When united, the EU and its member states are the world's second-largest givers of development aid. Development cooperation is regarded as a valuable asset in the European Union's toolkit for external relations. However, there is a rising dispute in politics and the general public over the efficacy or even legitimacy of this policy area. Dramatic shifts in geopolitical and geoeconomic realities, competition with 'new' donors such as China and India, and the rise of nationalistic forces in the national and European parliaments have raised fundamental questions about whether the concept of development, as pursued over the last 60 years, should be completely revised.
Given Northern Africa's strategic position as the EU's near neighbour and as a relay point for Sub-Saharan Africa, the European Union's development cooperation with the region warrants a closer examination of the principles, underlying assumptions, and present implementation. Development cooperation will be obliged to reflect the Union's dramatically changing priorities in the current tenth legislation, such as resilience, economic security, and economic competitiveness. However, these disruptions present opportunities, and Northern Africa offers significant advantages as a trial ground for new methods. This hypothesis will be tested in various policy areas as well as in the context of the bordering countries of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. It contends that development should be understood as a horizontal, integrated approach that encompasses other policy domains such as commerce, security cooperation, and immigration policy. It is thus not restricted to an institutional or budgetary definition.
The article builds on the writers' experience and analysis of international development cooperation. Based on an examination of key policy documents, debates in the European Parliament, and interviews with experts in Europe and Northern Africa, the current state of development cooperation will be critically evaluated, and recommendations for a revised framework of EU-Northern Africa relations will be developed. The contribution is timely, as the newly elected European Commission is now updating its policy framework to account for a significantly modified external collection of global actors and internal political factors. It also recognises the growing importance of Northern Africa and the Mediterranean basin as major areas of the European Neighbourhood Policy.
