• Global governance
• Coherence of EU external relations
• Policy formulation and institutional procedures in the EU system
• EU external financial instruments
• Development policy
• EU-Africa relations

In January 2010, Simon graduated from his Magister studies of Political Science, Cultural Anthropology and African Studies at the University of Cologne. His final thesis for MA degree focused on institutional procedures of the EU organs and the policy formulation of the Global Climate Change Alliance initiative of the European Commission. Being interested in EU-Africa relations and culture and languages of Africa, he deepened his knowledge in these fields through a semester abroad at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and by undertaking research trips to Mali and Kenya.  During his studies he did internships at Germany's international broadcaster Deutsche Welle, the humanitarian NGO Cap Anamur and the German Development Institute.  Simon always enjoyed working together with researchers from diverse cultural, academic and linguistic backgrounds and he enjoys the opportunity to cooperate and share his thoughts with experts of EU politics from various areas in the EXACT framework.

Title of research project:

One goal, many paths - The promotion of Policy Coherence for Development in EU policy formulation

Supervisor: Professor Lenka Rovná (Charles University Prague)

Co-Supervisor: Professor Wolfgang Wessels (University of Cologne)

The European Union (EU) has committed itself to take account of objectives of development cooperation - such as poverty reduction - in policies which are likely to affect developing countries. This paper investigates how and to what extent the EU promotes this aim for Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) in different governance areas. The study focusses on the under-researched process dimension of PCD by analysing the degree to which opinions of development actors are systematically taken into account during EU policy formulation. It follows a historical institutionalist approach that emphasises the independent role of institutions and their significance for policy output. Assessing the influence of formal and informal coherence procedures on policy development, the analytical framework examines how development actors use ‘points of entry’ to give input during day-to-day governance activities. It traces the planning process of six selected initiatives in three policy fields with PCD relevance: fisheries, environment, and security. The study finds that the effectiveness in promoting PCD does not necessarily depend on the particular policy field and its competence category but more on the policy instrument used and especially on the EU institution which conducts the policy formulation. While the European Parliament and the new European External Action Service promote process PCD rather effectively, the picture for the European Commission is mixed and the EU member states refrain from dealing with the issue in the Council. The study concludes that increased abilities for development actors to give meaningful input especially in Commission policy-making and the expansion of inter-departmental coordination in all EU institutions would improve the EU’s effectiveness in promoting PCD.

• "Coherence in EU External Relations: Concepts and Legal Rooting of an Ambiguous Term" (together with Leonhard den Hertog). European Foreign Affairs Review, 2013, Volume 18, Issue 3, 373-88.
• "Programming EU External Action Post-Lisbon: New Opportunities or Business as Usual?", in: 'Eipascope', 2/2012.
• "The review of the European Neighbourhood Policy: Increasing the coherence and coordination of EU external action?", TEPSA Brief, July 2011.

• "Das deutsch-französische Duo im Spiegel der Zeit - aktueller Impulsgeber oder überholte Allianz?", in: 'Integration', 2/2011.
• “The setup of the European External Action Service - Inexplicable by grand theories of European integration?” (together with Niklas Helwig), in "The EU as a Global Player", conference proceeding, 7th/8th April 2011, San Pablo-CEU University, Madrid.

• "Promoting Policy Coherence for Development in EU External Action. The Role of Governance Regimes". Paper presented at the Thirteenth EUSA Biennial Conference in Baltimore, 9-11 May 2013.

• "France and Germany in the EU - 50 years after Elysée. The couple viewed by their European Partners" (together with Peter Valant).  Report of THESEUS conference,  Brussels, 6-7 December 2012.

• "Theorising the coherence of policy formulation in EU external action from a new institutionalist perspective". Paper presented at the conference "2012 International BISA-ISA conference", University of Edinburgh, 20-22 June 2012.

• "Programming Financial Instruments Post-Lisbon. The European External Action Service and the New Institutional Architecture of EU External Action". Paper presented at conference "The European Union in International Affairs III" , Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 13-15 May 2012.

•  "The setup of the European External Action Service - Inexplicable by grand theories of European integration?” (together with Niklas Helwig), Paper presented at the conference "The EU as a Global Player", University Institute for European Studies, Madrid, 7-8 April 2011.

• "Policy Coherence in the EU System - Concepts and Legal Rooting an Ambigous Term" (together with Leonhard den Hertog). Paper presented at the conference "The EU as a Global Player", University Institute for European Studies, Madrid, 7-8 April 2011.

Teaching Activities

• Seminar ‘EU External Action: Examples and Analyses from Current Practice’ (together with Miguel Haubrich Seco), Charles University Prague, winter semester 2012/13 is.cuni.cz/studium/predmety/index.php  

• Seminar 'External Relations of the European Union' (together with Marco Siddi), University of Cologne, summer semester 2011 http://www.jeanmonnetchair.uni-koeln.de/index.php?id=472&L=2