The EU faces a "serious problem" in achieving its goal of eliminating extreme poverty in developing nations, its most senior figure has said.
European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said that signs that countries were reducing foreign aid budgets was"worrying and dangerous".
The EU is by far the world's largest aid donor organisation, giving 46bn euros (£36bn) worth of aid last year.
The World Bank recently warned that key anti-poverty targets may not be met.
'Credibility'
It said targets for improving living conditions in development countries by 2015 - set out in 2000 through the Millennium Development goals - were under threat due to growing inertia among richer countries.
"We call on the European Union members to honour their promises and commitments."
Overall, the total amount of aid to developing countries has been static for the past two years, despite pledges to double aid to Africa made at the 2005 Gleneagles summit.
The EU has pledged to raise its overall aid levels to 0.5% of total GDP by 2010, in turn increasing that figure to 0.7% by 2015.
Mr Barroso said it was vital that every member state now set a clear timetable on how it intends to achieve those levels.
"If we want to remain credible, we have to deliver on our promises," he told reporters.
Blow
The news has come as a blow to the developing countries which receive EU aid.
Joseph Chiteyeye, a senior Malawian diplomat to the European Union said he was "shocked and disappointed" by the suggestion that the EU's commitment might be slipping.
"We call on the European Union members to honour their promises and commitments."
The EU has helped Malawi reduce infant mortality but Mr Chiteyeye said he feared such projects would be threatened by a lack of funds.
An emergency session on the Millennium Development Goals will be held at the summit meeting between the EU and US in Slovenia in June.
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