WRITTEN QUESTION P-1322/00 by Bertel Haarder (ELDR) to the Commission. Failure to pay grants promised to B'Tselem.
Date: 2000-04-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing arrangements, EU programme, Israel, Palestine question, democratisation, international human rights law, non-governmental organisation

20.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 53 E/127

The basis for the proposal includes an assessment study made by external consultants that can be
2.
accessed on the Commission(cid:146)s Internet site. Its conclusions were that the aid and its amount had only a
limited impact on availability of milk products in schools and the level of consumption in general.

3.
The Commission freely acknowledges that distribution of milk in schools can help achieve nutritional
and social objectives. That is in fact why it considers that the aid should not fall exclusively to the
European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund but be split between it and the Member States. The
Commission(cid:146)s proposal confirms the Community(cid:146)s financial commitment to the school milk scheme.

(1) OJ C 89, 28.3.2000.

(2001/C 53 E/161)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1322/00

by Bertel Haarder (ELDR) to the Commission

(17 April 2000)

Subject: Failure to pay grants promised to B(cid:146)Tselem

In April 1998, the Commission decided to support a project devised by B(cid:146)Tselem (The Israeli Information
Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories) entitled (cid:145)Generating Commitment for Human Rights(cid:146)
(project number 98mas15 B7-7050 in the MEDA democracy programme). In 1999, B(cid:146)Tselem was granted
a further amount
in a project with four other Israeli human rights
organisations (project number 1998/281A B7-7050 in the MEDA democracy programme). In response
to several MEPs(cid:146) questions concerning B(cid:146)Tselem(cid:146)s 1998 grant, Commissioner Manuel Mar(cid:237)n replied that the
contract for the amount would be formally drawn up in early 1999. To date, no contract has been
forwarded for either of the two projects.

in its capacity as participant

Will the Commission say when B(cid:146)Tselem will receive the promised contracts in respect of the grants for
their two projects?

Will the Commission say why the grants have not yet been paid?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(22 May 2000)

All 1998 MEDA-Democracy contracts, around 40 projects, including that with B(cid:146)Tselem, have now been
signed by the Commission and sent to the respective beneficiaries for counter-signature. In spite of their
infortunate delay, these projects including that with B(cid:146)Tselem will mostly go ahead as planned.

The 1999 MEDA-Democracy grant to four Israeli non-governmental organizations including B(cid:146)Tselem, was
approved by the human rights management committee in October 1999. The contract will be signed by
the Commission and sent to the beneficiary as soon as possible.

Finally, counter-signature by the beneficiary will mark the start of the project and the disbursement of the
allocated funds in compliance with all contractual conditions.

(2001/C 53 E/162)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1332/00

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(27 April 2000)

Subject: Financial aid for sarcoidosis projects

Late last year a number of sarcoidosis patients created a website to provide information about their illness.
The many contacts soon showed that there is a great need not only for information, but also for an
umbrella organisation (a foundation) to represent the interests of patients. This is because many people