Member states failing to meet aid targets

Countries failing to meet their own targets for development aid.

EU member states will be upbraided by the European Commission next week for failing to meet targets for development aid that they themselves agreed.

Karel De Gucht (pictured), the European commissioner for development, has warned the ministers that just five of the 27 member states are on course to meet a self-imposed target of giving 0.56% of national income in aid to developing countries by 2010. That target was an interim benchmark on the way to a pledge agreed by the member states that they should give 0.7% of gross national income in aid by 2015.

Discussion

De Gucht has sent to development ministers papers that show projected assistance levels for 2009 and 2010 for each member state. So far, four countries – Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden – are above the 0.7% level and Ireland is above 0.56%.

Development ministers will be in Brussels on Tuesday (17 November) to discuss how to reach the targets. For some of them, their best – although temporary – hope is that the economic recession is reducing their gross national income so much that even where aid is stagnant, the percentage measure improves.

The ministers will also discuss operational guidelines on aid effectiveness. There will also be a discussion on guidelines for democracy support.

Kai Eide, the United Nations’ top envoy to Afghanistan, and the EU’s foreign ministers will join the development ministers for a more specific discussion of democracy support in Afghanistan.