European Consensus on Development
On 20 December 2005, EU Member States (MS) in the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament, and the European Commission committed to a common EU strategy on development, by signing the European Consensus on Development. The consensus embraces values, goals, commitments and principles, acknowledged by all EU Member States, to be implemented in all common and individual actions. In particular, the consensus focuses on : combating poverty through tackling Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), bringing development based on EU’s democratic values, and invoking developing countries’ (DCs) responsibility for their own development. Despite good intentions to support the strengthening of health systems, capacity-building programmes and initiatives for democracy and good governance, EU MS still prefer bilateral relations with DCs and their own funding priorities. This, in turn, presents a major challenge for aid effectiveness, harmonization and complementarity policies.
Europe’s Aid Commitments
In October 1970, members of the United Nations General Assembly committed to increase their Official Development Assistance (ODA) to 0.70% of their Gross National Income (GNI) by 2015. Only in 2005, the EU MS agreed to fix targets for progress towards this 0.70% by signing a commitment to reach 0.51% of GNI and in the case of old MS and 0.17% in case of new MS by the year 2010. Additionally, the EU as a whole committed to provide 0.56% of GNI to ODA by 2010. On 14 May 2009, CONCORD - a European NGO confederation for Relief and Development - published its 2009 AidWatch report "Lighten the load : In a time of crisis, European aid has never been more important" - presenting the EU’s aid quality and quantity analysis, and calling upon EU MS governments to improve their aid performance. With 18 months to go and in light of the current economic crisis, the recent official aid figures suggest that Europe will not reach its 2010 collective 0.56% of GNI target and that out of 27 EU MS only 10 countries will keep their ODA promises. Overall, in 2008 Europe provided 0.40% of its GNI to aid. However, these official figures have been significantly inflated - almost €8 billion has been assigned to debt cancellation, student costs and refugee costs. In practice, European aid for 2008 amounted to only 0.34% of GNI. To read more about the launch of 2009 AidWatch Report click here.
EU Policy Coherence for Development
Based on policy commitments that were outlined in 2005 EU Consensus on Development, 12 policy areas were analysed to identify the impact of EU policies on developing countries, with an attempt to improve PCD that would assist the progress towards the achievement of MDGs. Such an initiative was undertaken for the first time in 2007, which resulted in the publication of the EU PCD Report. The political, economic and social environment have significantly changed since then and therefore another report is being worked on with a view to being launched in September 2009. The report is unlikely to focus specifically on health. Instead, it often sees health as a cross-cutting issue in some EU policies. For instance, migration, trade and climate change policies tend to be at least slightly health-oriented. To read more about the preparations for 2009 PCD Report click here. On the 15th of September, 2009 the EC released a communication to the EU Council, the EP, the ECOSOC, and the COR, postulating for the establishment of the Policy Framework for a Whole-of-the-Union Approach. Aid is described as the key to fighting poverty and achieving the MDGs. To do so the EU has to enhance the positive effects for development of its own policy choices in all other EU policy areas. To read the communication click here.
EU development policy and MDGs
Neither economic growth nor development can occur without good population health. Ill-health is both a trigger and an outcome of poverty, and that is why three of the eight MDGs are directly health-related : MDG4 to reduce child mortality, MDG5 to improve maternal health, and MDG6 to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), malaria and other diseases. However, the Consensus states that the EU will be primarily active in nine areas of development - none of them directly related to health. One might argue that a few of these areas touch on issues related to health, i.e. environmental disasters and pollution, health consequences of water and sanitation crisis in DCs, food security, social cohesion, employment and human development (with health as one of the specific themes).
EU policy on health in developing countries
Health, under the umbrella of human and social development theme of EU development policy, is said to be both at the heart of development process and an objective of this policy. As development strategies should be strongly people-oriented, in 2002 the EU adopted a policy on health and poverty reduction in DCs. The policy intends to help DCs to strengthen their healthcare systems and to provide support for action on the main public health challenges. In an attempt to strengthen DCs’ healthcare systems, the EU tries to address the critical shortage of health workers, social health protection and healthcare systems financing. With respect to the main public health challenges the EU focuses on communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria, sexual and reproductive health and rights, emerging non-communicable diseases and health-risk behaviour (tobacco, alcohol).
How healthy is EU development policy ?
EU development policy builds on the importance of health in fighting poverty, progress towards achievement of MDGs and the right to health for all. However, these principles are occasionally sidelined, especially when it comes to concrete financial support, something that has become particularly evident in the current economic downturn. Does this mean that the EU and its MS are willing to provide development aid so long as it does not harm their own interests or as long as their own interests are given priority (i.e. trade-for-aid agreement) ? Apparently, the EU and its MS are busy with the issue of aid development and health, but their work needs to be better planned and coordinated. Fortunately, several Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) keep an eye on their performance and provide valuable recommendations for concrete improvements to be felt. From the financial point of view, CONCORD in its annual AidWatch project presents an update of EU wide and individual MS aid assistance. From the health aid point of view, Action for Global Health advocates for full funding, strong systems and fair access to health. After dealing with issues of Health Warning and Healthy Aid, AfGH has recently published its third report - Health in Crisis. The report articulates why more aid, better spent is more crucial than ever to the health MDGs. To read this and/or previous AfGH reports click here.
There is a movement - although still mainly theoretical - towards more health-focused development aid of the EU and its MS. Many promises are being made and some tentative progress is being seen (i.e. with regards to aid effectiveness on division of labour or predictability of aid). However, much more action in urgently needed if Europe is to keep its promises to developing countries economic crisis or not.
EPHA articles
EU leaders agree action to improve global health
European Commission package on Development targets the MDGs
Health to the fore at Accra
Action for Global Health articles
article on the outcomes of Doha Conference on the Financing for Development
article on the Innovative Financing for Development
article on 2009 AidWatch Report
article on the preparations for the 2009 PCD Report
article on conference on the past and the future of the EU development policy organized by EuropeAid
