relief organisations with a small package, some second-hand bedclothes in it – which is an aid, but there are too many catastrophes in the world to help them with small packets from small aunts. The problem is that while international organisations have appointed sustainable results to reach, it is extremely difficult to achieve them. Unfortunately there are a huge number of disasters today: earthquakes, floods, tidal waves, wars, etc. and these hold all the capacities of the relief organisations. They can’t deal that much with the long-term expansions. There are some factors, which render their job more difficult. The global warming batters the environment and the most of catastrophes are

due to it. We don’t know when our world will reach its final allowable tolerance. Experts speak about a migration, which will take aim at Europe where there are maybe better chances for people who have lost everything. More and more epidemics rage in the world. The medicine is already quite developed, but scientists don’t have the vaccine for several new diseases. The European Union has noticed these difficulties and it pursues an expansive development policy for historical, strategic and moral reasons, and it obliges all of their member countries to access to its policy. EU community-level development activities and the independent development co-operation activities of these countries complement each other. Since 1 May 2004, Hungary also has to meet the commitments and requirements arising from the fact that we are a member of the European Union and our country was expected to be able to implement the acquis communautaire on the common commerce, apart from this the humanitarian

aid and development policy on accession. Hungary is meeting the 28 http://www.doksihu majority of the commitments and requirements for membership in relation to bilateral agreements with third countries. In order to complete preparations in this area, Hungary must take decisive steps towards renegotiating or terminating its bilateral agreements to make sure that they are compatible with the acquis. I also wanted to demonstrate the institutional system within the EU, which decides who will get money for what and it also handles these amounts. Within the EU, the European Commission is the main institution which co-ordinates these procedures. The Commission has established a few institutions composing the part of it and participating in its work. National relief organisations can ask for money from them to use for their own purposes. In the Hungarian context, Hungarian Interchurch Aid has achieved the best results in the area of co-operation with different EU institutions. 29

http://www.doksihu Bibliography A single department handling the Commission’s external aid: http://www.europaeuint/comm/europeaid/general/mission enhtm About DG Development: http://europa.euint/comm/dgs/development/organisation/about enhtm Adam Roberts and Benedict Kingsbury United Nations, divided world – The UN’ s roles in international relations Oxford, 1993, Clarendon Press Annual Report of Hungarian Interchurch Aid, 2003 http://www.okumenikushu Asztalos Zsófia: Az EK/EU szerepe nemzetközi szervezetekben és szerződésekben In: Globalizáció-piacliberalizácó. Bp., 2004, Novotni Alapítvány a Magánjog Fejlesztéséért 37. oldal Az ENSZ és a NATO. Szerk. Gömbös Ervin Bp., 2002, Magyar ENSZ Társaság Az ENSZ és az EU együttműködése Szerk. Gömbös Ervin Bp., 2003, Magyar ENSZ Társaság Carr, Fergus Managing conflict in the new Europe: the role of international institutions New York, 2002, Paligrave Macmillan David Armstrong, Lorna Lloyd and John Redmond From

Versaillles to Maastricht – International Organisations in the Twentieth Century London, 1996, Macmillan Pess Ltd. Development and trade: http://europa.euint/comm/development/body/theme/trade enhtm EuropeAid and Enlargement: http://www.europaeuint/comm/europeaid/decentr/coop/developm coop enhtm EuropeAid: Structure: http://www.europaeuint/comm/europeaid/general/struct enhtm European Commission simplifies funding of external assistance: http://europa.euint/comm/external relations/reform/intro/ip04 1151htm 30 http://www.doksihu European Union’s development policy: http://homepages.uelacuk/ben2417s/EUAid1htm External Assistance Reform: four years on (2000-2004): http://europa.euint/comm/development/body/publications/descript/pub7 13 encfm Grant Application Form – Assistance to disabled women, institution -, and network building in Uzbekistan Manuscript from the HIA office, Budapest Horváth Zoltán Kézikönyv az Európai Unióról Bp., 2002, Földkör Kiadó How the EuropeAid

Co-operation Office operates: http://www.eurpoaeuint/comm/europeaid/general/mission fonc enhtm Humanitarian Aid Office-ECHO http://www.europaeuint/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/rl10003htm Humanitarian aid: introduction: http://www.europaeuint/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/rl10000htm Hungarian Policy For International Development Co-operation: http://www.kulugyminiszteriumhu/kum/hu/bal/Kulpolitikank/Nemzetkozi fejlesztes/NEFE politika.htm The homepage has been remade, we can find the document only in Hungarian now. Implementation of humanitarian aid http://www.europaeuint/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/rl10001htm International Development Co-operation Department: http://www.kulugyminiszteriumhu/archivum/Kulugyminiszterium/HU/Miniszterium/Szervez eti egysegek/Nemzetkozi fejlesztes/Egyetertesi nyilatkozat.htm in English: http://www.mfagovhu/NR/rdonlyres/D266C945-C8B5-4A19-846D35E5EF211714/0/ODACEdoc Mission and Role: http://europa.euint/comm/dgs/development/organisation/mission enhtm Selection of partners:

http://www.europaeuint/comm/echo/partners/selection enhtm Single form for humanitarian aid operations – Non-food Assistance in Urus-Martan district, Chechnya Manuscript from the HIA office, Budapest 31 http://www.doksihu The enlarging EU at the United Nations – Making multilateralism matter published by the EU, Brussels, 2004 The European Commission: http://www.europaeuint/institutions/comm/index enhtm The European Community’s Development Policy – Statement by the Council and the Commission: http://europa.euint/comm/development/body/legislation/docs/council statementpdf The FPA with NGOs: http://www.europaeuint/comm/echo/partners/fpa ngos enhtm 32