MEP Questions Commissioner-To-Be
On Future EU Aid Policy

At a public hearing today in the European Parliament in Brussels, MEP Nirj Deva questioned Commissioner-to-be Joe Borg from Malta on his position regarding the future of the EU's Development Policy, the topic he is currently following as a 'shadow' or candidate Commissioner.

Nirj Deva questioned Mr Borg on his views concerning the likelihood of achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals, whose main aim it is to halve world poverty by 2015, and his strategy to convince member states to allocate 0,7% of their GDP to Overseas Development Aid. Mr Deva went on to ask the Commissioner-in-waiting about his opinion on the quality of EU Development Policy co-ordination between the European Union on one side and the individual member states on the other.

Mr Borg responded by saying that he was in "full support" of the UN Millennium Development Goals and the commitment to providing 0,7% of GDP to Overseas Development, but that it would be a highly challenging task to get all member states to actually give the amount agreed in good time to halve world poverty by 2015. With regard to policy co-ordination, Borg responded that things had improved substantially over the last years, but that there was "still a lot to be done" to make EU Development Policy more efficient and to avoid double efforts or contradictory measures.

Another issue with which Nirj Deva confronted Borg was the lack of publicity when it comes to EU Development Policy.

Nirj Deva said: "Unlike the United States, the European Union does not know how to properly promote and publicise its overseas activities. We allocate our own funds, i.e. the taxpayers' money, to relief agencies operating in the developing countries, in particular to UN bodies such as UNDP, UNAIDS etc., and forget to claim the credit for our achievements. This is not the way to convince the man on the street that his money is well spent abroad. We must therefore become more visible and transparent when it comes to our development activities."