EUSELESS

EU will not match US Aids donation (The Guardian, June 20, 2003)

Tony Blair conceded today that a European Union donation to help fight Aids, TB and malaria would fall short of the $1bn (E600m) pledged by the United States.

The prime minister had made a joint call with French president Jacques Chirac for the EU to match America's commitment to the UN's Global Health Fund, set up to fight the three killer diseases.

But speaking at the EU summit in Greece, he said the smaller of the 15 existing EU members and 10 countries joining next year were not prepared to commit the money for 2004 because of "budget problems".

Europeans might not be able to retire until age 60 if they start just throwing money at humanitarian causes... Posted by Orrin Judd at June 20, 2003 6:34 PM