International development

One-minute summary

The European Union is the world's leading donor of development aid. In 2001 it committed over €9 billion from the EU budget alone. The EU is also the world's largest provider of humanitarian aid, working in areas of conflict and natural disaster.

Labour MEPs are extremely active at European level to ensure that these funds are spent on projects which alleviate poverty in the developing world and promote international justice and human rights. In 2005, a Labour MEP, Glenys Kinnock, was named Development MEP of the Year by Parliament magazine.

• See also: Foreign affairs

Labour views

• Glenys Kinnock MEP: "The European Union has made great strides to tackle the development triad of debt, trade and aid."
• European Parliamentary Labour Party: "The European Union is the world's leading donor of development aid."
• Labour Party: "We will make Africa, along with climate change, a priority of our Presidencies of the EU and G8 in 2005."
• UK Department for International Development: "The European Community has the potential to make a real contribution to the Millennium Development Goals."

Other views

• Overseas Development Institute: "Effective leadership of international development must not be sacrificed to national pride or lobbies."
• Oxfam: "We need a radical new approach to trade policy, one that puts sustainable development at the heart of negotiations."

Reference materials

• European Commission on international development: A summary of EU policy.

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