In the run-up to the huge MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY rally, arranged to coincide with the G8 summit at Gleneagles, Edinburgh in July, some encouraging news from the European Union (EU) was announced on Tuesday in Brussels.

The EU pledged to double its development aid to poorer nations, which would mean that its aid to poor countries will be worth an extra £14bn annually in five years time. Among the 25-member bloc, the 15 richest EU member states have agreed to set a new spending target - at least 0.51% of their national wealth - on the developing world by 2010. The other 10 poorer, mostly eastern European member states, have agreed to set a target of 0.17%, according to BBC News.

Compared to the 0.7% target for overseas aid as a percentage of donor GNP established by the United Nations (UN) in 1970, 0.51% minimum aid for the rich countries still needs to be raised further.

So far, the goal has only been achieved by four EU countries - Denmark, Sweden, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Five others including the UK, France, Belgium, Finland and Spain, have already set firm dates to meet it.

Nevertheless, British Chancellor Gordon Brown described the doubling of aid "once-in-a-generation opportunity to make a huge difference".

Quoted by BBC News, Chancellor Brown said, "So Europe is saying it will double aid. It is putting that money to health and education and particularly into Africa."

Anthea Cox, Coordinating Secretary for Public Life and Social Justice of the Methodist Church of Great Britain responded, "We applaud the increased aid commitment from the European Union, and we hope that this leads to further progress at the G8 summit in July."

"'More and better aid' is one of the three goals of the Make Poverty History campaign, which the Methodist Church enthusiastically backs. What we need now are moves towards fairer trade rules and dropping the debt burden that keeps so many across the world in poverty. Much work still needs to be done by the world's leaders, but today's news is definitely something to celebrate."

Jonathan Glennie of Christian Aid, an agency of churches in the UK and Ireland, said the charity was "very excited about the announcement".

"We think it is great news. The governments of Europe have responded to clear public pressure on this and the public have said we need to be more generous to poor countries," he said.

The UK-based global anti-poverty campaign MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY considers 2005 as a crucial year for the UK to make a difference to the world’s poverty problem as it holds the presidency for both the G8 Summit and EU this year.

Save the Children, a Children’s charity based in the UK hailed the doubled aid pledge of the EU and particularly it highlighted the need to provide more aid for children.

Matt Phillips, Head of Public Affairs at Save the Children UK said, "This is good news and follows the campaigning of huge numbers of EU citizens. But it's crucial the EU countries and the EU itself also change policies to make aid work better for children. At present far too little EU aid reaches the poorest."