Relatively few Europeans are aware of international goals promoted by their countries and the United Nations to cut extreme poverty by half and stop the spread of AIDS by 2015, according to a new poll released by the European Union on Friday, REPORTED AP. A survey conducted in February and March found that only 18 percent had heard of the so-called U.N. Millennium Development Goals, set by the 27-nation EU and other countries at the U.N., and only 4 percent were aware of their content. The goals were agreed to at a U.N. summit in 2000. They call on governments to cut extreme poverty by half, stop the spread of AIDS, ensure universal primary education and expand access for the poor to clean water, all by 2015. The poll found, however, that two-thirds of the 27,000 people questioned backed priorities to reduce extreme poverty and hunger and that they saw sub-Saharan Africa as «being in the greatest need of assistance.» EU spokesman Amadeu Altafaj Tardio said the survey highlighted the need to better communicate to citizens that the 27-nation bloc is the world's largest aid donor, giving the equivalent of ¤100 (US$136) per EU citizen to development aid last year. The EU agreed to a new development aid strategy two years ago including a commitment to boost aid to Africa from ¤17 billion (US$23 billion) to around ¤25 billion (US$34 billion) by 2010. It also committed to set aside at least 0.5 percent of gross national income to fund development aid by 2010 and 0.7 percent by 2015, meeting U.N.-set goals. As the midterm date to reach the U.N.'s goals passes this month, efforts remain hampered by widespread disagreement and poor organization among the world's richest countries to fight poverty, U.N. officials have said. The U.N. has said that rich nations are falling short in promises of increased aid to developing countries, falling more than 5 percent last year. The European Commission said the 27-nation bloc was meeting its targets however, and gave aid worth ¤48 billion last year, representing 0.42 percent of GNI, exceeding the midterm U.N. goal of 0.39 percent. The survey listed a margin of error plus or minus 1.3 percentage points.
