EU: NGOs demonstrate against lack of progress in development aid

At the opening of a meeting of EU Ministers on aid today, anti-poverty organisations from across Europe are out in protest against the cavernous gap of 75 billion euros in aid promised by the European member States to developing countries.

As Development Ministers arrive in Brussels, the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP), and CONCORD, the European NGO Confederation for Relief and Development – representing over 1600 European NGOs – are joining forces to criticise European governments for their failure to live up to aid promises.

"A failure on the part of European Union to meet its aid promises directly condemns the poor and marginalized in developing countries to a life of poverty. Already in many poor countries, the verdict is that the Millennium Development Goals will not be met. This is a scenario the world can ill-afford and we demand action" said Marivic Raquiza, of GCAP South-East, North and Central Asia (GCAP-SENCA).

Negotiations to date have pointed towards footdragging by a number of European governments, particularly on the issue of setting rigorous annual timetables to meet their goals on aid. Without these timetables, aid will remain unpredictable and volatile, a situation which will have heavy impact on the poorest and most vulnerable.

Today?s campaign action follows the publication of ?No Time to Waste?, a new report by CONCORD reveals that on current trends the European Union (EU) will have given 75 billion less in aid by 2010 than it promised, threatening progress on the UN Millennium Development Goals set for 2015. If the recent record of slow progress continues, Europe will find it harder to meet its target with every year that passes.

2008 is a crucial year for aid, testing the credibility of European governments. At the High Level Ministerial Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra, Ghana this coming September, the EU will review its progress against crucial commitments made in 2005 in Paris.

European NGOs join the OECD and the European Commission in calling on European governments to honour their promises and commit to clear, measurable, binding timetables setting out the year-on-year aid increases in aid that are necessary for the MDGs to be met.

More info
www.concordeurope.org