The deadline to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) draws near and critical global objectives of poverty eradication are still to be met. In 2005 the EU and its Member States committed to collectively provide 0.7% of their Gross National Income in aid by 2015 to support the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The EU remains the world`s aid champion, but in 2011 the EU delivered significantly less aid than in 2010 and it also lowered the proportion of its aid that was spent on development activities.