Press Release: Commissioner Piebalgs to launch new food security and energy projects during his visit to Burundi

During a two-day visit to Burundi (21-22 February 2013), EU Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs will announce an €18m new project on food security for the benefit of around 20,000 households and to treat 80,000 undernourished children in the country.

Commissioner Piebalgs also launched a second project, worth €50 million, to provide access to sustainable energy for a million of Burundi's citizens, particularly for those living in rural areas.

The food security project, called PROPA-O, is part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Initiative - set up to help those countries who are especially off-track with the MDGs, or reward those who are making particular progress in meeting them. The initiative will aim to improve access to quality agricultural products such as seeds and fertilisers and by helping farmers to access markets (through improved storage, transformation and collection processes).

Another focus of Commissioner's visit will be energy. In Burundi, only 3,5% of people have access to electricity. Lack of access to energy remains a major brake to further development of the country.

The new initiative (€50m) could include rural electrification, small and medium hydro projects and measures related to energy infrastructure. The project will also bring the Commission one step closer to delivering on its pledge to provide energy access for 500 million people by 2030 which was made within UN-led Sustainable Energy for All Initiative.

• Primary Source

European Commission: MEMO/13/115: EU Development Work in Burundi http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-115_en.htm

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