Statement from Andris Piebalgs, EU Commissioner for Development on the European Court of Auditors report related to the effectiveness of the Commission's management of General Budget support in the ACP, Latin America and Asian countries
"I greatly welcome the Court's report. The conclusions will be fundamental and critical inputs into my efforts to increase the management of EU aid towards greater value for money.
There are many positive elements in the Court's reports. The Court notably recognizes that "the delivery of aid through budget support has several potential advantages over the traditional approach", mentioning notably the predictability of the aid, the increased ownership of partner countries of their strategies, and a strengthened political dialogue. The report also notes that "the Commission has made considerable efforts to develop and improve its approach to budget support".
However, the Court points out areas in which improvements should be made to increase EU aid impact in terms of poverty alleviation. The Court makes a number of recommendations to improve the management towards a greater impact of the aid. I share the Court's view that we need to ensure that the funds provided through general budget support are properly spent; based on clear and measurable objectives agreed with our partner; and respond to the needs of recipient countries.
This is the reason why I launched two public consultations on the future of development policy and on budget support, with the identified aim of focussing on High Impact Aid at the European level. We have received valuable contributions on the Green Papers from many sources which partly reflect the Court's conclusions.
This consultation and the Courts' report will enable the Commission to improve the design and management of its budget support programmes to make sure that they have as much effect and impact as possible. It will also allow us to define a more coordinated approach with Member States and to work in closer partnership with other donors such as the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank on the ground. I shall be making concrete proposals later this year.
I am committed to making sure that European taxpayers' money makes a contribution to the improvement of the lives of those who need it most."
