EU NEIGHBOURS. The latest Eurobarometer survey on development cooperation shows that almost nine in ten EU citizens say it is important to partner with countries outside the EU to reduce poverty.
The global pandemic has not shaken citizens’ support for the EU’s work in international development and the results confirm a solid trend over recent years, meaning cooperation with partner countries remains one of the most positively perceived EU policies.
Commenting on the results, Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, said:“I am happy to see these very positive results reflecting the best of Europe’s values: a spirit of global solidarity even when times are tough.”
One of the key findings from the survey is the increased concern about health, that has been identified as the most pressing challenge for the future of developing countries by 36%, 5 points more than in 2019.
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EU citizens overwhelmingly agree (88%) that the EU should tackle climate change and its effects in developing countries, whilst 77% strongly agree that tackling poverty in developing countries should be one of the main priorities of the EU and 61% say that EU development policy should also focus on reducing inequalities in developing countries. About a third of respondents (34%) think that EU development policy should only focus on helping developing countries to strengthen their economies.
