Memo: Commission’s aid makes a difference to fight poverty, to promote democracy and human rights, to improve aid effectiveness, shows the annual report on development and external assistance

In parallel to the meeting of the EU Development Ministers in Poland, the European Commission publishes the 2011 Report on development and external assistance. It confirms the Commission as one of the largest providers of development aid in the world, with commitments and disbursements exceeding €11 billion respectively. The priorities for 2010 were to continue ensuring progress of the Millennium Development Goals and to help developing countries tackling the impact of the economic downturn and the food prices instability. EU aid's intention was to prevent progress from backsliding because of the crisis and to consolidate what has been achieved.