This paper argues that for the focus on poverty to become effective, it is essential that the European
Community concentrate on the following issues:
- First, the participatory elements of the Community's efforts for poverty reduction should be strengthened through the promotion of a broad based social dialogue on poverty and the concretisation and wider use of participatory approaches and tools for aid management.
- Second, aid management systems need to be adapted in line with the new focus, including personnel policy.
- Third, the effectiveness of poverty reduction efforts at the Community level depends on consistency with bilateral efforts.
Christiane Loquai, Kathleen Van Hove, Jean Bossuyt