WRITTEN QUESTION P-0322/03

by Karla Peijs (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 February 2003)

Subject: Guyana Shield Initiative

Is the Commission aware of the importance of the Guyana Shield for the conservation of the global biodiversity, its importance as a global CO2 sink and as one of the major freshwater reservoirs in the world, and its importance for the many indigenous peoples living in this area?

The EU is a party to the international environmental treaties like the Biodiversity Convention, the Climate Change Treaty and the Desertification Convention and therefore bound to implement the objectives of these conventions. Its Water Initiative has become a central element in the programme for sustainable development. The Guyana Shield is one of the most important regions of the world with regard to these objectives. Taking these objectives into account, what measures has the Commission taken to safeguard the natural and environmental values of the Guyana Shield for posterity?

What are the objectives of the ACP and ALA development aid programmes for the Guyana Shield countries and what activities with regard to safeguarding the natural and environmental values of these countries are financed by these programmes?

Is the Commission aware of the Guyana Shield Initiative (GSI) of the Netherlands Committee for the IUCN (NCIUCN), the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE) and the European Working Group for Amazonia (EWGA), which aims to promote the integral conservation of natural and environmental values for its inhabitants as well for the world, and is the Commission willing to support this important Initiative, politically as well as financially?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(28 February 2003)

The Commission is fully aware of the importance of the Guyana Shield as one of the largest contiguous areas of tropical forest remaining in the world. It is estimated that the Shield may contain 10 % of the worlds' freshwater, with watersheds draining into the Amazon and Orinoco as well as directly into the Atlantic.

The Commission is fully supportive of the objectives of the Rio Conventions and frequently discusses their implementation with developing countries. However the concept of partnership underlies all Community development and priorities are agreed through dialogue with the respective countries. Given the low population densities and poor soils in most of the forested area of the Guyana Shield, these areas have in most cases not been identified by the respective governments as priority areas for Community development cooperation activities. Where opportunities have arisen, the Commission has pursued them actively and provided support for sustainable forest management and conservation activities in the region, in particular through the Tropical Forest budget line.

Relevant Community funded activities in the region include:

- Support to the Iwokrama international centre for rainforest conservation and development in Guyana;

- Support to the State Environment Agency of the Brazilian state of Amapá through the Natural Resource Policy programme of the Pilot Programme to Conserve the Brazilian Amazon (PPG7);

- Support to a Colombian non-governmental organisation (NGO), COAMA, for implementation of a project in Colombia and Venezuela, including the Mataven forest in the Guyana Shield ecosystem;

- Support to indigenous peoples organisations in Venezuela through the Human Rights budget line (International Working Group for Indigenous Affairs).

Priorities for development cooperation spending under both the Asia and Latin America (ALA) and African, Carribean and Pacific States (ACP) (European Development Fund (EDF)) budget lines are described in Regional and Country Strategy papers, which are publicly available on the Europa web site. Management of natural resources is mentioned in the Colombia, Brazil Country Strategies and the Andean Pact Regional Strategy.

The Commission is aware of the Guyana Shield Initiative and has had informal contact with some of the organisations involved in it. The Commission is prepared to consider both financial and political support if such a request is made by the countries concerned, for instance in the context of the forthcoming reviews of the Country and Regional Strategy Papers.

Further support for forest activities in the ACP countries in the Guyana Shield is planned to be provided under the 9th EDF, where a regional envelope of EUR 6 million has been identified for intra ACP/Natural Resources. The exact nature of this support will depend on an identification mission which will visit the region in the next months, as well as the result of discussions with the ACP countries involved. However, the Commission believes that most of this amount could be used to support Iwokrama and activities in the Guyana Shield. Co-ordination and synergy with the Guyana Shield initiative and with other donors strategies and activities will be ensured.

Finally, a Call for Proposals will be launched later this year under the Tropical Forest budget line for which NGO proposals would be eligible. Any proposal concerning the Guyana Shield meeting the criteria for the priorities to be set for the call for proposals may be submitted in that context.