June 22, 1999	atimes.com

Global Economy European support for development aid waning By Dominique David BRUSSELS - A majority of Europeans believe thathelping developing countries is still important for the EuropeanUnion (EU) and its member nations for various reasonsinvolving the common as well as the particular interests of thepopulation of the Old Continent. But while the latest survey coordinated by InternationalResearch Associates (INRA) and commissioned by the EuropeanCommission found that nearly 76 percent of those interviewed werein favor of development aid, that percentage was six percentlower than the proportion registered in a similar poll conductedin 1996. For INRA's recent opinion poll, known as the Eurobarometer,16,214 people over the age of 15 were surveyed in 15 EU memberstates (roughly 1,000 per country). The questionnaire included queries on the importancerespondents accorded development aid, their knowledge of theextent of such aid, how they would like to see assistance to thedeveloping world evolve in the future, and the relationship betweenaid and a range of European and global issues. The principal results of the latest Eurobarometer indicatedthat 75.8 percent of Europeans were in favor of aid to developingcountries - aid was ''very important'' for 28.1 percent and ''somewhatimportant'' for 47.7 percent. Two years earlier, that proportionstood at 82 percent - 33.3 and 48.4 percent, respectively. On the other hand, 11.7 percent, compared to 8.0 percent in 1996, regarded such aid as ''unimportant'' and 5.3 percent, compared to 3.8 in 1996, regarded such aid as ''not important in the least,'' while 7.2 percent higher than the 6.2 in 1996, said they didn't know. The three main reasons invoked by those who did not seedevelopment aid as important - 17 percent in 1998 compared to 11.8percent in 1996 - were the following: * There are more pressing problems, such as poverty and unemployment in Europe, in urgent need of solutions. 76.3 percent of those who said development aid was not important put forth this argument. * The aid will be diverted anyway, because of the corruption reigning in recipient countries, and will not reach those who need it was the argument cited by 45.2 percent of those opposed to development aid. * Political instability and the conflictive character of poor countries, which are frequently the scene of armed conflicts and spend large sums of money on arms, make development aid inadvisable for 35.8 percent of those opposed to aid. Other arguments against development assistance were that itconstituted too heavy a burden for Europe, it was a waste of fundsbecause it failed to improve the situation in developingcountries, the contribution by the respondent's own country orEurope was already too high, or rich and poor countries wouldalways exist. Other respondents said they did not care about poor countries,while some spontaneously stated, with no specific questionaddressing that aspect, that they did not like foreigners. But more than half of those interviewed, 51.1 percent, saidthey would support an increase in the aid provided by theirgovernment to developing countries, and nearly six out of 10, or 58.5 percent said they would like to see an increase in the aid extended by the European Union to developing nations. Those proportions were lower, however, than the corresponding figures from 1996, which were 55.1 percent and 63.6 percent, respectively. Twenty-four percent of respondents correctly estimated that theaid extended by their governments to developing nations (explicitly excluding emergency aid) was less than 4.0 percent of the budget. Eleven percent, meanwhile, correctly indicated that the development aid provided by the European Commission ranged between4.0 and 8.0 percent of its budget. With respect to the link between development aid and issueslike the promotion of trade, the environment and pollution,migration, AIDS and other illnesses, population growth, drugs andunemployment, the survey found some intreguing results. Amost half of all respondents, 47.3 percent, said development aid did not contribute to a solution to the drug problem, but 39.9 percent believed it could help. Regarding overpopulation in poor countries, 44.5 percentresponded that development aid could help combat the problem, while 41.9 percent said it did not contribute to a solution. But more than half of those surveyed, 52.1 percent, saiddevelopment aid could contribute to curbing the flow of immigration from poor countries. A majority at 56.6 percent also believed development aid could have a positive effect on theenvironment. With respect to unemployment, 49.2 percent said developmentassistance would not help reduce unemployment in the EU, while37.6 percent believed it could be useful - compared with 57 and 32.3percent in 1996. Lastly, 50.6 percent of respondents said development aid couldcontribute to resolving the problem of AIDS and other diseases,while 56.9 percent believed it could help boost trade. (Inter Press Service)

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