The Policy Forum (FoPo) of the Cooperation Circle of NGOs of Luxembourg has strongly opposed proposals to include certain climate-related expenditures and refugee reception costs in the calculation of official development assistance. According to the organisation, such a change could reduce Luxembourg’s development cooperation budget by as much as a quarter, even though the country currently allocates 1% of its gross national income to development aid. FoPo argues that this would significantly weaken Luxembourg’s long-standing commitment to international solidarity.
The criticism came after comments made by Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs Xavier Bettel during a parliamentary debate on 19 March regarding Luxembourg’s cooperation policy. Although Bettel later clarified that he had intended only to open a discussion in response to public finance pressures, FoPo maintains that the proposal would go far beyond a simple technical adjustment. The group says it would effectively amount to a reallocation of funds that, in practice, would function as a budget cut and represent a major political shift in the country’s aid policy.
FoPo also warned that changing the principle of “additionality” would have serious consequences. This principle ensures that development aid remains separate from other categories of public expenditure, preserving dedicated resources for poverty reduction and support to partner countries. The organisation argues that weakening this principle would dilute the effectiveness of development cooperation by redirecting funds away from their intended purpose.
The group further noted that Bettel’s suggestion to count certain projects funded by the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity within the 1% GNI target indicates a broader policy reorientation rather than a mere accounting revision. In FoPo’s view, this would directly contradict Luxembourg’s recent political commitments. It pointed out that in July 2024, Parliament adopted a motion, backed by all parties except the Alternative Democratic Reform Party, reaffirming both the 1% aid target and the principle of additionality.
FoPo expressed concern that the minister’s current position appears to align with arguments previously associated with the Alternative Democratic Reform Party, which it sees as a troubling shift in Luxembourg’s political stance on development cooperation. The organisation believes this signals a move away from the country’s traditionally strong support for predictable and ambitious international aid commitments.
Against the backdrop of multiple global crises, including climate, humanitarian, economic and geopolitical challenges, FoPo stressed that Luxembourg should be strengthening its development cooperation rather than reducing it. It argued that maintaining a clear, reliable and ambitious aid policy is especially important at a time when many international donors are scaling back their commitments.
In response, FoPo has called on members of parliament to reject any attempt to revise the principle of additionality and has urged the minister to answer a parliamentary question on the matter promptly in order to support a transparent and informed public debate. While reaffirming that climate action is essential to building a more sustainable and just world, the organisation insisted that it should not come at the cost of development aid. Instead, it called for stronger policy coherence so that climate, economic and financial policies reinforce development goals rather than undermine them.
