"The Social Dimension of Globalization and European Union Development Policy"

Orbie, Jan. (2007) "The Social Dimension of Globalization and European Union Development Policy". In European Union Studies Association (EUSA) > Biennial Conference > 2007 (10th), May 17-19, 2007, pages 27, Montreal, Canada.

Abstract

[From the introduction]. This draft paper1 attempts to come to grips with the European Union’s international role in relation to the social dimension of globalisation. This is one of the eleven areas where the EU2 has committed to policy coherence for development (PCD). The concept of PCD can be defined as ‘working to ensure that the objectives and results of a government’s development policies are not undermined by other policies of that same government which impact on developing countries, and that these other policies support development objectives where feasible’3. There is a negative and a positive dimension to this wording: non-aid policies should not interfere with development objectives and where possible they may be used to stimulate these aims. In contrast with European policies such as agriculture, fisheries, and environment, the ‘negative’ dimension of coherence is largely irrelevant for the social area. To the extent that the EU has a role in social policies – e.g. in gender equality, health and safety at work, and social dialogue – the external effects of its social activities for developing countries seem to be negligible.4 In any case it is doubtful that the Union’s initiatives under the banner of ‘Employment and Social Affairs’ would undermine its external development objectives.5 On the contrary: European social policies would rather lead to positive consequences (if any) for the South if they succeed in sustaining a prosperous market.6 Therefore this paper examines the second dimension. It analyses the role of the EU in relation to the social dimension of globalisation, looking at the external dimension of its social policy. More specifically, it focuses on the promotion of core labour standards (CLS) through European trade and development policies, and on the Union’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy. The paper provides an overview and evaluation of Europe’s capacity and commitment to advance social goals in its relations with the developing world. The paper is build up as follows. The first section points to the complexities in defining both the ‘Social Dimension of Globalisation’ and the ‘European Union’ – the two central concepts of this research. It also touches upon Europe’s position vis-à-vis the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and the latter’s relevance for the promotion of international social rights by the EU, which will be a cross-cutting theme throughout the further analysis. Subsequently we elaborate on the promotion of the CLS through the EU’s trade relations. The analysis makes clear that the inclusion of labour standards in Europe’s unilateral, bilateral and multilateral trade policies was not very successful. It emphasises that this cannot only be explained by developing countries’ resistance, but that a number of intra-European factors must be taken into account. Issues of coordination and coherence in intra EU politics appear to complicate the European position in this area. Following the impasse of the trade track, the EU has formulated a more comprehensive yet nonbinding approach to the social dimension of globalisation since 2001. Examining this shift, the third section looks at several European activities and intentions under the ‘decent work’ agenda, and their link with EU development policies. More specifically it focuses on enhanced EU-ILO cooperation in technical assistance, social chapters in Europe’s recent bilateral agreements, European development projects in the social realm, and the EU’s contribution in promoting CSR.