The European Union is turning its attention to new “flagship” programs that will seek to address “big, planetary problems.”
Live from the 2013 European Development Days in Brussels, where the flagship initiatives are being unveiled this week, Devex Editor Rolf Rosenkranz asked Klaus Rudischhauser, European Commission Directorate General for Development Cooperation (EuropeAid) deputy director-general for policy and thematic coordination, what kind of impact the flagship programs will have on the continent’s aid delivery strategy.
“The idea is to identify larger multidisciplinary programs which would aim towards one objective which is a clearly recognizable [and] easy to understand goals,” said the EuropeAid official. “So if you wish certain public goods, certain public challenges to identify a flagship with them and show that we are focusing our actions on addressing real problems and big planetary problems.”
Watch the full video here to learn more about how the flagships strategy hopes to focus attention first on what needs to be done and what can be done, in order to develop programs that can maximize development impacts.
Visit us at the 2013 European Development Days and watch out for more Devex coverage of news and views from Europe’s leading global development event of the year.
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About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.