EU governments approve 'gradual' resumption of aid to Niger

Sep 27, 2010, 12:37 GMT

Brussels - European Union development aid to Niger was set to resume 'gradually' as the bloc's governments on Monday approved a proposal to link it to democratic developments on the ground.

EU development aid - as distinct from humanitarian aid - was suspended at the end of last year, after President Mamadou Tandja launched a bid to overturn the constitution which limited his period in power.

A military coup last February added to the upheaval, but since then the Niger authorities have made pledges to return to democratic government 'which the EU found broadly encouraging,' a statement from the bloc said.

EU agriculture ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday had therefore 'set out a road map for conditionally resuming development cooperation.'

'Once a national assembly and a new president have been installed through democratic elections, cooperation will be fully resumed,' EU states promised.

The EU's executive, the European Commission, had proposed resuming development aid in late July. During the suspension period, tens of million euros in EU emergency aid still flowed towards Niger, as the country struggled with famine in the drought-ravaged Sahel region.