EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 88/70

(2004/C 88 E/0077)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2162/03

by Herbert Bösch (PSE) to the Commission

(30 June 2003)

Subject: Budget line B7-7010: no call for proposals in 2003 and its consequences for addressing the human rights of disabled people

In the Millennium Development Goals, the European Union expressed its commitment to poverty reduction. This goal cannot be met without considering the needs of disabled people, and yet disabled people are still not sufficiently included in the development cooperation funded by the Union.

In the budget for 2003, budget line B7-7010 was amended so that actions undertaken in the field of disability, as a follow-up to the Commission guidance note on disability and development cooperation, could be funded under this budget line. However no Call for Proposals for budget line B7-7010 will be issued in 2003. Rather the Commission will select and allocate funds from previously submitted projects.

Is there a possibility that the Commission therefore will pay particular attention to disability in its selection of these previously submitted projects?

As no new projects can be submitted, how is the Commission intending to fund actions that need to be taken as a follow-up to the guidance note on disability and development?

Is the Commission planning to adapt the priority actions of the programming document of the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights so that it will be in line with the recent amendments on disability to the Β7-7010 budget line?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(16 September 2003)

The Commission Communication of May 2001 (1) underscored the need to focus limited funds available under the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) more effectively. To that end, it was decided that future funding should cover four thematic priorities: support for democratisation, good governance and the rule of law; the fight against torture, impunity and promotion of international justice; the fight against the death penalty and combating racism, xenophobia and discrimination against minorities and indigenous peoples. Those priorities were reflected in the EIDHR programming document adopted for 2002-2004 and in the subsequent Calls for Proposals. Five Calls for Proposals were launched in 2002, all of them covering two Budget years- 2002 and 2003. At the time these were published there was no provision for the proposals to address disabilities issues, since such issues had not been referred to in the EIDHR Programming document. Community rules do not permit the modification of proposals once the texts have been published. The Commission is not in a position to select and allocate funds from previously selected projects.

The Commission is reflecting on the future direction of the EIDHR beyond the current programming period of 2002-2004 and organised a special seminar on 14 July 2003 to provide an opportunity to discuss that issue with representatives of non-governmental organisations, Members of Parliament and Member State officials. As the Communication remains the guiding document, discussions will focus on how to programme the thematic priorities more effectively.

The Commission's ‘Guidance Note on Disability and Development for EU Delegations and Services’, which provides guidance on how to address disability issues effectively within development cooperation, has been widely distributed throughout the services. It stresses the importance of mainstreaming disability issues in policy dialogue and in country programming. This is the case in the mid-term review guidelines for African, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP) currently under preparation, which foresee exploring the extent to which country programmes are responsive to the needs of persons with disabilities

Finally, the Commission attaches a great deal of importance to the question of disability. This is illustrated by the legislation which the Commission has introduced and the active approach taken by the Commission to the Ad Hoc Committee on a Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities.

(1) COM(2001) 252 final.