More Europe!

HRVP Cathy Ashton has reiterated Europe's commitment to Egypt as a "partner and a neighbor" time and time again. This commitment can be monetized in the nearly 1 billion euro in EU funding allocated for the 2007-2013 period for various purposes including human rights and democracy among others. Due to continued political unrest, protests and overall havoc, it has been difficult for the EU to keep track of who their interlocutors are and what they're doing with the money.

In line with the EU's More for More principal Ashton recently announced a change in the conditionality of EU aid. "We've implemented what we call the "white board system" or w.B.S. for short," said the High Representative. "We recently bought a huge whiteboard and a carton of white board markers-because we all know they never work when you need them to. We update the board with a counter for every day there is peace after the ousting of a country leader. The higher the number, the more funds we will release from what has already been pre-allocated. Obviously, if there is a coup or overall disintegration of civil order we restart the counter at 0."

The system is an attempt for the EU to reduce bureaucracy, increase transparency, and put pressure on the Egyptian people and government to be accountable for a billion euro. The initiative, in practice, works like a game of minesweeper. The better you do the more you are motivated to keep your streak going-not to mention be careful about your next move. No one wants to land on a bomb (literal or figurative) and have to start from zero.

One of the biggest benefits touted by the program is its thriftyness. Aside from the minimal office supplies required for start-up, there are few operational expenses. A bonus in times when the EU budget is under strain, but important in general because the EEAS works with an annual operating budget of approximately €700.

The program is already operational and will go under informal review by the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs in 2014. It is anticipated the MEPs will ask some difficult questions of the HRVP and the EEAS such as why they chose a certain colour marker over another, whether or not to write 0 or 7 with slashes through the number, and should the white board be headquartered in Brussels, Strasbourg or both.