EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/825

(2004/C 84 E/0920)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0630/04

by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(3 March 2004)

Subject: Official Development Assistance (ODA) of the Union: funding by Member States, actions in the Balkans and application of conditionality and Community rules

Funding of development aid by the Union fell from 0,45 % in 1990 to 0,33 % in 2001, which is significantly below the political commitment of 0,7 % GDP announced by the UN and the Göteborg European Council. The Council has therefore included a binding commitment for ODA to reach 0,39 % of GDP by 2006 in the Community acquis for the new Member States as an interim step to eventually reaching 0,7 % of GDP.

Since in many Member States implementation of ODA is lagging behind, for instance in Greece's five-year programme for development cooperation and aid (2002-2006), will the Commission say:

1. What is the percentage ODA of the Union and each individual Member State for 2002 and 2003, and how much does this amount to in millions of euros (EUR) in the Member States?

2. Why has Greece's five-year programme for development cooperation and aid (2002-2006) for the Balkans, the Black Sea, etc. been delayed, what is the overall level of appropriations spent (commitment appropriations) and what percentage of Greece's ODA does this represent for 2002 and 2003?

3. Is the ODA of Member States of the Union in the Balkans linked to actions of the European Agency for Reconstruction (1), the implementation of the CARDS (2) programme and the Stability Pact for South East Europe, and what is the Union's contribution within the framework of the implementation of Greece's ODA in the Balkans, on the basis of plans for infrastructures and public works (networks, roads etc.)?

4. Is assistance being suspended in the event of a failure to respect human rights and are Community rules being respected (for instance, on public procurement contracts etc.) by the services or bodies which have undertaken to implement the Union's ODA plans and programmes and, if so, which regions are concerned?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(5 April 2004)

Questions relating to Greece's bilateral assistance fall outside the remit of Directorate-General External Relations (DG RELEX).

In the interests of making the Community assistance cohesive and more efficient and complementary, the Member States and the Commission regularly exchange information on the operations they intend to implement. This is done in the countries concerned at the level of Community Delegations/European Agency for Reconstruction and Member States' Embassies and in the CARDS committee, which is composed of representatives of all Member States. Practical arrangements for on-the-spot coordination are covered by guidelines approved by the CARDS Committee and meetings with Member States take place on a regular basis in the countries of the region. The Commission further encourages coordination and cooperation with international financial institutions, United Nations cooperation programmes and other donors. Such co-ordination is secured e.g. through the Community/World Bank Joint Office. The Stability Pact specifically acts to ensure co-ordination of assistance of a regional nature, i.e. assistance covering two and more countries of the region.

A precondition for the Western Balkan countries to receive assistance is that they respect democratic principles, the rule of law, human and minority rights, fundamental freedoms and the principles of international law. Article 5 of the CARDS Regulation (3) states that if these principles are not respected, the Council, acting by qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission, may take appropriate measures. Community assistance shall also be subject to the conditions defined by the Council in its Conclusions of 29 April 1997, in particular as regards the recipients' undertaking to carry out democratic, economic and institutional reforms.

Community assistance is being implemented by the European Agency for Reconstruction in Serbia and Montenegro and in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The Commission's de-concentrated delegations are responsible for implementing Community assistance in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Croatia. The regional CARDS programme is implemented by DG EuropAid Co-operation Office (AIDCO).

(1) Regulation 2415/2001/EC of 10.12.2001, OJ L 327, 12.12.2001 (amending Regulations 2666/2000/EC and 2667/2000 of 5.12.2000, OJ L 306, 7.12.2000).

(2) Programme for Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilization. Regulation 2666/2000/EC, 5.12.2000, OJ L 306, 7.12.2000.

(3) Council Regulation (EC) No 2666/2000 of 5 December 2000 on assistance for Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, repealing Regulation (EC) No 1628/96 and amending Regulations (EEC) No 3906/89 and (EEC) No 1360/90 and Decisions 97/256/EC and 1999/311/EC.