Brussels, 17/02/2010 (Agence Europe) - Figures released on Wednesday 17 February by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD on the level of official development assistance (ODA) provided by rich countries indicate that there has been little change, the European Union will not meet the target it set itself in 2005 of taking the overall level of its ODA to 0.56% of its GNI (gross national income) by 2010 on its way to reaching 0.7% by 2015 - the deadline for realisation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
These OECD forecasts, based on aid projections, reveal a paradox: in 2010, aid to developing countries will reach record levels (US$27 billion more than in 2004) but will be $21 billion less than the pledges made in 2005 by the main donors at the G8 summit in Gleneagles and the Millennium+5 summit. Africa, for example, will probably only receive an additional $12 billion of the $25 billion promised at Gleneagles. This is largely due to certain European donors, whose contributions make up a large part of the ODA for Africa, failing to meet their pledges.
The 15 countries which are members both of the EU and the DAC committed themselves to each achieving at least 0.51% of GNI. They have, however, met with varying degrees of success in this aim. France (0.46%), Germany (0.46%), Austria (0.37%), Portugal (0.34%), Greece (0.21%) and Italy (0.20%) have all failed to reach the target.
But, several countries have done better than promised: Sweden, with 1.03% of its GNI has the world's largest ODA, followed by Luxembourg (1%), the United Kingdom (0.56%), Finland (0.55%), Ireland (0.52%) and Spain (0.51%).
ONGs call for plan to make up European aid
“EU aid is under threat. Many governments have used the financial crisis to slash their aid budgets, cutting off those in the developing world who are most affected,” said CONCORD Board Member Rilli Lappalainen in a press release. This European network of development NGOs calls for binding targets.
The European Office of Oxfam International says that “Europe has shown itself to be ahead of the game by setting ambitious aid targets, but it's falling behind on its promises. The EU must lead by example, to bring bad performers on board to meet the global 0.7% commitment by 2015”. Oxfam hopes that the informal meeting of EU development ministers, currently taking place in La Granja (Spain), will lay the foundations of a “catch-up plan for European aid” to form part of the “Millennium Development Goals rescue package” which EU leaders are to adopt in June when they agree the common EU position for the UN MDG summit in New York in September. (A.N./transl.rt)