Socialists refuse to earmark development aid for refugees

Socialists and Greens reject measures to use European Development Fund (EDF) more efficiently.

"We need to fight the root causes of migration more. European development aid needs to be used more efficiently to prevent future migration", said Claudia Schmidt MEP, European Parliament Rapporteur of the budgetary control procedure for the European Development Fund (EDF) after today's vote in Parliament's plenary on the discharge of the fund.

The EPP Group wanted to earmark 25% of the EDF for projects directly linked to preventing migration and for projects to help refugees. The Socialists and the Greens in the European Parliament rejected this.

It cannot be that every dictator who oppresses his people gets economic support and then people flee from his country. Claudia Schmidt MEP

"The Socialists and the Greens are denying reality and are acting against the will of the citizens. We must stop the undifferentiated and unfocused development aid of the past. It cannot be that every dictator who oppresses his people gets economic support and then people flee from his country. European development money must be used more efficiently", Schmidt stressed.

The European Development Fund is endowed with €30.5 billion for the budgetary period from 2014 to 2020.