WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2381/96 by Glenys KINNOCK to the Commission. European Union relations with Guatemala
Date: 1996-09-06
Institutions: European Parliament, KINNOCK
Subjects: EU aid, Guatemala, child protection, financial cooperation, non-governmental organisation, peacekeeping, technical cooperation













EUR-Lex - 91996E2381 - EN






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91996E2381

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2381/96 by Glenys KINNOCK to the Commission. European Union relations with Guatemala  


Official Journal C 096 , 24/03/1997 P. 0004 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-2381/96 by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission (6 September 1996)Subject: European Union relations with GuatemalaWhat is the state of current European Union relations with Guatemala, and in particular what efforts has the Commsision made to improve the situation of Guatemalan street children?Answer given by Mr Marín on behalf of the Commission (4 October 1996)Community aid to Guatemala has been gradually stepped up since 1991, showing determination to support the peace process which had recently got under way. As a result Guatemala has become since 1994 Central America's chief recipient of Community aid; the aggregate amount was ECU 45.6 million in 1995. This is a large amount, giving the Community a special responsibility and a leading role with regard to development prospects in Guatemala.Community aid to Guatemala has so far been along two lines in which, moreover, its leadership is acknowledged:- financial and technical cooperation, chiefly through a number of integrated-development projects in the native areas which are the poorest and worst affected by the fighting;- aid for the reintegration of returnees, in the form of emergency projects, a self-sufficiency programme and support for specialized bodies.In view of the present situation in the country, and the compromises agreed to by the government of Mr Alvaro Arzu and the chief players in civil society in the peace process, a future cooperation strategy should be along the following lines:- support for the peace process, consolidation and modernization of the State governed by the rule of law;- anti-poverty policy and support for social policies;- support for economic development.Being aware of the extent of the problem of street children in Guatemala (the social and economic causes of which are known to be massive migration to the capital city, destruction of the family unit and loss of cultural identity), the Community financed various initiatives between 1991 and 1994, in aid of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and public bodies aiming to solve the problem.The basic objective of these measures was to provide help and training for children in order to improve their living conditions and bring them gradually off the streets by providing facilities for receiving and housing them: reception centres and training schools.Given the good results achieved by this variety of measures, a programme of assistance for street children in Guatemala City (worth ECU 2.5 million over three years) was proposed in 1994 and has been in operation since January 1996; it aims to respond to the problem posed by the presence of almost 2 000 children on the streets of the capital. This project features three lines of action:- increasing the capacity of four NGOs;- improvement of public bodies' reception capacity;- promoting the role of various public bodies by fostering greater participation by the variety of operators interested in the protection of the young.