International development and foreign policy

The relationship between development policy and foreign policy is at the heart of current debates about the future of Europe. Will development policy become subservient to foreign policy concerns, for example security and stability in Europe's immediate neighbourhood? Or will agreement be reached on common principles which lead to greater coherence among development, diplomatic and military initiatives - and which allow development policy to be firmly focused on poverty reduction in the poorest countries? These questions will be answered over the next two years: in the continuing negotiation about the Constitution; in decisions made about common foreign, security and defence policies; in decisions about the structure of the new Commission in 2004; and in the allocation of resources.