Bond statement in response to UK government abstaining from European Development Fund vote

Claire Godfrey, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Bond, the UK’s network of International Development NGOs said:

“At a time when the UK and EU should be working to reach an agreement on the future of aid and development cooperation the EU is still refusing to remove the unfair clause stating that UK NGOs, who have world-leading expertise and experience, will no longer have access to funding post Brexit in the event of a no deal – despite the UK contributing to the joint pot and the fact that we are an OECD country and therefore eligible for funding. By including the clause the EU are continuing to effectively discriminate against UK NGOs, which could undermine efforts for future UK collaboration with European partners to deliver lifesaving aid effectively and efficiently.

It’s shameful that we are in a standoff situation when it comes to aid and development to the world’s most vulnerable people – often these people are women and children living in extreme poverty or desperately trying to survive war.”

ENDS

Notes to editor

Last week the UK abstained from voting on the latest raft of European Development Fund (EDF) contracts which was picked up in this news piece: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/nov/06/uk-accuses-eu-brexit-bias-refuses-endorse-aid-budget-spending
For further information please contact Maryam Mohsin, [email protected] or 07555336029