EU Joint Programming: Belgium Expert meeting on EU Joint Programming April 26th 2013

DGD - D1 Geographical direction Legal framework On 19th of March 2013 a new law on development cooperation was adopted. This law includes the following article (20): « Dans chaque pays partenaire, la coopération gouvernementale vise une stratégie pays commune des donateurs, de préférence au niveau de l’Union européenne et respectant l’alignement et l’appropriation démocratique par le pays partenaire. Cette stratégie commune constitue le cadre du programme de coopération avec le pays partenaire. Le programme précise notamment les choix sectoriels et les modalités d’exécution retenues. La stratégie et le programme sont communiqués au Parlement fédéral belge et au parlement du pays partenaire. »

DGD - D1 Geographical direction Legal framework The new law also refers to: -“La Coopération belge au Développement promeut l’harmonisation avec la coopération de l’Union européenne et des organisations multilatérales.” (art.13 §2); -« …l’existence, dans le pays partenaire, d’une division du travail avec d’autres bailleurs de fonds, notamment les autres états membres de l’Union européenne… » (art.15 §5).

DGD - D1 Geographical direction Strategic decisions Belgium formally supports the process of joint programming (EU DG meetings of 26/11/2011 – EU Ministerial meetings of 15/11/2011); Belgium formally engaged itself to synchronise the program cycle to the one of the partner countries in order to join the JP exercice where possible and valuable (EU DG meeting of 12/12/2012);

DGD - D1 Geographical direction Instructions and initiatives January 2012: instructions to the field on the basis of the instructions to EU DEL to participate actively in the JP exercice and to report back to HQ; October 2012: request for feedback from the field on basis of questionnaire on state of play on JP and Belgian participation and assesment; November 2012: internal analysis on state of play of JP (in preparation of expert meeting and EU DG meeting);

DGD - D1 Geographical direction Instructions and initiatives January 2013: field informed on formal decision to synchronise program cycle and demand for analysis of opportunities and feasibility; March 2013: information session to HQ geographic desks on JP; April 2013: table of partner countries on opportunity for synchronisation (when and how); May 2013: debate during DGD days (with participation of attachés) on JP;

DGD - D1 Geographical direction General assesment Main conclusions of the analysis: - Belgium actively participated in the JP exercice in most of the partner countries; -The process is very different from one country to another and depends on a number of elements; -Main challenge remains the synchronisation of the program cycles; -So far JP has not materialised beyond a joint analysis and some coordination on the level of EU HOMs and sectors;

DGD - D1 Geographical direction General assesment -Coordination did however improve in some of our partner countries because of JP; -DoL seems to be limited to a photo of the current state of play, and does not materialise into a clear division of labour based on the country’s priorities; -In some partner countries, the added value of JP was questioned in relation to the already existing (EU or non EU) coordination mechanisms and structures;

DGD - D1 Geographical direction General assesment -The governments of the partner countries are not always interested or do not necessarily have the capacities to manage JP; -It is unclear sometimes how non-EU donors will be integrated in the process -Nevertheless, general feeling is that JP is valuable in many of our partner countries.