The European Union and Developing Countries

The European Union (EU) is a vital focus for developing countries. Not only is it the largest source of aid and technical cooperation, but it is also the world's largest market for their exports. EU policies are therefore of immediate concern for the countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Mediterranean. Traditionally the EU has organized its relations with developing countries on a regional basis, reflecting the origins of the European Community in the 1950s as essentially a regionalist Western European organization. However, the late 1990s are the era of globalization and the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) increasingly threaten the regional trade preferences on which the EU's patchwork of regional arrangements rest. This book examines the EU's response to these major strategic shifts in world economic relations following the end of the Cold War and the technological innovations which have made globalization a reality. The book is based on papers presented during the 1996 course on 'The EU and Developing Countries' at the postgraduate College of Europe, Bruges, Belgium, within an incisive analytical framework provided by the editor. The analysis is particularly timely and relevent as it affords well-researched insights into the origins and strategic directions of EU policies towards the rest of the world. This book will be of interest to all those concerned with the future evolution of Europe, its foreign relations, and especially its policies towards developing countries. The College of Europe, located in Bruges, Belgium, and in Natolin, Poland, trains competent and experienced Europeans. A unique and innovative postgraduate institute of European studies, it combines highly specialized as well as interdisciplinary studies with the practical experience of cultural diversity acquired through living and working in a truly European community.