FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

European NGOs demonstrate against scandalous lack of progress in EU development aid

At the opening of a meeting of EU Ministers on aid today, anti-poverty organisations from across Europe are out in protest against the cavernous gap of 75 billion euros in aid promised by the European member States to developing countries.

At the opening of a meeting of EU Ministers on aid today, anti-poverty organisations from across Europe are out in protest against the cavernous gap of 75 billion euros in aid promised by the European member States to developing countries.

As Development Ministers arrive in Brussels, the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP), and CONCORD, the European NGO Confederation for Relief and Development - representing over 1600 European NGOs - are joining forces to criticise European governments for their failure to live up to aid promises. 

"A failure on the part of European Union to meet its aid promises directly condemns the poor and marginalized in developing countries to a life of poverty. Already in many poor countries, the verdict is that the Millennium Development Goals will not be met. This is a scenario the world can ill-afford and we demand action" said Marivic Raquiza, of GCAP South-East, North and Central Asia (GCAP-SENCA).

Negotiations to date have pointed towards footdragging by a number of European governments, particularly on the issue of setting rigorous annual timetables to meet their goals on aid. Without these timetables, aid will remain unpredictable and volatile, a situation which will have heavy impact on the poorest and most vulnerable.

Today’s campaign action follows the publication of “No Time to Waste”, a new report by CONCORD reveals that on current trends the European Union (EU) will have given 75 billion less in aid by 2010 than it promised, threatening progress on the UN Millennium Development Goals set for 2015.  If the recent record of slow progress continues, Europe will find it harder to meet its target with every year that passes.

“A hundred thousand estimated dead in Burma, food prices rocketing and a woman dying every minute in pregnancy or childbirth. Now, more than ever, European governments must deliver the aid they promised to the world’s poor” says Justin Kilcullen, President of CONCORD.

2008 is a crucial year for aid, testing the credibility of European governments.  At the High Level Ministerial Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra, Ghana this coming September, the EU will review its progress against crucial commitments made in 2005 in Paris. 

European NGOs join the OECD and the European Commission in calling on European governments to honour their promises and commit to clear, measurable, binding timetables setting out the year-on-year aid increases in aid that are necessary for the MDGs to be met. 











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Contacts:     Jasmine Burnley: Aid Watch coordinator for CONCORD: jasmine.burnley@concordeurope.org – Tel: + 32 (0) 2 743 87 64.
        Julien Vaisser: GCAP Europe coordinator: gcapeuropesecretariat@whiteband.org

Spokespersons:
    Laura Sullivan laura.sullivan@actionaid.org (+32 2 503 2422 or +32(0) 485 781255)
    Alexander Woollcombe alexander.woollcombe@oxfaminternational.org (+32 (0) 486 842 407)

Photographs of the stunt will be available later today.

Notes for Editors (see www.concordeurope.org for more materials such as pictures or testimonies)
•    Pictures of the protest are available in the “press” section of CONCORD website as are other pictures and video testimonies from people from developing countries.  The report and its summary are also available online.
•    On May 26-27 2008, European Ministers will meet at the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) in Brussels to discuss aid and development. 
•    In 2002, the EU15 committed to give at least 0.33% of GNI as aid by 2006 (with an average of 0.39%) and 0.7% by 2015. In 2005, they committed to give at least 0.51% by 2010 (with an average of 0.56%) The 12 New member States committed to give 0.17% of GNI as aid by 2010 and 0.33% by 2015.
•    The 2007 figures released by the OECD show that European aid fell from 0.41% of GNI in 2006 to 0.38% of GNI in 2007.
•    In 2005, all OECD donors signed the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, which included a set of indicators and targets to improve the effectiveness of aid.  They will meet again in September 2008 in Accra at the High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness to assess progress and make new commitments.  The EU made even more ambitious commitments in 2005. A recent report from Eurodad showed that much still needs to be done if donors are to live up to these commitments to make aid more effective and accountable.
•    Most European donors inflate their official aid figures by counting as aid debt relief and funding to foreign students and refugees in European countries.  It was falls in debt relief that accounted for much of the fall in aid shown in the official figures - Warnings from NGOs that ODA figures provided in recent years were distorted and over-flattering have been borne out.  But EU governments are continuing to mislead by counting debt relief and student and refugee costs as ODA.  These items accounted for 17% of EU ODA in 2007.  Excluding these items, CONCORD report finds that the EU15 countries provided only 0.33% of their national income as genuine aid in 2007 – continuing to miss the target set for 2006 of 0.39%.




•    CONCORD is the European confederation of relief and development NGOs.  Its national associations and international networks represent over 1600 NGOs which are supported by millions of citizens across Europe.  CONCORD leads reflection and political actions and regularly engages in dialogue with the European institutions and other civil society organisations.  CONCORD is part of the 'Global Call to Action against Poverty'. Contact: Agnès Philippart (aphilippart@concordeurope.org) – Tel: +32 (0)2 743 87 77 - www.concordeurope.org.

•    The Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) is the world’s largest civil society alliance of social movements, International NGOs, trade unions, community groups, women’s organizations, faith and youth groups, local associations and campaigners working together across more than 100 national coalitions/platforms.GCAP is calling for action from the world’s leaders to meet their promises to end poverty and inequality. In particular, GCAP demands solutions that address the issues of; public accountability, just governance and the fulfilment of human rights; trade justice; more and better aid; debt cancellation and gender equality and women’s rights.Contact: Julien Vaissier (gcapeuropesecretariat@whiteband.org). Tel: +32 (0)2 743 87 65 - www.whiteband.org.

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