EU cash to fight AIDS is “paltry” say campaigners

Date: 12/12/02

ANTI-poverty activists are dismayed that the European Parliament is about to accept a deal whereby the European Commission will give just €7 million more to the world's flagship anti-AIDS fund than it had originally planned. The increase would be €42 million less than that sought by the Parliament's development committee in the autumn.

Next week the 626-member assembly is expected to accept a plan to increase the Commission's suggested 2003 contribution to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria from €35 million to €42 million.

During conciliation talks with EU governments, MEPs agreed to back the €7 million increase. This was despite a call from the development committee for the Commission to donate at least €85 million over the next 12 months.

The Global Fund is in desperate need of large-scale financial commitments to undertake new projects; it was founded last year after UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan argued that €10 billion a year is needed to tackle the AIDS pandemic devastating poor countries.

Louise Hilditch, Brussels-based coordinator for ActionAid Alliance, described the proposed Commission contribution to the Fund as "paltry".

"The budgetary authorities' refusal to find creative solutions to needs that have arisen is depressing," she added.

Anti-poverty activists are dismayed that the European Parliament is about to accept a deal whereby the European Commission will give just €7 million more to the world's flagship anti-AIDS fund than it had originally planned.