WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2580/96 by Antonios TRAKATELLIS to the Commission. Cuts in humanitarian aid to the Transcaucasian countries
Date: 1996-09-24
Institutions: European Parliament, TRAKATELLIS
Subjects: EU financing, USSR, aid policy, aid programme, aid to disadvantaged groups, financing of aid, humanitarian aid, non-governmental organisation













EUR-Lex - 91996E2580 - EN






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91996E2580

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2580/96 by Antonios TRAKATELLIS to the Commission. Cuts in humanitarian aid to the Transcaucasian countries  


Official Journal C 096 , 24/03/1997 P. 0013 





WRITTEN QUESTION P-2580/96 by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE) to the Commission (24 September 1996)Subject: Cuts in humanitarian aid to the Transcaucasian countriesParliament's Delegation for relations with Transcaucasus visited the three countries in question in June-July 1996. The delegation met with NGOs financed by ECHO and was informed of their activities. The cuts in ECHO allocations in 1996 will cause serious problems in the continuity of some of their programmes, e.g. infant food distribution, heating of schools and meal-service for the elderly will be endangered.What measures will the Commission take to ensure that the problems caused by the drastic cuts in the humanitarian aid to the Transcaucasian states will not jeopardize the survival of the poorest strata of these transitional societies?Answer given by Mrs Bonino on behalf of the Commission (14 October 1996)The Commission contribution to the Transcaucasus has been reduced from 80 MECU in 1995 to 26 MECU in 1996. Nearly 18 MECU was allocated in December 1995 in order to finance on-going operations in 1996. If this is taken into consideration, available funds were reduced by 30% only (from 62 MECU in 1995 to 44 MECU in 1996).In view of the reduction in funds the Commission has taken several measures to ensure on-going assistance to the poorest strata of the transitional societies. Detailed assessments have been carried out in order better to identify the most needy and to fine-tune criteria for targeting beneficiaries. Programmes not specifically targeting the most needy households, such as distribution of small amounts of food to all infants, and country-wide support to schools have been phased out or re-tailored. The latter was carried out in view of expanding support from institutional donors and rapidly increasing structural assistance. Also, partners have been urged to increase cost-effectiveness by pooling purchases, distributing food from bulk, increasing local purchases and replacing expatriate by national staff, which is possible and appropriate in a post-emergency situation emerging in the Transcaucasus.Due to these measures, assistance to the most vulnerable could be assured and strengthened despite the cuts. Assistance (food, medical care and winter relief supplies) to the elderly without support, has increased from 4 MECU in 1995 to 7 MECU in 1996. However, it is equally true that funding of several on-going programmes will be interrupted at the end of the year. Partners are aware and are seeking alternative funding.This change in strategy, which could be classified as the transformation of a demand-driven strategy into a pro-active strategy, taking into account the post-emergency situation, which already started in 1995, has been discussed extensively with all partners, authorities and other donors. The new strategy makes it possible to prepare the gradual phasing out of humanitarian aid programmes and would have entailed, in any case, the end of support to several of the programmes which non governmental organisations apparently mentioned during the visit of Parliament's delegation in June-July 1996.