European Commission wants stronger commitments to MDG targets

The European Commission has adopted a 12-point action plan to speed up progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Top of the list for the action plan is a commitment by the EU to keep its promises of 0.7 per cent gross national income (GNI) for aid by 2015.

"We have to respect our promises of more and better aid to halve poverty by 2015. This plan shows how we can keep the lead in working with developing countries to get back on track towards the MDGs. The Goals are still achievable, provided there is financial effort and political will from EU Member States," said Andris Piebalgs, European Commissioner for Development.

Member States will be asked to establish action plans for reaching individual targets, including 0.33 per cent of GNI for the countries that joined the EU since 2004 and 0.7 per cent of GNI for the other EU countries.

Member States are asked to publish the first plans before September 2010, when a key UN summit on the MDGs will take place in New York.

The European Commission plans include a commitment to improve the results in key sectors for gender, education, health and food security, and to support a stronger weight of developing countries in the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Ensuring greater policy coherence for those areas which have an impact on overseas development is also part of the action plan.

The EC is keen to use its existing funding commitment to climate change as a test to enhance policy coherence for development action plans.

So far, only four countries in the EU have met the UN target of 0.7 per cent of GNI being devoted to development aid: Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden.

The European Commission has also set out an action plan on tax and development, to help developing countries enhance domestic revenues and fight tax evasion.

Better EU support for establishing international standards of tax cooperation and strengthening monitoring capacities in the fight against illicit financial outflows are among the main objectives.

The proposals are part of the EU spring development package, which includes plans from the European Commission on global health and food security.

EU Foreign Ministers are due to discuss the action plan for meeting the MDGs in May and June, while EU leaders will debate the plans at the European Council in June.

To access all the documents related to the European Commission spring development package, please visit the EU Development website.