Overcoming Fragility in Africa. Forging a New European Approach

The European Report on Development (ERD) is the main outcome of the Mobilising European research for development policies, an initiative promoted and financed by the European Commission together with seven EU Member States: Germany, Finland, France, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The aim of this initiative is to help the European Union refine its vision of development and enrich its policies on the basis of knowledge, innovation, and the building of common ground between the European research community, policymakers, and a broad public. The ERD is aimed at stimulating debate and research on development issues and amplifying the EU’s voice internationally. The ERD provides linkages and synergies between rich expertise in development-related issues in research and academic institutions and policymaking throughout Europe. It also serves as a focal point for researchers in European countries and various regions of the world, facilitates discussions with policymakers and civil society, and stimulates interaction between various European national agencies.The European Report on Development will help the European Union to refine its vision on development, enrich its policies and influence the international debate. It will also complement other flagship reports on development, in an attempt to reflect the diversity of views that may coexist on various issues and – where relevant – the specific European approaches, based both on Europe’s political and social values and its own history and experience. Indeed, we are convinced that there should not be any monopoly of thinking in a field as complex and rich as development policy. This year’s first edition deals with the complex and multidimensional issue of ‘fragility’, with a specific focus on sub-Saharan Africa, where most fragile countries are located. Described as the “toughest development challenge of our era”, dealing with situations of fragility is, rightly, a growing concern both for Europe and for the entire international community. An intensive participatory process, bringing on board a wide range of top scholars, policy-makers and civil society representatives, both from Europe and Africa, was at the heart of this ambitious policy research initiative. Through building common analytical ground on how better to grasp these difficult situations, this first edition of the ERD will help Europe fine tune its strategic approach to fragility and define more coherent policies in the future