News
EU highlights trade-led growth as central to modern development agenda
27/01/2012
A range of proposals to make trade and development instruments work hand-in-hand to ensure real poverty reduction across the world are presented by the European Commission today. The proposals aim at reinforcing the trade capacities of developing countries by making trade part of their development strategy. And to ensure we hit our target, the EU is currently looking into better ways of differentiating between developing countries to ensure the world's poorest countries receive our biggest help. The role of trade is underlined in the proposal as one of the key drivers to support development, stimulate growth and to lift people out of poverty. Furthermore, today the EU calls for all developed economies to match its significant levels of market access to developing countries.
Rebuilding homes for Haitians - Two years on, Europe continues to deliver on its promises to Haiti
10/01/2012
On the eve of the second anniversary of the earthquake that struck Haiti, the European Commission launches today in Port-au-Prince a new housing programme to repair and rebuild safe homes to the benefit of more than 60 000 displaced people. This new €23 million programme will be implemented together with local communities, the municipalities and the Haitian Ministry for Public Works. It is part the part of the European Commission's action to support the country to recover from the disaster which claimed the lives of more than 220,000 people and affected 3 million others. The two years that followed the earthquake were no less challenging – Haiti was affected by Hurricane Tomas and is suffering from the worst cholera epidemics of the past century. The years ahead will not be easy either, but the long-term goals of stability and development are still fully valid to address Haiti's situation.
