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EU Airs Concern Over Israeli NGO Bill
The European Commission has expressed concern over an Israeli reform proposal that requires non-governmental organizations in Israel to regularly disclose information about the funding they receive from foreign governments.
The commission does not support the draft legislation, Štefan Füle, European commissioner for enlargement and neighborhood policy, told the European Parliament.
“We are following with extreme concern the debate in the Knesset o...
By Ivy Mungcal on 10 September 2010
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Oxfam Calls for More Funds as EU Finds New Ways to Help Pakistan
The increasing number of reported cases of disease in Pakistan underscores the need to scale up funding for the flood relief effort, an international aid agency has noted.
Funding for relief operations has stalled in the past weeks but the number of reported health cases and of people affected by the flooding has steadily risen, Oxfam International says in a news release. It noted that the initial U.N. appeal is only 67 percent funded and that water and sanitation, two key areas for ...
By Ivy Mungcal on 09 September 2010
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EU to Debate Foreign Policy in Special Meeting
European Union leaders and foreign ministers are convening in Brussels Sept. 16 to discuss possible readjustment to the EU’s foreign policy and draft the bloc’s positions in upcoming international summits, including the U.N. Millennium Development Goals’ review in New York.
“The European Council is intended in part as preparation for an autumn full of international summits, but it may also mark a step-change for the EU’s new foreign policy,” the Eu...
By Ivy Mungcal on 09 September 2010
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Clinton Renews Call for Integrated US Security Budget
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has reiterated her appeal for a single national security budget, integrating the budgets for foreign aid, diplomatic operations and defense.
“It’s a mistake to look at all of these items – foreign aid, diplomatic operations, defense – as stovepipes. Because what we know, especially from the threats that we have faced in Iraq and now in Afghanistan, is you have to be more integrated. So let’s start think...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 09 September 2010
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Gowan: How to Improve EU's Humanitarian Response Capacity
Efforts to strengthen the European Union’s capacity to respond to humanitarian emergencies should not be at the expense of necessary reforms within the global humanitarian system, Richard Gowan of the European Council on Foreign Relations argues.
“The EU must ensure its system remains closely connected to the UN’s and that it continues to push for reform of the international humanitarian system,” Gowan explains, while adding that improvements in the hu...
By Ivy Mungcal on 08 September 2010
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Denmark's New Aid Strategy: Fewer Countries, Fewer Sectors
Denmark aims to support a thriving private sector to help drive development in partner countries, Danish Minister for Development Cooperation Soren Pind said.
“[We] as donors can assist the countries and their private sector to flourish. We can support the potential in the poor countries with several means which can help reduce barriers for the local entrepreneurs and boost their opportunities to create growth and jobs in a decent and sustainable way,” Pind told p...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 08 September 2010
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Greece
The European Union approved on Sept. 3 a scheme aimed at recapitalizing Greek banks hit by the financial crisis. The Hellenic Financial Stability Fund, which boasts resources amounting to 10 billion euros (USD13.42 billion), forms part of a three-year emergency loan package supported by the eurozone and International Monetary Fund to counter Greece’s debt crisis, Reuters reports.
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 08 September 2010
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Romania
Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc sacked his finance and economy ministers amid criticisms against the government’s decisions to increase taxes and decrease public sector wages to qualify for international aid. Boc named Gheorghe Ialomitianu as new finance minister, replacing Sebastian Vladescu, and Ion Ariton as new economy minister, succeeding Adriean Videanu, Bloomberg reports.
Romanian President Traian Basescu, meanwhile, believed the country should assess whethe...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 08 September 2010
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European Parliament Members Slam Catherine Ashton for Diplomatic Appointments
The European Union’s foreign affairs chief, Catherine Ashton, drew flak from members of the European Parliament over the reported underrepresentation of women and Eastern Europeans in the bloc’s external relations service.
Members of the European Parliament warned that the budget of the European External Action Service could be blocked if geographical and gender balance are not observed in selecting diplomats.
A study put together by the state-funded Poli...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 07 September 2010
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Barroso Seeks to Boost EU's Development, Humanitarian Efforts
It is time for the European Union to pull its weight, including on development issues, in order to be a leading presence on the international stage, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in the first state of the union address he delivered before the European Parliament Sept. 7.
“To be effective on the international stage, we need the weight of the European Union. Size matters, now more than ever,” Barroso said. He noted that the establishment of the Euro...
By Ivy Mungcal on 07 September 2010
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EU Finance Ministers Convene on IMF Power Struggle
European Union finance ministers are due to meet in Brussels today (Sept. 6) and tomorrow to discuss the bloc’s stance on the overhaul of the International Monetary Fund’s executive board.
The EU has yet to respond to a U.S. move last month to block a resolution that seeks to maintain the current form and composition of IMF’s 24-seat executive board. The U.S. wants to increase the voting power of emerging nations in the fund to reflect their growing econom...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 06 September 2010
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Palestinian Territories to Finance Own Budget by 2013
The Palestinian Authority will no longer need budget support by 2013, its prime minister said.The administration would still need foreign aid for its development projects after 2013 but not budget support, thanks to recently implemented austerity measures and improved tax collection, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said according to Reuters. Sayyad is a former economist at the World Bank.
“When we reach the year 2013, we will not need foreign aid to support the budget. We will just...
By Ivy Mungcal on 06 September 2010
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China
The past week saw China playing host to European foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, who visited the Asian country for various meetings aimed at expanding EU-China relations in trade, security and climate change issues. Ashton visited the World Expo in Shanghai Aug. 30 and attended an inaugural high-level strategic dialogue between the EU and China in the city of Guiyang Sept. 1, Agence France-Presse reports. The EU official was expected to meet with Premier Wen Jiaboa and F...
By Ivy Mungcal on 02 September 2010
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Europe
Europeans’ confidence in the EU declined to a six-year low as the bloc faced the Greece-led debt crisis, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey. The poll was conducted in May, when investors dealt with the impacts of Greece’s financial crisis on the stability of euro, Bloomberg reports.
“Our spring survey, conducted at the height of the crisis, reflects the difficult times and challenges that Europeans faced during the past months,” EU Just...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 02 September 2010
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Serbia
Serbia has no chance of becoming a member of the European Union unless it adopts a “co-operative” stance on Kosovo, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said.
“In our view, one can only be a member of the European Union if one aims for cooperation and is prepared to resolve neighborly difficulties co-operatively,” Westerwelle said Aug. 26 after talks with Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic, Serbianna reports.
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 02 September 2010
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Slovakia
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is disappointed over Slovakia’s refusal to provide USD1.01 billion as part of the joint European Union-International Monetary Fund bailout package for Greece, All Headline News reports.
“As much as we regret the decision on Greece, I am also certain that we will work together very closely and faithfully in future issues,” Merkel said during a meeting with her Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radicova. “I have no doubt th...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 02 September 2010
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EU, AFD Support Social Development in Congolese City
The European Union and the French Development Agency, or AFD, will co-finance a series of projects that seek to reintegrate into society the most underprivileged groups in Brazzaville, Congo.
The EU and AFD will cover 95 percent of expenses for the projects, which include the purchase of equipment for a hairdressing and dressmaking training center, renovation of streets, and the construction of toilets in public buildings, the Pan-African News Agency reports.
By Ivy Mungcal on 27 August 2010
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FAO Helps Rehabilitate Liberia Swamplands
The Food and Agriculture Organization and the European Union are helping Liberia rehabilitate its fertile swamplands for rice and crop production. FAO has provided technical assistance to the country’s swamp and irrigation rehabilitation project, which is funded by the EU.
The project is part of the Liberian government’s effort to reduce the country’s dependence on rice imports and boost the livelihood of poor farming households. The government chose to focu...
By Ivy Mungcal on 27 August 2010
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In IMF Power Deadlock, Will Europe Yield?
The U.S. and Europe have yet to reach a compromise on how to increase the voting power of emerging nations in the International Monetary Fund.
The U.S. is calling on Europe to yield some of the nine seats it occupies on the 24-member IMF board to emerging nations in a bid to reflect the latter’s increasing economic powers. Europe has resisted the idea since it was still undecided on how to proceed with the move.
The two sides have until Oct. 31, when the mandate of the existin...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 27 August 2010
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US Official Warns of Possible Attack Against Aid Workers in Pakistan
Taliban rebels in Pakistan are orchestrating plans to attack foreign aid workers assisting flood victims in the Asian nation, a senior U.S. official warned.
“According to information available to the US government, Tehrik-e Taliban plans to conduct attacks against foreigners participating in the ongoing flood relief operations in Pakistan,” the official told the BBC on condition of anonymity.
“Tehrik-e Taliban also may be making plans to attack federal and provinci...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 27 August 2010
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Aid Efforts Continue in Pakistan, Needs Seen as Growing
Aid continues to flow in for Pakistan but humanitarian needs are also increasing as massive floods move southward. Economists are analyzing how the damage caused by the flooding is likely to affect the country’s economy.
Shelter and food are among the most in-demand aid supplies, according to the Pakistani government and its partner relief agencies.
The International Organization for Migration and several other international and local aid agencies under the eme...
By Ivy Mungcal on 27 August 2010
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Pakistan Kicks Off Talks With IMF on Loan Program, Fiscal Targets
Pakistan commenced talks with the International Monetary Fund on Aug. 23 to help boost the nation’s economy amid the massive flooding that ravaged crops and infrastructure.
The Washington-based lender said it would review the Islamic nation’s budget and economic prospects following the monsoon flooding. IMF could lower fiscal targets set for the Pakistani loan program or allow the Asian nation to abandon the program and apply for emergency funding for nations re...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 27 August 2010
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EU, EIB Support Water, Sanitation Scheme in Malawi
The European Union and European Investment Bank are supporting a peri-urban water and sanitation project worth 32 million euros (USD40 million) in Malawi. The project, in cooperation with the Malawian government, seeks to rehabilitate key water and sanitation infrastructure and develop institutional capacity. The EU is providing 14.9 million euros while EIB is lending 15.7 million euros for the project, Engineering News reports.
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 27 August 2010
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Europe
Top European Union officials will meet with U.S. President Barack Obama Nov. 20 in Lisbon.
European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso “are looking forward to this opportunity to meet again with President Obama to reaffirm the transatlantic agenda and advance EU-US cooperation on issues of mutual concern,” an EU statement said.
Obama decided to skip a previous summit with the bloc’s leaders,...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 26 August 2010
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Greece
The European Commission said Greece has met the conditions to secure the second installment of loans from the International Monetary Fund and European countries.
“Greece has managed impressive budgetary consolidation during the first half of 2010 and has achieved swift progress with major structural reforms,” said EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn, but noted that “despite the significant progress made, challenges and risks remain. T...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 26 August 2010
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EU, GTZ Boost Food Security in Philippines
The Philippines’ Northern and Southern Leyte provinces will benefit from a 5.2 million-euro (USD6.5 million) project aimed at alleviating poverty and improving food security among 25,000 low-income households in the area.
The project, which kicks off this month, will support cash-for-work schemes for farm workers and fisherfolk households. It will run for one year.
The European Commission has already released 2.6 million million euros for the project. The German Agency for Tec...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 24 August 2010
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UN Seeks ‘Extraordinary Response’ to Pakistani Flooding Disaster
In a bid to further boost international response to the Pakistan flood emergency, the U.N. adopted Aug. 19 a resolution calling for global aid to support the Pakistani government’s efforts in addressing the crisis.
The resolution was adopted during a special meeting of the U.N. General Assembly, which featured more than 45 speakers calling for international solidarity to help the flood-hit Asian country. The appeal comes amidst criticisms that the world’s response...
By Ivy Mungcal on 20 August 2010
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Donor Nations Ramp Up Aid for Pakistan
Assistance for flood-ravaged Pakistan has been gathering pace with donor nations scaling up their initial aid commitments for the Islamic nation.
Some 60 percent the United Nations’ USD460 million emergency aid appeal for Pakistan has so far been covered, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said. The global agency held Aug. 19 a General Assembly meeting to mobilize more assistance for Pakistan.
The U.S. pledged an additional USD60 million in flood aid for Pakistan, bringing its total commi...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 20 August 2010
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EU: Palestinian Aid Not Tied to Peace Talks
The head of operations at the Office of the European Union Representative for West Bank and Gaza Strip clarified that the bloc’s aid is not linked to the Palestinians’ participation in Middle East peace negotiations.
“Aid is being given to eliminate poverty amongst the Palestinian people, to guarantee central public services, to strengthen the institutions of an emergent Palestinian state. Those things need to happen irrespective of whether negotiations go f...
By Louie-An Pilapil on 20 August 2010
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Rwanda
Canada and the European Union have commended Rwanda on the conduct of the African nation’s presidential polls on Aug. 9. The two aid donors, however, expressed concern over election-related violence and urged the country’s authorities to investigate these incidents in a transparent manner.
“Further opening of the political space and strengthening the public debate throughout the country would significantly contribute to safeguarding Rwanda’s achi...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 19 August 2010
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Europe
The European Union has cut some 4 billion euros (USD5.1 billion) from its 2011 budget. The bloc’s member states agreed to a budget of 126.5 billion euros for next year. The amount is more than 3.6 billion euros less than what the European Commission requested but is 2.91 percent more than last year’s funding.
More than half of the funding cancelled, some 2 billion euros, will come from cohesion funding, mostly grants for the EU’s poorer regions and are ...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 19 August 2010
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Pakistan: Aid Won't Fall Into Rebels' Hands
The Pakistani government has reassured donors that humanitarian aid for flood victims will not end up in the hands of extremist groups.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik told BBC the Taliban will not be allowed to use the crisis to win the support of flood survivors by taking on relief work.
U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, Anne Patterson, also played down fears of the Taliban increasing its influence in flood-hit areas. She said claims that rebel groups were the only organizations ...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 19 August 2010
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'Image Deficit' Among Reasons Behind Slow Aid to Pakistan
More than two weeks into the fatal monsoon floods and a week after the United Nations aid appeal for USD459.7 million, aid experts and the media are trying to analyze why aid for Pakistan’s flood victims has been sluggish.
The disaster is bigger in size and scope compared to the 2004 Asian tsunami, 2005 Pakistan earthquake and 2010 Haitian and Chilean earthquakes combined, according to news agencies. But the response to this latest catastrophe is nowhere near as ...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 17 August 2010
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EU-Africa Economic Agreement Talks Remain in Gridlock
A full economic partnership agreement between the European Union and seven members of the Southern African Development Community seems to be a distant goal as negotiations between parties involved remain in gridlock, a private consulting firm observes.
Representatives of the EU and the seven African countries met in July in Brussels to set a new end-of-2010 deadline to produce a full agreement but Oxford Analytica is pessimistic that the deadline will be met.
The fir...
By Ivy Mungcal on 13 August 2010
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New EU Ambassador to US Assumes Post
Joao Vale de Almeida officially assumed Aug. 10 his post as the European Union’s new ambassador to the United States after submitting his credentials to U.S. President Barack Obama.
Vale de Almeida is the first EU ambassador to the U.S. since the bloc’s adoption of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009. Prior to the treaty, the post of EU ambassador to the U.S. was held by the EU presidency that rotates every six months.
“I’m supposed to have a wider mand...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 12 August 2010
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United States
Experts explained the cooling relationship between the U.S. and Europe, an occurrence European Commission President Juan Manuel Barroso himself acknowledged and apparent in recent incidents involving U.S. President Barack Obama and his European counterparts. Political Economy researcher Mustafa Kutlay and London School of Economics graduate student Lukas Linsi shared two possible reasons in a joint opinion piece published by the Atlantic. First, the cooling down of this transatl...
By Ivy Mungcal on 12 August 2010
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European Union Ups Food Aid for Niger
The European Commission will provide 14.9 million euros (USD19 million) to help mitigate the worsening food crisis in Niger. The aid comes on top of the 25 million euros that the commission has allocated for the country since the beginning of 2010.
The additional money is complementary to the commission’s earlier request to draw an extra 30 million euros to support efforts in alleviating the effects of the ongoing food crisis in Africa’s Sahel region.
The...
By Ivy Mungcal on 11 August 2010
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World Bank, Bulgaria Boost Cooperation in Infrastructure
The World Bank and Bulgaria inked a memorandum of understanding to increase their cooperation in improving the latter’s infrastructure including roads and railways. The MOU will build on activities supported by existing World Bank projects such as rehabilitation of major road networks and improvement of the reliability and quality of water supply in municipalities.
The Bulgarian government aims to better absorb, manage and implement European Union funds, particularly fo...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 11 August 2010
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Kenya
The European Union welcomed the approval of constitutional reform in Kenya through the Aug. 4 referendum. The bloc believes that a new constitution will help the nation improve its electoral, police and judiciary systems. The EU says it is ready to continue supporting Kenya in implementing its new constitution and overall reform agenda.
The United Nations also lauded the Kenyan referendum on constitutional reform.
“The United Nations was pleased to provide ...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 11 August 2010
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Italy
U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron has held talks with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on European economic recovery, BBC reports. The “positive and constructive” talks, which took place in Rome, also tackled continued training of Afghan security forces and an agreement to coordinate efforts in the Middle East, including European Union sanctions on Iran and Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, a Downing Street spokesman said.
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 11 August 2010
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Greece
Greece may borrow more money from the European Union and International Monetary Fund given the nation’s “impressive” gains in implementing reforms and budget cuts, according to the two institutions.
The EU and IMF offered a rescue package of 110 billion euros (USD146 billion) for Greece in May. Greece aims to tap 9 billion euros from the bailout fund, The Guardian reports.
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 11 August 2010
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Romania
European Union economic experts said Romania has met the conditions of the third disbursement under the rescue package worth 20 billion euros (USD26 billion) from the bloc, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The loan’s third installment amounts to 1.2 billion euros. Romania pledged to reduce its budget deficit below 3 percent of its gross domestic product by 2012, DPA reports.
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 11 August 2010
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Switzerland
Switzerland’s justice minister, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, is calling for a new Swiss approach to maintaining relations with the European Union. Swiss voters have repeatedly dismissed closer political ties and membership with the bloc, AFP reports.
“It’s certainly right that we should think over our relationship with the EU and have to think hard about what is possible under the conditions of our federal system and direct democracy,” she told Sonnta...
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 11 August 2010
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EU OKs New Aid Package for Morocco
The European Commission has approved a 135 million euro (USD178 million) financial support package to help the Moroccan government implement agricultural reforms and other initiatives on poverty reduction.
The assistance will be disbursed as grants, according to a press release from the European Commission. Of the sum, 70 million euros will be directed to an agricultural policy program that targets small-scale farming in Morocco. The program aims to strengthen the crop-...
By Ivy Mungcal on 10 August 2010
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EU Helps Pay Palestinian Civil Sector Salaries
The European Union is providing 14 million euros (USD19 million) to help the Palestinian Authority pay the salaries and pensions of its civil employees in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. This is the EU’s eight contribution to program.
The contribution is funded by the European Commission 2010 support package for Pakistan and 50 million Swedish kroner contribution from Sweden. It will be channeled through PEGASE, the EU’s assistance mechanism for the Palestinian territor...
By Ivy Mungcal on 06 August 2010
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Catherine Ashton Welcomes UN Probe of Gaza Flotilla Incident
European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton supports the U.N.’s announcement of an international probe into the Gaza aid flotilla incident in May, according to Ashton’s spokesperson.
“The EU has continuously called for and sought a full, frank, fair, balanced and transparent inquiry which meets international standards. With this in mind, we look forward to the outcome of the international inquiry,” the spokesperson said in a statement release...
By Ivy Mungcal on 05 August 2010
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EU Sticks With Project Approach in Syria
For its 2011-2013 assistance program in Syria, the European Commission will continue to implement activities through the traditional project approach. With this mechanism, the commission retains greater control in managing program activities and procurements.
The European Union has long promoted budget support as a way of providing aid. The funding goes directly into the national treasury of the partner country and is disbursed through its own budget management system. Procur...
By Kristine Jade Tinio on 05 August 2010
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British Diplomat is New EU Special Representative for Sudan
British diplomat Rosalind Marsden is the new European Union Special Representative for Sudan.
Marsden, who has most recently been the U.K. ambassador to Sudan, will begin her term on Sept. 1. She will be replacing Torben Brylle.
Marsden will represent European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton in all international efforts in Sudan, including in the preparations for upcoming referenda in South Sudan and Abyei.
By Ivy Mungcal on 05 August 2010
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EU Citizens Approve of Humanitarian Aid Funding, Survey Finds
The majority of European Union citizens support the provision of aid in response to humanitarian disasters outside of the bloc, according to a survey.
The study conducted by the European Commission measured EU citizens’ views on humanitarian aid work.
Eight out of 10, or 79 percent of respondents, approved of funding humanitarian aid outside the EU, the Special Eurobarometer 343 on Humanitarian Aid has shown.
This approval rating, however, is 9 percent...
By Ivy Mungcal on 04 August 2010
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Guinea-Bissau
The European Union says it will not extend a security reform mission in Guinea-Bissau following the nation’s failure to respect the law as evidenced by an army mutiny in April, which led to the brief detention of Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Jr. The EU has repeatedly raised concern over the detention of the civilian and military leader and the impunity of those responsible for the mutiny, Reuters reports.
By Ma. Rizza Leonzon on 04 August 2010
Updating...
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