An Analysis of the EU's Development Policy

Before the 1990s,the EU based its development policy principally on the Lome Agreement. But since the 1990s,especially after the 21st Century,the EU's development policy has surpassed the simple consideration of economic interests and moral factors and become a systematic and comprehensive one with both global and strategic visions. Issues such as international security,regional stability,immigration and environment have been brought into its framework. By preparing and implementing its development policy,the EU is actively promoting its values and prompting the recipient countries to stick to the principles of democracy and good governance. Taking advantage of its "soft power" ,the EU attempts to exert considerable influences on the international development course with its own ideas and actions and the development policy has thus become an important area of its multilateral diplomacy.