Development Aid

FERN’s aim is to improve the quality of EC aid so it contributes to the protection of forests and recognises the rights of forest peoples.

FERN’s analysis: The European Union as a whole is the world’s largest donor, providing 55 per cent of all global development assistance. The European Community’s (EC) development assistance, managed by the European Commission makes up one-fifth of the EU’s total aid budget. Whilst EC development aid has very positive aims, by not taking into account the importance of a healthy environment, programmes can actually lead to increased poverty by devastating the environment on which poor people depend. Integration of environmental and social analyses into the planning and implementation stages of all EC aid programmes is therefore essential.

What FERN is doing: FERN has been working on this issue since 1995 and after years of campaigning, EC country environmental profiles (reports analysing the country's environmental situation) must now accompany all EC aid programmes to ensure ecological considerations and the rights of local communities and indigenous peoples are taken into account. FERN and our partners now concentrate our activities on monitoring the implementation of these policies. 

To learn more about this campaign: see history of the EC Forest Platform or Environmental tools in EC Development Cooperation.