For example, the renewed refunds granted by the EU to European pork exports to developing countries has already had a devastating effect on local pork production in Cameroon, as European imports are sold much cheaper than local produce. This is clearly an incoherent practice that should be abandoned immediately.

These are remarkable statements, coming from a Commissioner for Development, who is actually paid for raising and protecting the interests of developing countries’ and their farmers. It is not only ethically and intellectually correct to take the interests of the farmers in to account whenever making policy choices, there is in fact also a very strong political interest here for the EU. The development of poor countries will eventually open up new markets for EU produce. It will diminish global inequality, improve the security and, as a consequence, will lead to less migration and disruptive conflicts which could also harm the EU. By starting to allow developing countries, as long as they are developing their industries and economies, to keep out cheap European meat, they will in the long run depend less on European aid, eventually develop into stable nations, which is in the EU’s interest in many ways.

The Commissioner’s words underline once again the crucial importance of true and sustained political will and commitment when it comes to delivering on the European Union’s policy coherence for development and aid commitments. If Mr Michel truly stands for the statements of greater coherence between EU policies which he made when he took up his term as Commissioner, he could not be placed in a better position than he is now. Politically speaking. In our opinion, Mr Michel is not really saying that coherence is something he can’t do, but rather something he won’t do.