Brussels, 28/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission's latest report on Union external development aid implemented in 2009 and published on Monday 28 June explains that €12 billion was released for all developing countries last year (9% of the total EU budget). There was also a significant mobilisation of the new instruments put in place to tackle the crisis and climate change, as part of the efforts to improve the Commission's aid policy. The report indicates that the EU has nothing to be embarrassed about with regard to its performance in this connection, quite the contrary.
EU Food facility: The €1 billion EU Food Facility put in place at the end of 2008 has provided a fast and efficient response in tackling food insecurity. Of the €1 billion pledged under the facility, €837 million were allocated by the end of 2009.
EU "Vulnerability FLEX" instrument: €236 million were committed under the so-called Vulnerability FLEX mechanism to help 11 African, 3 Caribbean and 1 Pacific countries reduce funding shortfalls in their 2009 government budgets
In addition to the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) allocation of €35 million to support poor countries most vulnerable to climate change, in December, the EU agreed on 'fast-start' funding of €2.4 billion over three years (2010-2012), to assist developing countries in adapting to climate change and in moving to low-carbon strategies. The European Commission also started a mid-term review of its cooperation programmes and financial allocations to adapt them to evolving realities and progress to date.
In order to implement the internationally agreed Accra Agenda for Action on aid effectiveness, the Commission focused on demonstrating concrete and measurable results in the three priority areas of: increased use of country systems as first option to channel bilateral assistance; implementation of division of labour among donors to reduce aid fragmentation; and better quality technical cooperation.
Results for 2009 show that project performance improved compared to the previous year. 94% of the projects are now rated positively. Of the €12 billion allocated in 2009, funding was granted as follows: more than €2 billion to European countries (Eastern European countries and pre-accession countries), €618 million for North Africa, €3.9 billion for Sub-Saharan Africa, €669 million for the Middle East, nearly €1.4 billion for South and Central Asia and the Far East, €899 million for Latin America, €89 million for Oceania and €2.1 billion for unallocated and multilateral aid.
In terms of sectoral breakdown: social infrastructures (education, health, population and reproductive health, government and civil society and other social infrastructures) keep the lion's share (34%) of European Commission's development cooperation with commitments amounting around to €4 billion; €1.7 billion (14%) went to the production sectors (agriculture, forestry, fishing, industry, mining, construction, trade and tourism) and €1.2 billion (11%) were targeted at economic infrastructure and services (transport, communication, energy, banking and financial services and business).
In 2009, the Commission committed €2.4 billion of EU aid funds for external cooperation as budget support. (A.N./transl.fl)