New figures released by the OECD today show the EU’s aid levels dropped for the second year in a row, taking EU donors further off track from their spending target of 0.7 per cent of gross national income (GNI) by 2015.
ODA from the EU15 dropped by 7% from 2011 to 2012, more than twice the total global drop of 2.9% in aid levels, net of debt relief and in constant prices. Of the EU’s countries, only Luxembourg and Poland registered significant increases in aid. Austria’s increase was due in large part to debt relief.  Aid delivered via the EU institutions increased by 8% in 2012.

Eloise Todd, Brussels Director of ONE, said:

“This is the wrong time to cut aid. So much progress has been made towards the MDGs, but there is still a lot to do. With the right leadership in developing countries, we know that aid spent well works. The results speak for themselves: thirteen countries in sub-Saharan Africa are on track to cut child mortality rates by two-thirds. Europe needs to up its game or risk reversing the huge progress on extreme poverty that has been made since 2000.”

The new figures were published as the world marks a milestone in the race to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); there are just 1000 days to go to reach the eight ambitious poverty targets agreed at the UN Millennium Summit in 2000.

New analysis published today by the ONE Campaign shows substantial progress has been made in several areas, including:

• 62 developing countries are on track to cut extreme poverty rates in half by 2015, including 16 located in sub-Saharan Africa.
• 72 countries are projected to improve access to safe drinking water by half, including 19 African countries.
• 65 developing countries are on track to cut child mortality rates by two-thirds.

Despite this good news, several challenges require immediate attention, according to ONE:

• Only 23 poor countries (7 in Africa) are on track to ensure that every child receives a full primary education.
• Only 30 developing countries are projected to meet their maternal mortality goal.
• Currently, 26 countries are projected to meet zero or just one MDG target by 2015.

Notes to editors:

The OECD figures can be downloaded from: http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/

ONE analyses the DAC figures net of debt relief.

The EU15 countries are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

ONE is a global advocacy and campaigning organisation backed by more than 3 million people from around the world dedicated to fighting extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. For more information please visit www.ONE.org

For further information or interviews please contact Eloise Todd on +32 495 323507 or [email protected]