European Trade Policy and Poverty Reduction: Challenges Ahead

Summary:

Defraigne insists on the fact that trade creates opportunities, but does not deliver development. What really makes the difference is the quality of the domestic policies. And here there is no single model : each success story is unique indeed even if they share some limited, but crucial, common features. Therefore, EU’s contribution to sustainable development must go beyond trade ; it must event go beyond its own ODA. EU can and must play a role as EU within the IMF and the World Bank whose leverage on domestic reforms and policies is more effective than its own : speaking with one voice on the board of those IFI’s would allow EU to punch its full weight for advancing a reform agenda which would support developing countries’ efforts for taking advantage of market access opportunities while securing them an indispensable policy space.

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