Up to six billion euros is wasted per year in development aid given to other countries by the European Union; the EU aid Commissioner called the results of the first independent report to quantify ineffective aid “staggering”. He said better coordination between EU donor states could free up funds for the tens of thousands of projects and organisations which compete for attention.

A spokesman said many of the receivers’ administrations were hard-pressed to handle over-complicated bureaucratic burdens. Commissioner Karel de Gucht endorsed the report’s call for a better division of labour, with EU members focusing on specific causes and countries under the leadership of the European Commission. The EU is the world’s largest donor, giving developing countries some 49 billion euros last year.More about: Developpment Aid, EU Commission, European Union

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