«Report on the Implementation of...

The EC's espousal of decentralized cooperation as part of its development cooperation policy signalled a commitment to broadening the range of people and organizations involved in cooperation, both in Europe and the partner countries. The concept emerged and gradually took shape as part of European Community policy at the end of the eighties in response to several different (but interconnected) phenomena. This report does not cover all fields and development agencies involved in the decentralized cooperation approach, in its widest sense. The main focus is therefore on local authorities/institutions and voluntary organizations in the widest sense. Obviously - as the report itself makes clear - differences between countries and regions will lead to different priorities and emphases in decentralized cooperation that reflect their degree of development, the range and effectiveness of existing social and economic structures, the relative importance of the public and private sector, and their social and political systems.