Bono wants more for world's poor

DUBLIN, Ireland (U2 Fans Website) - Irish rock star and campaigner Bono has called on the European Union to loosen its purse strings and give more to aid the world's poorest citizens.

Bono, lead singer of Irish rock giants U2, sat in last week on a working lunch attended by EU development ministers in Dublin and hosted by the Irish presidency. "There are some laggards hanging out here and I'm just going to be putting my hand in their wallets," the world famous rocker and activist told the gathering.

Since his involvement with the Jubilee 2000 campaign to write off the debts of developing countries, Bono has used his fame to lobby world leaders to do more for the world's poorest citizens. He has managed to gain audiences at the White House and Downing Street , not to mention with post-Apartheid South Africa 's spiritual father Nelson Mandela.
"A lot of these people are doing some great things, but there are promises being broken and that's unacceptable," Bono told the Union 's 25 development ministers at their first meeting since the EU expanded to embrace ten new Member States. "Continental Africa is bursting into flames right now. There's an emergency going on and, for me, it's not really about charity at this point; it's about justice."

Although more needs to be done to help poor countries, the EU is "the largest provider of aid worldwide", noted Ireland 's Development Minister Tom Kitt. Development and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Poul Nielson said that Member States "are [doing] more than? what we promised in Monterey two years ago". Mr Nielson was referring to a pledge to boost aid payment to 0.39% of national income by 2006. The Union has already reached 0.41%, he estimated.

The Commission also believes that EU enlargement will serve the development agenda as it will mean more funds and new focuses for action.