Case: Policy coherence in general

20-02-2009 Policy incoherence is costly for our tax payers and for the poor!

According to Mr Mario Amano, Deputy Secretary General of the OECD, during  a High-Level Conference on Policy Coherence for Development and Migration, the effects of policies that undermine development are felt by both developing countries and European tax payers. Incoherent polices are ineffective policies. Making sure that policies are mutually reinforcing, therefore, is in our own interest, too.

Mr Amano was one of the keynote speakers at the high-level conference on Policy Coherence for Development, hosted by the European Commission and the OECD. The Conference, that took place on the 12th of February, was specifically focussed on the interrelations between the policy areas of migration and development. Fair Politics EU warmly welcomed this event it was the first time such a high-level meeting was organised to expressly discuss very concrete issues of policy coherence at the European Parliament.

The question of how migration-related policy decisions taken in the EU and by OECD member states affect economic, social and human development in migrants countries of origin was central to the debates. The aim of the conference was also to raise the awareness of European and national parliamentarians on issues related to Policy Coherence for Development (PCD).

Key note speakers at the conference included Mr, Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the European Parliament, Commissioner Margot Wallström, who is in charge of Institutional Relations and Communication and Mr Mario Amano, OECD Deputy Secretary General.  In our view, these speakers used their speaking time during the conference to address very topical issues and questions that are indeed of great relevance to the way European migration policies influence progress in terms of development.

Firstly, Commissioner Margot Wallström stated that co-operation and coordination seem natural elements when working as a team she underlined that this is especially true when it comes to the drafting of public policies. Making sure that one policy does not negatively influence the implementation of the other requires, however, the extra mile.  Ensuring policy coherence, she stated, means making sure that the 12 selected priority EU policy areas in terms of PCD those policy areas that are likely to have an impact on development countries, in particular Migration - do complement each other in favour of the poorest countries. Mrs Wallström illustrated her plea by pointing to the example of brain drain in the area of migration: Brain drain is another complex and sensitive issue. The Commission has made a number of proposals, in particular to support the definition of policies favouring the retention of qualified personnel much needed for the very development of the country of origin. Such policies will be based on training, incentives, ethical recruitment in the EU and specific support to returning migrants.

OECD Deputy Secretary General Mario Amano also made some very much welcomed statements on the topic of PCD: In an interdependent global economy, the impacts of policies put in place by OECD countries and by emerging powers such as Brazil, China and India are especially likely to have a global reach. Hence, to meet the challenge of reducing global poverty, governments need to ensure that their policies on issues which go beyond aid are supportive of - or at least do not undermine - their development policies. This is the policy coherence for development agenda.

Mr Amano directly addressed politicians from both the European and national parliaments present at the meeting by stating: You as politicians know well that in national debates concerns such as enhancing security or boosting national competitiveness often take priority over poverty reduction. For policy-makers seeking to balance the interests of diverse interest groups the necessity of policy coherence for development may not be obvious. We need to also acknowledge that fully coherent policies may not be politically feasible. But incoherent policies are inefficient and ineffective no matter which objective takes priority. And incoherence has a cost for our tax payers and the poor in developing countries.

The conference provided a platform for the exchange of views around the topic of PCD and the policy area of migration in particular; it gave rise to many sensitive issues around migration taking place in all of the EU and OECD member states, which will hopefully lead to more fruitful discussions on Policy Coherence for Development on the national level. 

Through their contribution to this conference the political parties of MEP's Hans-Gert Pöttering (PPE-DE) Manolis Mavrommatis (PPE-DE) and Juan Fraile Canton (PSE), they showed their commitment to fair politics.

S&D and EPP ED were monitored as fair here.