Promotion of what now? EU's Official Development Assistance (ODA) policies in the changing European and global context

Together with the member states, the EU Institutions are the largest donor in the world, providing development assistance to different regions. Often attached to these grants are a number of political preconditions aimed at improving democracy and enhancing good governance. These attempts at good governance transfer through aid towards candidates, neighbours and third countries, have strengthened the "transformative" power and normative actorness of the EU in global politics. Yet, as illustrated by the empirical evidence in this chapter, the good governance agenda of the EU's Official Development Assistance (ODA) policies has changed over time. We show that the EU has defined more comprehensive monitoring mechanisms and introduced stricter conditions for the accession countries in the new reconfiguration of its funding policies while prioritising stability over democracy in the case of its neighbourhood policy. In its ODA policies particularly targeting the sub-Saharan African countries, the EU has opted for thinner and easily quantifiable developmental objectives seeking to increase its visibility and pursue its strategic agenda vis-a-vis the rise of illiberal donors.