How the European Commission can take the lead in providing high-quality budget support for education and health
Source: Oxfam
Developing-country governments desperately need more long-term and predictable aid, given through their budgets, to finance the expansion of health care, education, and other vital social services. The European Commission (EC) is one of the biggest donors providing this kind of essential budget support, and has innovative plans to further improve and increase this aid. European Union (EU) member states must support these ambitious plans. The EC in turn must do more to improve on this good start, delinking this aid from harmful International Monetary Fund (IMF) prescriptions, putting an end to unnecessary bureaucratic delays, and doing more to make its aid accountable to citizens in poor countries. [Abstract]
The need for enhanced levels of budget support and other government-based approaches lies at the heart of the Paris Declaration. The challenge for the Commission is to set an example of high-quality budget support, both in Accra and beyond.
The paper finishes by highlighting the challenges faced by the EC and suggesting a set of actions that European Union member states and Developing-country governments should do in order to increase the quality of aid.
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