The EU is the world's biggest aid donor.

[pampango]

The EU, which is the world's biggest aid donor and gives over €53 billion a year ($75 billion) to developing countries, could save €4 billion by managing more effectively the grants and loans it provides to help reduce poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

The EU commissioner in charge of development, Andris Piebalgs, said he would come up with proposals for better coordination of EU donors, for instance through joint programming, in the coming weeks ahead of the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, which will take place in Busan, South Korea, from 29 November to 1 December.

"No time should be lost in ensuring that international aid helps to lift even more people out of poverty so that we reach the Millenium Development Goals," Piebalgs said.

According to the survey and independent evaluation of the Paris Declaration (see 'Background'), EU aid is more transparent, predictable and coordinated than ever, as well as better adapted to developing countries' national priorities, but development NGOs are voicing a greater need for reform.

http://www.euractiv.com/global-europe/brussels-save-4-development-aid-news-507526