Workshop Enhancing Policy Coherence for Development

The principle of Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) is a central pillar of the EU's efforts to enhance the effectiveness of development cooperation. It represents both a legal and a political commitment for the EU institutions and the Member States. This report includes an in-depth analysis on PCD and the summary of the debate held during a workshop on the same topic, which brought together MEPs, representatives of EU and international organisations and civil society. The workshop aimed to take stock of the latest developments in the application of PCD and sought to generate ideas for improvement. Although several policy prescriptions on PCD already exist as part of legal provisions and different tools have been put in place, there is a continued mismatch between the ideal and practical implementation of PCD. The discussions were organised in two successive sessions: a first panel focused on the conceptual PCD approaches rooted in legal provisions and policy strategies. The experts debated the understanding of PCD from the perspective of different international actors - the EU, OECD, UN - and its significance for meaningful policy impact in developing countries within the framework of Agenda 2030. A second panel explored challenges and gaps in PCD implementation. The discussion also focused on the importance of maximising synergies between policy areas in PCD implementation and of performing impact assessments that capture the effects on developing countries for all EU policies.