Development policy for Non-EU Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia

Exploring Dutch initiatives in a heterogeneous region

22 November 2005
Institute of Social Studies, The Hague

On Tuesday 22 November 2005, the Dutch Development Policy Review Network (DPRN) and the Institute of Social Studies (ISS), are organising the first regional expertise meeting on Non-EU Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. The meeting is to be held in the Institute of Social Studies, Kortenaerskade 12, The Hague. Prof. Louk de la Rive Box, Rector of the ISS, is going to open the meeting at 10.00 a.m.

The region ‘Non-EU Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia' is consisting of all countries that formed part of the former Soviet Union and the former Central and Eastern European block ‘behind the Iron Curtain', excluding those which have joined the European Union on 1 May 2004. Geographically, it is not even close to being a region, but in terms of historical, political and institutional background the countries share a similar legacy as former ‘Soviet-type' planned economies with communist systems of governance.

After the fall of the Berlin wall 16 years ago, a fundamental transition took place in these countries. Those which joined or are destined to join the EU received substantial support and enjoyed socioeconomic development. Yet the situation in many countries in Southeast Europe and the former Soviet Union, including the larger ones like Russia and Ukraine, is less bright, being characterised by an unequal distribution of income and relatively high poverty rates. In the poorer states, such as Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, absolute and relative poverty is more serious with significant portions of the population living below the one-dollar-a-day poverty line. Moldova, for example, has a Gross Domestic Product that is comparable with Sudan, and a Human Development Index that is equal to that of Bolivia. Hence most of these countries meet the ODA criteria for receiving development assistance.

Why then, the Netherlands has been very hesitant to include the poorer states in Southeast Europe and the former Soviet Union in its Development Policy Framework and does only Macedonia belong to the ‘17+4' ‘concentration' countries?

At the same time, the private sector substantially expanded its activities towards Central and Eastern Europe after the 1990s, undertaking investments, joint-ventures, takeovers and intensified trade. Dutch non-governmental organisations, including the co-financing organisations and twin-city ties (‘Stedenbanden'), have been very much involved in supporting civil society development of the Eastern European region. They are focusing on poverty, children and the environment, thereby filling part of the gap in bilateral assistance. In addition, the Netherlands will strengthen its economic and politic ties with Eastern Neighbours such as Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Azerbaijan and Georgia, as part of the European Neighbourhood Policy upon which the EC decided in 2004.

During this first regional expert meeting on Non-EU Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia, participants are going to discuss perceptions, options and modalities for development cooperation with ‘the East'. The plenary sessions are dedicated to socioeconomic and political developments and the policy framework, while working groups will focus on specific themes, including:

• Good governance, institutional development and civil society building;

• Economic growth, income distribution and private sector development; and

• Sustainable resource use and environment.

The programme (see attachment) will further contain cultural events (a Romanian violist and a folkdance group) and facilitation of information exchange.

Further information can be obtained from Oanne Visser at ISS, e-mail: visser@iss.nl

Please register by filling out the registration form that will be available at www.global-connections.nl as of 1 November.

The Non-EU Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia meeting is going to be the fifth in a series of 13 annual regional expert meetings which are being organised with financial support from the Ministry of Development Cooperation (DGIS/DCO) in the years 2005-2007. The next meetings are going to be those for North Africa and the Middle East on 28 November and Central Africa on 1 December 2005.

The Development Policy Review Network is a platform of development experts and policymakers who aim to reduce the gap between science, policy and development practice. To that end the DPRN organises thematic and regional expert meetings and is developing a virtual community portal to provide searchable access to development expertise in the Netherlands and Belgium. More information can be found at www.DPRN.nl