TRIALOG Study Visit on Policy Coherence for Development

All together 16 representatives from 16 different NGOs, representing 11 EU countries met in Brussels between 27th and 30th May to attend a Study Visit organized by TRIALOG. This year the main topic was Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) and it was a great opportunity for all the participants to learn more about this topic.

As part of the Study Visit there was a half-day training on explaining the institutional and advocacy aspects in relation to PCD. The training has been delivered by members of the CONCORD PCD working group and it provided the participants with all the necessary knowledge to engage in discussions with representatives of various EU institutions.

One of the first highlights of the visit was the meeting with a representative from the cabinet of Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs, Ms. Catherine Ray. During the 4 days the group met also the Directorates General (DG) DevCo, DG Home and DG Trade of the European Commission. A meeting with the Development Secretariat of the European Parliament and a representative from the European External Action Service (EEAS) was also scheduled in order to better understand how the institutions work on development policies and how to ensure coherent policies for development.


A meeting with representatives from the Permanent Representation of Ireland in Brussels was an opportunity to discuss their Presidency of the Council of the EU. The group further met with the Lithuanian Representation to hear about their priorities for the upcoming Presidency starting in July.

The whole Study Visit did not only provide an insight in the working structures of the EU institution, it was also informative and above all, a good opportunity to share and discuss together the activities and processes done on a national level in order to improve coherence for development.

Please visit the TRIALOG website for more information and documentation on the Study Visit. The report will be available there soon.

All photos by TRIALOG:
Above: PCD training with CONCORD
Middle: Meeting with DG Trade
Below: Meeting with MP Ska Keller

Information provided by Paola Prinzis, Maltese CSO Platform SKOP