“Our world, our dignity, our future.”

It has just been announced that next year will be designated as the ‘European Year for Development’. Following approval of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council, the last step in the EU decision-making procedure, it was also decided that “Our world, our dignity, our future” become the motto for the year.

As the world’s largest donor of development assistance – the EU provides more than half of official aid worldwide – it may come as no surprise that the issue of development would gain such a position of importance.

Indeed, a Eurobarometer report, published in October 2012, revealed that 85% of Europeans believe it is important to help people in developing countries. A statistic which has changed little since 2009 – despite the economic uncertainty that has dominated European concerns – the report also concluded that more than 60% Europeans think that aid to developing countries should be increased.

Given that up to 20 million EU citizens are involved in the work of development NGOs – whether professionally or as volunteers – and approximately 130 million EU citizens make at least one financial donation each year to an organisation helping developing countries, it would seem that development is a belief upheld by many within the union.