From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Tue May 19 2009 - 08:21:16 EDT
Aid chief says EU failing poor states in crisis Tue May 19, 2009 9:51am GMT
By David Brunnstrom
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union's aid commissioner accused member
states on Tuesday of failing countries worst hit by the global economic
crisis by delaying approval of a plan to release 500 million euros of funds.
The executive European Commission said in April it would accelerate aid to
poor countries outside the 27-nation bloc by releasing some previously
earmarked funds earlier than planned.
EU development ministers meeting in Brussels said they took "positive note"
of the Commission's plan to present details of the proposal and that they
looked forward to discussing it, but stopped short of a clear endorsement.
"I think there is a kind of natural and spontaneous reluctance of some
member states to deliver on their commitments," EU Aid Commissioner Louis
Michel said.
"This means we don't really take into account enough the consequences of the
financial crisis ... on the poor countries."
He said he was pleased the Commission could continue to work on the plan.
But he added: "I feel it will be difficult to convince everybody, because
some member states don't really take into account that the developing
countries are part of our solution and not a part of our problem."
The Commission said in April it would speed aid to poor countries by
bringing forward to 2009 nearly 4.3 billion euros of previously earmarked
funds.
This would include releasing early 500 million euros of reserve funds for
welfare spending in poor countries worst hit by falling export revenues as
world trade contracts.
Michel said big efforts were needed to support growth in Africa and that a
three-percent fall in growth in six months meant about 100 million more
people would fall into poverty.
Michel said EU states realised the importance of delivering on pledges, but
faced their own internal budget problems caused by the crisis.
He said this could make it difficult to stick to an aid increase target of
20 billion euros a year until 2010.
"They need money and they are not ready to deliver on what they committed
for," he said.
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