Mitchell report to strengthen effectiveness of EU Development Aid
On the 11th of December the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of new measures proposed in two reports by Gay Mitchell MEP, which aim to improve Disaster Risk Reduction and how EU aid is spent in the developing world.
The reports authored by Mr Mitchell, entitled EU donor coordination on development aid and the EU approach to resilience and disaster risk reduction in developing countries: learning from food security crises, propose several legislative steps to improve the EU’s response to disasters in the developing world and the coordination of donor aid.
EU donor coordination on development aid:
“It is estimated that better coordination of EU aid could bring savings of up to €800 million by reducing financial transaction costs alone,”Mr Mitchell, a Coordinator of the Committee on Development for the EPP Group, said.
“Against the backdrop of the financial crisis, it is important that the EU demonstrates effective development aid spending. Better intra-EU donor coordination would not only achieve economies of scale but would also significantly contribute to the EU’s primary development assistance goal – poverty eradication.”
In his report, Mr Mitchell outlines proposals to build on existing EU initiatives that provide guidance to Member States and the Commission on aid effectiveness.
“The effectiveness of EU aid is hindered by excessive fragmentation and duplication across Member States, whereas a more coordinated EU-wide approach would reduce the administrative burden and reduce the related costs, bringing real value-for-money savings,” Mr Mitchell said.
EU approach to resilience and disaster risk reduction in developing countries:
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) involves managing hazards to reduce vulnerability to disasters by preparedness, mitigation and international relations.
“Between 1992 and 2012, 64 per cent of the world’s population was affected by disasters which caused the deaths of 1.3 million people and resulted in around there has been $2 trillion of damage, according to the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR),” Mr Mitchell said.
“The incidence of food crises, which are caused by natural or man-made disasters, has been rising since the early 1980s. There have been between 50 and 65 food emergencies every year since 2000, up from 25 to 45 during the 1990s.
“Despite escalating losses from disasters, more than 95 per cent of humanitarian finance is still spent on responding to disasters and their aftermath, with less than 5 per cent spent on reducing the risk of disasters,” the Dublin MEP said.
Mr Mitchell also highlighted the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters – a 10-year plan to make the world safer from hazards.
“The HFA was adopted by 168 Governments and outlines five priorities for action and offers guiding principles and practical means for achieving disaster resilience. The HFA has made significant progress in strengthening institutional and legislative arrangements but this will expire in 2015 and DRR and resilience will need to be incorporated into a post-2015 framework.”