Sector Project Development Oriented EU Trade Policy
Background
International trade can be an important lever for sustainable economic development and poverty reduction in the partner countries of German development cooperation. However, the positive developmental impact of trade depends on the design of international trade policy, coherence with other policies and structural conditions in developing countries. In general, most partner countries play an important role in EU trade with their economic and social development. The EU as well as German development cooperation support these countries in making better use of the positive effects of these trade relations and provide significant funds for trade-related development assistance (AfT).
Objective
The GIZ Sector Project (SV) "Development-Oriented EU Trade Policy" commissioned by the BMZ has been established in 2016. The aim of the project is to support the BMZ in proactively contributing to the development-oriented design of EU trade policy through innovative and strategic approaches. It thus contributes to sharpening the position of German development cooperation in the German and European debate on this topic. In doing so, it is helping to strengthen the coherence between European trade and development policies and to increasingly integrate the concerns of developing countries into EU trade policy.
The module objective of the current phase of the SV is: "The BMZ positions itself proactively and developmentally with innovative and strategic approaches in the national and international processes of EU trade policy."
Approach
For this purpose, the SV works in two fields of action: on the one hand, the SV supports the BMZ in influencing the design of EU trade agreements and ongoing negotiations as well as other trade policy instruments. On the other hand, the SV supports the Sectoral Unit in its trade policy positioning, for example through expert advice or conception and execution of events, dialogue formats and pilot measures. The project works closely together with cooperation partners from science, civil society and industry as well as with international organizations and parliaments both at German and European level, as well as directly in partner countries.