Promises to be kept

“We need to pass from pompous declarations to facts. More financial resources are necessary to foster development, to fight extreme poverty and to provide school education to children throughout the world”: José Manuel Barroso gave a mid-term overview on the Third Millennium objectives established in the year 2000 by the international community to decrease by 50% world poverty by 2015. He presented also a communication by the Executive urging Member States to comply with the financial commitments in this field.The examples of Germany and Spain. “Global aids decrease in the year 2007, as registered by the OECD, is reason for serious concern. This involves also Community Countries”. On April 9 the Executive presented a statement on “The EU: global development partner” aimed at “examining Community Europe’s efforts in pursuing Millennium objectives”, and at “more effective and efficient action”. Three years ago the 27 Member States had declared their commitment to bring GDP aid to 0.56% by 2010. While data registered on December 31st amounted to 0.38%. “Some States acted with courage and generosity while others didn’t – Barroso explained -. The OECD expressed its appreciation for Spain’s progress”. But while Germany increased its subsidies, “France, the United Kingdom and Italy have decreased them”. Values and the next steps. The EU (with over 8 million euro drawn from the Comission’s budget), and its 27 States are the major world donors of aid for development. In 2007 the total amount was of 46.1 billion dollars (Oecd data), which is half of the global amount, representing 93 euro per citizen. The United States allocated 53 euro per citizen while Japan only 44. The negative element resides in the fact that in 2006 Europe had allocated 47.7 billion euro. “We’re concerned about the downswing” of 1.6 billion granted by Member States, Barroso affirmed. “The EU had requested the Commission to define a global strategy in this sector. For this reason, we will ask single States to convey details on allocated sums and to set fixed dates. I shall reiterate the need for a clear commitment also during the EU Council in June, also in view of the forthcoming international deadlines: the G8 in July; the Accra Conference on aid effectiveness (September 2008) and the conference on Development Funding in Doha (December 2008)”. Barroso mentioned some of the results he obtained these years, especially in Africa. He recalled: “Our commitment corresponds to our values. Fundamental issues are at stake. These include the fight against poverty, but also world geo-political stability, support to emerging democracies, migrations control and terrorism prevention”. No “orphan” Country. Commissioner Louis Michel provided a different reading of OECD data: “The fact that the European Union is the major world donor of humanitarian aids and development, has another side of the coin. Other Countries and International organizations’ donations are far too low”. He then focused on the Community subsidies: “With this statement the Commission is requesting Member States to confirm their 2005 commitments”. For this purpose, “it’s necessary that each Country define its work schedule. A dozen States have already done so, others not yet. We must also ensure that aids are more successful”. The EU envisages a more appropriate “task assignment”, entailing a more accurate definition of the sectors requiring investment: hunger reduction, education, agriculture… “We must ensure that there are no orphan Countries that are left without aids, and that important development sectors are not neglected”. Four points to be respected. The Commission will insist that Developing Countries be “involved in the response to global challenges like climate changes, pandemics, migration phenomena, and threats to peace”. In the document drawn up by the board of Commissioners, four “firm points” were made. “Reaching the collective objective of 0.56% of GDP in the year 2010 and of 0.7% in 2015 is paramount”. Secondly, aids effectiveness and their local impact needs to be improved” also through greater cooperation among donors and between donors and recipient States. The Commission mentioned the example of six EU Countries plus Norway in favour of Somalia. Third: “development-targeted policies need to be implemented in order to promote research and solve the brain drain problem”, whereby the most qualified workers are abandoning Africa, Asia and Latin America. Lastly, 2 billion euro need to be allocated within the next three years in trade aids.”