ONE calls EU leaders to uphold EU aid commitment at the European Council

Ahead of the European Council and following the adoption of the conclusions of the  ‘Independent report by the High-Level Group of Wise Persons on the European financial architecture for development’, anti-poverty group The ONE Campaign is calling EU leaders to champion their EU aid commitments in the next EU’s long-term budget.

Emily Wigens, EU Director at The ONE Campaign, said: “The Finnish proposal falls short on ambition and on the EU’s international commitments. It risks weakening the EU’s leadership in the world just as the world needs Europe to step up. As the world’s largest aid donor, EU aid is a crucial part of the EU’s foreign policy.

As the Wise Persons report highlights, to compete in an increasingly competitive geopolitical environment, and establish a serious partnership with Africa, the EU must drastically scale its ambition, political will, and external financial resources.

ONE has calculated that for the EU and its Member States to be on track to meet their collective commitment to the 0.7% ODA/GNI target, the Finnish proposal constitutes a funding gap of around €30 billion. This could have a tremendous impact, such as for example, give access to education to 7.4 million children and prevent 210,000 deaths from AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

It’s time for EU leaders to step up and propose a budget that delivers for the future.”