1 billion euro in aid for poor countries stays unspent due to their ‘lack of democracy’

Date: 01/08/02

By David Cronin

MORE than €1 billion earmarked for EU aid to poor countries cannot be spent because political conditions there are deemed unfavourable, a top European Commission official has said.

Koos Richelle, head of the development directorate-general, conceded it is 'very difficult to improve the situation', due to acute problems in the countries affected. These include Zimbabwe, Haiti, Togo and Liberia.

EU officials say the scope for helping these states is limited because they are not sufficiently democratic - although the Union is willing to provide aid in cases of emergency, such as chronic food shortages.

Yet Richelle voiced satisfaction with a €600 million aid deal which Development Commissioner Poul Nielson recently signed with Nigeria.

The EU has been keen to reward President Olusegun Obasanjo for partially transforming the country since the death of its military ruler Sani Abacha in 1998. Richelle described the assistance accord as a 'democratic dividend'.

Richelle was speaking after giving a progress report on relations between the EU and 77 African, Caribbean and Pacific governments since the Cotonou Agreement was signed in 2000.

He urged seven EU states - Belgium, Greece, Luxembourg, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands and Austria - who had not signed the agreement, to do so within the next few months, so that it can come into force in January 2003.

He also conceded that a further shake-up of the Commission's external relations departments is likely within the next few years.

Nielson has advocated that DG Development should be merged with the new EuropeAid office, which coordinates most of the Union's external aid programmes.

The Danish commissioner believes such a move would help make the structure of the Commission's external relations services resemble foreign ministries in national administrations more closely.

'In due course, there will be a reorganisation,' said Richelle.

'But it is not the main issue right now.' There would be a danger, he added, that development officials would 'start navel-gazing' rather than concentrating on making sure that taxpayers' money is used to reduce poverty if talk of another revamp gained momentum.

More than €1 billion earmarked for EU aid to poor countries cannot be spent because political conditions there are deemed unfavourable, a top European Commission official has said. Koos Richelle, head of DG Development, conceded it is 'very difficult to improve the situation', due to acute problems in the countries affected.