On 9 November 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, bringing an end to the Cold War. A self-confident and assertive European Union seized the opportunity in the resulting policy window' to emerge from these events as a global player. EEPA founder Mirjam van Reisen looks at the history and evolution of EU development co-operation policy and examines the current issues it faces to answer the crucial question of where the EU is heading in future and when that 'policy window' will close and make way for a new chapter in the EU's external relations.'