WRITTEN QUESTION E-1977/01

by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(5 July 2001)

Subject: The threat posed by desertification to the life of the planet

On World Day to Combat Desertification, the United Nations issued further warnings regarding the terrible consequences of this phenomenon. As a result of the loss of fertile land and the reduction in agricultural productivity caused by drought and desertification, every year thousands of people are displaced in their search for new land to enable them to survive. Last year, hundreds of thousands of people left their homes in eastern Africa, while fires destroyed hundreds of millions of hectares of forest in America and southern Europe.

In an attempt to combat the grave consequences of drought and the loss of fertile land, seven years ago a United Nations Convention on the subject was adopted, as a result of which many developing countries adopted national action programmes to coordinate their efforts.

In practice, however, mobilising the financial effort necessary to combat drought and desertification continues to pose a huge problem.

What financial means does the Commission have at its disposal to fight this phenomenon, which does not only affect poor and developing countries, in an effective manner, and to ensure that the fight is successful? Can the Commission provide data on how this phenomenon will affect the European landscape in years to come?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(14 September 2001)

The Community has been a Party to the Convention to Combat Desertification since 1998. Even before that date, the Community had a strong record of support to programmes and projects addressing the problems of dryland areas throughout the world. Over the period 1990-1999, a contribution of approximately EUR 1,1 billion was committed to over 600 development projects in dryland areas of Africa, Asia and Latin America. The northern Mediterranean region also benefited substantially from Community funds for cooperation activities of the Commission.

For developing countries, projects have been funded under the European Development Fund (EDF-Lomé Convention), the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership Agreements (MEDA) and the Asia and Latin America Agreements (ALA). Specific projects have also been funded through the Environment and Tropical Forests budget lines (now under Regulations (EC) Nos 2493/2000 and 2494/2000)(1). Furthermore, research projects have been funded under the fourth and fifth Framework Programmes for research and technological development, in particular the International Cooperation (INCO) programme.

For Western and Eastern European countries, projects addressing or relevant to the desertification phenomenon have been funded through the Financial Instrument for the Environment (LIFE), the scheme for Technical Assistance for the Commonwealth of Independent States (TACIS) and specific research programmes, in particular through the environment research programme, such as Medalus, Aachaeomedes, EFEDA, EPOCH, which directly address desertification. Desertification and land degradation research will form a priority item of the Sustainable Development and Global Change component of the Framework Programme of the Community. Many projects funded under regional policy (Interreg) and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) are also relevant. A detailed list of these projects is included in a public report prepared by the Commission in 2000 under the Convention, which is being sent direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat.

In addition, following a proposal from some affected regions, projects to combat desertification on which Member States and non-Community Mediterranean countries cooperate may be cofinanced from the budget for the Interreg III programme for the period 2000-2006. The proposals for transnational programmes sent to the Commission for approval include this kind of project.

In future, in line with the recently adopted Community development policy, the main funding available to combat desertification outside the Community will continue to come from general aid funds (EDF, ALA, MEDA). Allocations will normally be made in the light of the National Action Programmes against Desertification put forward by countries themselves under their Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers and related Country Support Strategies. Special budget lines such as Environment and Tropical Forest will, of course, continue to be available for funding specific projects, in principle at a similar level.

Within the Community, the sixth Environmental Action Programme which is under discussion by Parliament and Council, includes a proposal for a thematic strategy on soils, which will need to cover inter alia land degradation and desertification. In the context of enlargement a new Annex to the Desertification Convention for Central and Eastern European Countries was agreed by the last Conference of the Parties and should help to provide a coherent framework for future activities in the region.

(1) OJ L 288, 15.11.2000.