WRITTEN QUESTION E-2032/00

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(21 June 2000)

Subject: Aid for Africa

The news coming out of Africa is increasingly disturbing. In addition to full-scale war, such as that between Ethiopia and Eritrea, there are racial conflicts, conflicts over the control of mineral resources, tribal wars, drought, hunger and starvation, while the scourge of Aids spreads fear and death. It is a catastrophic situation which cannot leave Europe indifferent.

1. Has the Commission submitted proposals and projects aimed at combating these terrible problems, at the very least in the context of relations with the African countries who are signatories to the Fourth Lomé Convention;

2. Is it able to coordinate the action of the Member States of the Union in the UN, so that they can act strategically to prevent wars, combat Aids, support food aid to prevent starvation, and to provide health care;

3. Can it say how much money has been set aside in the Community budget and the budgets of the Member States for development aid for the countries of Africa?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(19 September 2000)

1. The Commission attaches great importance to conflict prevention, management and resolution. In Africa in particular major efforts are being made to restore peace and the Commission is using all the financial instruments at its disposal to that end (budget, European Development Fund). For example, in Burundi, it is funding the Arusha negotiations and is framing a programme for the consolidation of peace once agreements have been signed; in the Democratic Republic of Congo it has financed the Lusaka negotiations ( 2,65 million), supports the Joint Military Commission ( 1,2 million from the CFSP (common foreign and security policy) budget and is mobilising resources from the EDF and the Community budget to support mediation efforts ( 1,9 million). The Commission has also actively supported the Organisation for African Unity (OAU) in its bid to solve the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is ready to facilitate the implementation of the peace agreements, in particular by financing mine clearance, rehabilitation, aid operations to help the return of refugees and displaced persons and disarmament and demobilisation of armed forces. The Commission is also playing an active part in the fight against the spread of light weapons. It provides significant humanitarian aid including food aid via the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) in all situations of conflict, tribal war, natural disaster and famine.

The Commission finances the activities of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), international organisations and the Red Cross movement to provide humanitarian assistance to populations of third countries in need. In 1999, for the African region, it provided 109,4 million.

With regard to food aid and support action for food security financed by the Community from the 1999 Community budget (budget heading B7-20, 506 million of which 154 million for Africa) for the most vulnerable people in developing countries it is estimated that the share allocated to sub-Saharan Africa represented approximately 30 % of the total. A major part of this aid was allocated to the Horn of Africa ( 88 million) in particular because of the situation in that part of the continent. With some exceptions, the countries of West Africa (and in particular those of the Sahel) had in 1999 a good food security level thanks to a good crop year.

2. In the fields coming within Community competence, the Commission expresses the position of the Union at the United Nations after coordination with the Member States.

In the coordination of Community and Member State development cooperation policies provided for in Article 180 (ex Article 130x) of the EC treaty, the Commission plays above all the role of initiator of new initiatives. For example

it will soon present a communication on the acceleration of action concerning the control of the major communicable diseases (AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis) as part of the reduction of poverty. This initiative will be taken in close cooperation with the Member States, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UNAIDS (Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS) and will be the subject of an international round table in Brussels on 28 September 2000.

In 1998 alone the Commission committed upwards of 700 million for schemes in the health, AIDS and population policy fields in the developing countries. Around 300 million was committed for reproductive health and the fight against HIV/AIDS. Malaria and tuberculosis action financed by the Commission forms part of wider programmes targeted on health systems and care coverage so budget appropriations for these specific diseases are not identified precisely.

As regards humanitarian aid, whilst the Commission is not mandated to coordinate Member States' humanitarian action in the field, it does nevertheless try to coordinate its own relief activities with them.

3. Development aid managed by the Commission is financed through the Community budget and the European Development Fund (EDF). The total amount of heading 4 of the Community budget (external relations) for the year 2000 is 4,627 million. This figure is to be divided between eight geographical programmes and several thematic and horizontal instruments, which are geographically neutral. Only one of the geographical programmes concerns Africa, the South Africa heading with 128 million. The EDF is the financial instrument of the Lomé Convention. It is formed by Member States' contributions and is devoted to development cooperation with the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states and overseas countries and territories (OCTs).

Total commitments from the EDF concerning Africa in 1999 were 2,199 million ( 219,6 million was also committed for regional cooperation with the ACP countries).

For Member States' bilateral aid to Sub-Saharan African countries, the Honourable Member should refer to the statistics of the OECD development aid committee in the 1999 annual report, which show the following figures in millions of dollars for 1997/1998 (see page 228, Statistical table 32):

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