Brussels, 12/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - According to a new European Barometer survey published on Monday 12 January, Europeans are very positive about the EU's development and cooperation policy, despite the difficult economic times, and the number of European citizens in favour of increasing European aid has risen considerably - standing at 64% in 2014.
European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica was pleased to announce, to press in Brussels on 12 January, the results of this survey on citizens' perception of European development policy. “It's encouraging”, he said, right at the start of the European Year for Development (EYD 2015) - which was inaugurated in Riga on 9 January (see EUROPE 11227).
However, before setting out what has been learned, Mimica paid tribute to the vitctims of the attacks in Paris and the international mobilisation for the defence of values. “Like my colleagues - the ministers for the interior, like tens of millions of citizens, we are here to defend the universal values of freedom. Our values, your values have been affected. When we march, we are sending a message: we are strong and our values are strong. Our development cooperation must be stronger still. We must spread our values to the four corners of the world”, Mimica stated.
With sustainable development objectives currently being negotiated, and a common framework for eradicating poverty post-2015, Mimica believes that the European Year of Development offers a unique opportunity for making European citizens aware of the importance and results of this policy. “The EU and its 28 member states remain the biggest donor with over €56 billion in public aid for development released in 2013. That's over half the total world aid. What we want is for the EU not to be the biggest donor any longer - but the best”, he said.
The Special Eurobarometer 421 - “European Year for Development - citizens' views on development, cooperation and aid” - was conducted between 13-22 September on a representative sample of 28,040 people who were questioned at home in their mother tongue. The survey was conducted in the 28 member states of the EU by the TNS Opinion & Social network. It reveals that in the opinion of 67% of respondents, development aid should be strengthened (6% more than in 2013, standing at a level that was last seen this high in 2010), and that in the opinion of 85% of those questioned, it is important to help the people of developing countries. Mimica stated that great progress had been made in countries affected the hardest by the crisis, like Cyprus, Spain and Ireland.
The survey also reveals that one European in two believes that citizens have an individual role to play in tackling poverty in developing countries. A third of the citizens questioned (34%) say that they are personally involved in the fight against poverty, with 29% saying that they make donations to charity organisations. Nearly 50% of people questioned say that they are ready to pay more for products coming from these countries, and nearly two thirds state that the fight against poverty in developing countries should be an essential priority for the EU.
In addition, the survey reveals that 69% of those questioned say that the fight against poverty in developing countries also has a positive influence on EU citizens. Around 78% of citizens believe that this is in the interest of the EU, and 74% believe that this contributes to making the world fairer and more peaceful. Around 75% think that volunteering is the most effective way of helping to reduce poverty in developing countries. Nevertheless, a large majority of these people believe that official aid from governments (66%) and donating to organisations (63%) also have an impact.
The three big challenges for development policy mentioned by the survey's respondents are health (39%), followed by peace and security, and then education.
The young respondents (15-24 year olds) have a very positive perception of development action. Around 55% of respondents do not know where the aid goes and 46% say that they do not have the slightest idea what is done with national development aid - and this is the point. “We have to explain better”, says Mimica, who “hopes that by the end of the year the level of knowledge will have increased thanks to awareness-raising” among citizens about the European development policy. (AN)