The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has urged the European Union to properly co-ordinate its development aid programmes.
In a new report published last week that reviewed individual development co-operation efforts of EU development assistance committee members, the OECD also warned that Europe’s aid programmes would continue to suffer from poor institutional co-ordination unless improvements are made.
This is despite the fact that positive improvements have been made over the last five years, the OECD admits.
Speaking following the publication of the report, Olivier Consolo, director of Concord, the European confederation of relief and development NGOs, said: “Overall, EU aid has improved in several key areas such as working more closely with partner countries, which is welcome. The EU also shows progress in establishing common standards and principles for development policy across 27 member states, which is no easy task.”
Europe’s NGOs also acknowledged that there are institutional problems in coordinating aid in any part of the world.
“Five years on from the EU’s last aid review, a major issue is the coordination of aid efforts across EU institutions,” said Wiske Jult of 11.11.11, the Belgian platform of Concord. “In particular, the EU’s new foreign policy arm, the External Action Service, is failing to integrate development policy in its remit and clarify its role vis-à-vis the commission.
“It’s important that the EU wastes no more time in getting its act together for the support it gives to millions in need.”
These views are shared by Dóchas, the association of Irish non-governmental development organisations.
“There still are many instances where the EU’s own political and economic policies are undermining Europe’s own stated aims when it comes to fighting poverty,” said Dóchas director Hans Zomer.
“As Ireland prepares for next year’s presidency of the EU, we must look at practical steps that the EU can take to stop undermining its aid policies, and to communicate better with Europe’s citizens, who want to see real action to end global inequalities.”
