WRITTEN QUESTION E-1969/00

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(21 June 2000)

Subject: Contributions to East Timor from the European Union and its Member States

The recently published European Parliament report on the visit to Indonesia and East Timor from 16 to 21 April by a Parliamentary Delegation mentions that the contributions promised

by the European Union for reconstruction in East Timor had not yet been made available. Mrs Catherine Walker, head of the Donors' Coordination Unit in Dili has stated that the EU had committed itself to contributing US$ 9,8 million and US$ 58,9 million for the UNTAET Trust Fund and the World Bank Trust Fund respectively. Mrs Sara Cliffe, head of the World Bank office in East Timor, confirming that the Commission had not yet paid its contribution, apparently said that these EU funds might be made available in May.

This delay in the handing over of promised contributions appears also to involve specific contributions from certain Member States, particularly Germany.

Paragraph 14 of the European Parliament resolution on East Timor on 18 November (B5-0271/1999) stressed the need to make European Union budgetary resources for East Timor available as a matter of urgency.

The fact that many donors are behind schedule, and thus holding up the reconstruction of the country, is a recognised major contributory factor in the instability, uncertainty and insecurity in the territory. Over and above the observations already made in this respect by international officials, the repeated appeals and warnings issued by Timorese are extremely pathetic and insistent.

Why has there been such a delay on the part of the EU? What is the state of play in terms of volume of funds and the timetable for their becoming effectively available, of the contribution promised by the European Union to East Timor? What steps has the Commission taken in this regard, both with regard to the speed of processing the EU contributions and likewise encouraging equal dispatch on the part of the Member States which have undertaken a like commitment? Can the Commission guarantee that from now on, the EU will act in an exemplary manner in this highly sensitive area?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-1968/00 and E-1969/00 given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(25 July 2000)

The Commission shares the opinion of the international community that the question of whether East Timor should sign the Lomé Convention is a matter for political decision by the future East Timorese Government. Once an independent State of East Timor has been constituted, its Government will have to assess which regional economic group is most suited to furthering East Timorese interests. When that time comes, the Commission will certainly provide the East Timorese Government with the appropriate information.

With regard to the Community's contribution to the rehabilitation of East Timor, the Commission can confirm that the contribution to the United Nations' trust fund (for UNTAET, the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor), some 10 million, was transferred to the recipient in the first half of June 2000 and that the first tranche of the contribution to the World Bank's Trust Fund for East Timor (TFET), some 9,2 million, will be paid as soon as the financial agreement with the administrator of that fund has been signed and a request for payment has been received. The agreement is expected to be signed in July 2000. The other tranches will be paid subsequently, as provided for in the financial agreement. As to the contributions of the Member States, the Commission regrets that it does not have a complete list.