WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2993/96 by Luciano VECCHI to the Commission. Planning of measures in ACP countries under the 8th European Development Fund
Date: 1996-11-08
Institutions: European Parliament, VECCHI
Subjects: ACP countries, European Development Fund, aid programme, financial protocol, fourth Lomé Convention













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91996E2993

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2993/96 by Luciano VECCHI to the Commission. Planning of measures in ACP countries under the 8th European Development Fund  


Official Journal C 083 , 14/03/1997 P. 0103 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-2993/96 by Luciano Vecchi (PSE) to the Commission (8 November 1996)Subject: Planning of measures in ACP countries under the 8th European Development FundThe 8th European Development Fund will cover development projets in the ACP countries over the period 1995-1999.Has work already started on defining projects for this period with the ACP countries concerned?Can the Commission provide some indication of the deadlines proposed?Answer given by Mr Pinheiro on behalf of the Commission (2 December 1996)Programming under the eighth European Development Fund is already relatively advanced. The object is for the Commission to agree, jointly with each African, Caribbean or Pacific (ACP) country, an indicative programmerepresenting the framework for cooperation with that country during the period covered by the second Financial Protocol to the Lomé Convention. Similar programmes are agreed with each ACP region.The programmes lay down, inter alia, which focal sectors are to receive Community aid, what measures the government has to take regarding sectoral policies and, at national level, what criteria are to be used in the mid-term review. ((Under the new system of allocating resources in two instalments (Article 282 of the revised Convention), the Community undertakes, in the indicative programme, to make available to the ACP State 70% of the indicative package agreed for the programme. The remaining 30% will be released in the light of the outcome of the mid-term review of each indicative programme. )) The criteria are established in dialogue between the Commission and the appropriate authorities for each country or region. Before embarking on the dialogue, the Commission consulted the Member States - first in the ACP countries and then within the EDF Committee - about the guidelines it should follow for each national and regional programme. This new procedure had been agreed with the Member States earlier with a view to ensuring greater complementarity between Community and bilateral aid.Numerous indicative programmes have already been signed, or are due for signing in the next few weeks. The Commission therefore considers that programming is proceeding satisfactorily and on schedule. It would, however, remind the Honourable Member that implementation of the programmes depends on the ratification process laid down in Article 360 of the revised Lomé IV Convention being completed. Concerning this part of the process, the Commission has repeatedly drawn attention to its concern about probable delays in some Member States. It therefore again calls on the Member States to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that implementation of the financial commitments made under the revised Convention may begin at the earliest possible date.