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EU $1.1 Billion Aid Doesn’t Improve Egypt’s Political, Human Rights Crisis

EU $1.1 Billion Aid Doesn’t Improve Egypt’s Political, Human Rights Crisis

Continued over almost seven years, BBC reports that the £854 million ($1.1 billion) the European Union has aided Egypt with has helped to no avail.

The money was supposed to bring relief to the tense human rights and political issues that have held a grip on the fragile country’s progression. An audit conducted by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) revealed that mismanagement and a lack of communication has prevented the sum from making a substantial impact.

“The ‘softly softly’ approach has not worked, and the time has come for a more focused approach which will produce meaningful results and guarantee better value for the European taxpayers’ money,” Karel Pinxten, head of the ECA’s auditors’ report said of the audit.

BBC reported that since the rise of political tension in 2011, government decisions were practically frozen, stalling EU efforts. In addition to members of non-government organizations being jailed, European parliament liberal group leader Guy Verhofstadt said President Mohammed Morsi’s 2012 power binge was a red flag.

Verhofstadt said then, the EU should have restructured or cut their Egypt aid program.

“If we do not, then we should not be surprised that the Arab youth become deeply disillusioned by Europe and turn their backs on the EU,” he told BBC. “This inaction by the EU makes a joke of its human rights policy.”

According to BBC, the European Commission and European External Action Service (EEAS), aid allocation manager, had not been in compliance with Egypt’s government — and was not of much help when it came to facilitating cooperation between the EU and Egypt’s government.

Corruption remains a problem in Egypt’s, and as auditors in the statement outlined by BBC declare, “the rights of minorities are increasingly under threat.”

Despite meager cooperation from Egyptian authorities, the EU has not stated that allocation will be suspended or minimized as the region stands strong in their attempt to lead Egypt’s to a transparent democracy.