| Abstract: |
The future shape of European trade policy and the right stance to take in
security and climate matters are currently the subject of fierce Franco-German
debate. These issues are also relevant to development policy in the context of
the overarching 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Despite the
opportunities afforded to them as strong donor countries to pursue joint
approaches, Germany and France often tend to cooperate on an ad hoc basis
rather than as part of a strategy (Krüger & Vaillé, 2019). Signed on 22
January 2019, the Aachen Treaty serves to renew the cooperation on
Franco-German development cooperation (DC) formalised in the Élysée Treaty and
offers the two countries a way to overcome differences and contribute jointly
to global sustainable development (Aachen Treaty, Chapter 2, Article 7).
Against this backdrop, this paper discusses challenges and opportunities for
Franco-German DC based on two case studies in Cameroon and Morocco, which
illustrate how differing mandates and methods being applied by the
implementing organisations are preventing closer cooperation on the ground.
Diverging political priorities, including within the national donor
administrations, are also making it harder to engage in dialogue with the
partner countries, especially if these have only limited capacity for donor
coordination. If Germany and France succeed in overcoming their current
differences, they will be able to attract other donors, particularly EU
actors, for joint initiatives. Four policy recommendations can be derived from
this: Improving coherence between DC systems: Even if the donor countries
continue to maintain different political structures, the functional
cooperation between the relevant actors will need to be supported at upper
political levels. Coherence within the German and French DC systems should
also be increased. 2. Germany and France should make it easier to launch joint
projects: Programming cycles need to be better coordinated in the interests of
the political dialogue on DC. At the same time, the mutual recognition of
procedures that form part of both countries' technical cooperation (TC) and
financial cooperation (FC) should be afforded greater political support. 3.
Selecting partner countries and sectors strategically: Focusing on common
priorities and sectors is advisable, especially in partner countries with
limited capacity for coordination. Franco-German cooperation with
middle-income countries should also be strengthened strategically in order to
support projects requiring substantial financing in sectors such as renewable
energy. 4. Structuring Franco-German cooperation so as to be open to other
partners: Germany and France should commit to a common Europe-wide
implementation approach and promote its application in partner countries
through pilot projects. Franco-German DC should also be structured so as to be
open to other actors and should campaign for the preservation of global public
goods in international organisations in which both donors play an active part
(e.g. in the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria). |