United Press International - June 9, 2005
Gareth Harding, UPI Chief European Correspondent

"The fact that we have some problems in Europe now is not a reason to let Africa drop off the political map," said European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso Thursday after a meeting with U2 lead singer Bono in Brussels.

The Irish rock star and debt campaigner made an even more direct link between Europe's existential malaise and Africa's real-life crisis.

"One of the reasons there is not support for the EU constitution and the dream of Europe is that people don't feel Europe; they feel Europe does not have a vision," he told reporters. "Africa and the problems of that continent can offer us a chance for Europe to re-describe ourselves, our value system."

The EU is already the world's largest biggest aid donor, contributing 55 percent of total development assistance. But in the past, it has been criticized for tying aid, squandering it on form-filling and large-scale infrastructure projects and donating a disproportionate share to strategically important middle-income countries.

Barroso said the commission, the EU's powerful executive body, had decided to make Africa a "flagship issue" because of the sheer scale of the continent's crisis.

"The problems of Europe are nothing compared to the millions of people who are dying every day," said the former Portuguese premier.

Almost 200 million people suffer from hunger in sub-Saharan Africa and 30 million are living with AIDS. Referring to the tsunami that swept through Asia in December, Bono said: "There will always be natural calamities, but there are 120,000 lost lives in Africa every month and this is avoidable."

In recent months, the EU has moved from rhetoric to action in its dealings with the world's poorest continent. In April, EU finance ministers agreed to meet the U.N.-set target for development aid of 0.7 percent of gross national income by 2015. So far, only four countries -- all European -- top this figure. By contrast, the United States spends 0.16 percent of its budget on development aid.

If the EU meets its target, aid to poor countries will increase from $56 billion a year to $110 a year within a decade.

"The promises made by development ministers in the past few weeks are astonishing," said Bono. "That is the Europe I want to be part of."

However, the deal still has to be inked by European leaders at a meeting in Brussels next week.

"It is a long way from politicians casting a check to them cashing it," added the Irish rock star, urging EU leaders to make good on their promises. Asked what message he wanted to send to heads of state ahead of their crucial summit, which will largely focus on the EU constitution and budget, the U2 front-man said: "Don't blow it -- this kind of momentum doesn't come every year."

Aside from aid, the EU also believes trade is a way to lift millions of Africans out of poverty. The 25-member bloc is the world's biggest provider of trade-related aid, worth around $920 million a year. It also gives the world's 50 poorest countries tariff- and quota-free access to its markets. In a speech in Cairo Wednesday, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said the ongoing Doha round of trade talks should aim to be the "round for Africa." However, development groups accuse the EU of freezing out agricultural exports from African countries by doling out lavish subsidies to European farmers.

Africa is likely to remain at the top of the EU's agenda over the next six months as Britain takes over the rotating presidency of the bloc in July and hosts a summit of G8 leaders in Scotland next month.

Blair wants the leaders of the eight industrialized nations to double aid to Africa and eliminate poor countries' debt payments to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund at the July 6-8 meeting. But his aid plans have run into resistance from the United States and several European countries that argue they cannot afford to wipe clean developing countries' debts in the middle of an economic downturn.

Asked whether the EU's current difficulties over ratifying its constitution would detract from Africa's problems and lead to paralysis and introspection within the club, Barroso borrowed a lyric from Bono. "Don't worry baby, it's gonna be alright, uncertainty can be a guiding light." In Brussels, a city plagued by doubt and perplexed by the French and Dutch revolts, this is about as near as one gets to optimism these days.
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