Barroso: EU must continue helping poor countries, says recession no excuse for cutting aid

Barroso: EU must help poor despite recession

BRUSSELS — The European Commission’s president says the EU must continue to be the world’s primary donor of aid to poor nations despite the global recession.

Jose Manuel Barroso says poor countries “are the least responsible for this crisis but among the worst affected.” He says the recession “must not, cannot and will not be used as an excuse” for cutting EU aid to developing nations.

The EU and its 27 member states gave euro49 billion in development aid in 2008. This represents 59 percent of worldwide development aid.

Barroso also told visiting U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday that the United Nations can count on the EU to support a global climate change deal in Copenhagen at the end of this year.