Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy

This new policy on democracy support comes at a moment in which EU foreign policy is taking a step forward. The Lisbon Treaty, which came into force on 1 December 2009, is now being implemented. Under the new Treaty, the European Action Service (EAS) will be created: the new EU foreign office, which is headed by Baroness Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Vice-President of the European Commission.

The Council Conclusions provide an Agenda for Action for EAS to implement the new policy on democracy support.

Why the need for these Conclusions?

Democracy is one of Europe's core values and one of the principal criteria, agreed upon in Copenhagen in 1993, that candidate countries must fulfil to become members of the EU. Yet thusfar there had been no explicit statement of the EU’s commitment to supporting democracy in its interactions with the rest of the world. These Council Conclusions are changing that. Furthermore, the Council Conclusions will serve a very practical purpose. As they try to bring together the nineteen different initiatives (and instruments) of EU development or foreign policy that support democracy and human rights into a single, more coherent approach, the Conclusions pursue a more effective and efficient use of EU citizens’ money.

NIMD's contribution

NIMD has actively contributed to the preparations of this new EU policy framework. In July 2004, at the beginning of the Dutch EU Presidency, NIMD convened a conference in The Hague on the theme of Enhancing the European Profile in Democracy Assistance. The conference resulted in the The Hague Statement, which contained many elements that have now been included in the new EU policy on democracy support.