WRITTEN QUESTION No. 954/98 by Gianfranco DELL'ALBA to the Council. UNDCP programme in Afghanistan
Date: 1998-03-31
Institutions: DELL'ALBA, European Parliament
Subjects: Afghanistan, crop production, drug traffic, gender equality, human rights, narcotic, political violence, redirection of production, terms for aid

C 323/98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

21. 10. 98

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(22 April 1998)

The Commission is sending direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat a table containing
the information requested.

(98/C 323/146)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0946/98

by Jesu· s Cabezo·n Alonso (PSE) to the Commission

(30 March 1998)

Subject: Investment in Nicaragua

In what way is the Commission stimulating national and foreign investment in productive sectors in Nicaragua in
order to favour sustainable development in that country?

Answer given by Mr Mar(cid:14)·n on behalf of the Commission

(23 April 1998)

One  of  the  main  objectives  of  Commission  cooperation  with  Nicaragua  is  to  encourage  investment  that  will
contribute to the sustainable development of the country.

As part of Community financial and technical cooperation, the Commission is conducting an ambitious project
aiming to establish greater legal certainty for rural landowners, an essential factor in encouraging investment.

More  generally,  rural  development  cooperation,  which  has  been  a  major  focus  of  Community  assistance,
contributes to improved socio-economic conditions and thereby helps establish the basic conditions for investors
to derive greater profit from their activities.

At  the  same  time,  the  Commission  is  trying  to  promote  foreign  investment  directly  through  economic
cooperation,  by  setting  up  a  Euro-centre  for  business  cooperation,  organising  trade  fairs  under  the  Al-Invest
programme  and  making  the  facilities  of  the  European  Community  International  Investment  Partners  (ECIP)
available to international economic operators.

Lastly,  the  FEPEX  (Fondo  especial  de  promocio·n  de  las  exportaciones)  and  Foexca  (Fomento  de  las
exportaciones en Centroame·rica) programmes, designed to promote exports from Nicaragua through loans at
reduced interest rates, have also contributed considerably to an upswing in investments.

(98/C 323/147)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0954/98

by Gianfranco Dell(cid:146)Alba (ARE) to the Council

(31 March 1998)

Subject: UNDCP programme in Afghanistan

On  19  February  1998  the  European  Parliament  unanimously  adopted  a  joint  resolution  on  the  situation  in
Afghanistan, which, in addition to reiterating (cid:145)its strong condemnation of the Taliban regime and its policy of
systematic human rights abuses(cid:146) (paragraph 1), expresses an extremely critical view of the programme which the
UNDCP  (United  Nations  Drug  Control  Programme)  intends  to  carry  out  in  Afghanistan,  because  of  doubts
regarding its political expediency and effectiveness and its implications for democracy. The programme provides
for the allocation of funding to the Taliban regime to enable it to launch a programme for the phasing-out of
opium poppy cultivation. In this context the EP claims in recital I that (cid:145)the Taliban regime ... does not enjoy