Turkey too rich to get EU aid: Report

LONDON - Agence France-Presse

Malcolm Bruce seen in this photo taken from www.malcolmbruce.org.uk.

British lawmakers called for tougher standards on the distribution of Europe’s development aid budget after a report released on April 27 revealed more than half went to “middle-income” countries.

The parliamentary committee report urged the government to review its policy and said that the shift of funds to relatively wealthy countries like Serbia and Turkey was eroding faith in the notion of aid. “Turkey has consistently been in the top five recipients of European Commission aid ($294 million in 2010). British taxpayers want the aid they give to go to the places where it can make the most difference, ,” said Malcolm Bruce, chairman of the International Development Committee. The report found that only 46 percent of EU aid went to “low-income” states.