WRITTEN QUESTION E-1266/00 by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission. Microcredit as a means of poverty reduction.
Date: 2000-04-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, development aid, microloan, poverty

20.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 53 E/115

budgetary expenditure on the other, both in terms of the volumes involved and as a proportion of annual
budgetary appropriations designated for the financing of the Community(cid:146)s external operations, of Chinese
accession to the World Trade Organisation?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(11 May 2000)

The Community already treats China as a World Trade Organisation (WTO) member in so far as it is
subject to most favoured nation tariff rates on exports to the Community. Moreover, China(cid:146)s accession to
the WTO will not alter the Community(cid:146)s own market access commitments, including tariff rates, in the
WTO. China(cid:146)s accession to the WTO is a negotiation on China(cid:146)s future commitments, not those of present
WTO members. Levels of customs tariff revenues will therefore be a function of the level of imports.
Assuming that China(cid:146)s WTO accession will boost their exports to the Community, an increase in duty
revenue can be expected in the longer term.

China will reduce the agricultural tariff rates for import of products from all WTO members, including the
Community. This will improve the market access possibilities for Community products but will not alter
the Community(cid:146)s export commitments undertaken in the Uruguay Round. Consequently, the Community(cid:146)s
budgetary expenditure will have to stay within the committed limits.

(2001/C 53 E/146)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1266/00

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

Subject: Microcredit as a means of poverty reduction

(19 April 2000)

What funds has the Commission committed in the last three years to the expansion of microcredit as a
means of poverty reduction (which was endorsed in principle in the Commission(cid:146)s April 1998 (cid:145)Micro-
finance and Poverty Reduction(cid:146) report), and in what other ways is the Commission supporting poverty
elimination under its development and cooperation policy?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(19 May 2000)

Over the last three years, the Commission has committed approximately € 200 million to microcredit
schemes, through different instruments (non-governmental organisation (NGO) co-financing, rural devel-
opment projects, food security, Stabex, support to micro-enterprises).

Poverty reduction constitutes the overarching goal of European development co-operation. In this context,
Community policy reflects the international consensus but
takes the approach further, recognising
inequality as a constraint on growth and poverty reduction, suggesting a return to a policy of growth
with distribution, and emphasising the political aspects of development strategy.

At the macro-economic level, structural adjustment programmes of the (cid:145)new generation(cid:146) include social
indicators (health and education) for the allocation of part of the funds, in order to stimulate the countries
concerned to achieve better results in these sectors.

C 53 E/116

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.2.2001

In the framework of the LomØ Convention the 8th European development fund (EDF), the National
indicative programmes (NIPs) put emphasis on poverty reduction as an important objective of develop-
ment co-operation.

In many African countries this is reflected in the choice of focal sectors, such as food security, rural
for example specific poverty reduction
island countries,
development, or social sectors.
programmes are often envisaged. Overall amounts allocated to basic social services (health and education)
have dramatically increased.

In small

The newly concluded partnership agreement between the Community and the African, Caribbean and
Pacific states provides an integrated approach to poverty reduction, with support to growth factors on the
one hand, and support to redistribution and social policies on the other. Support to social policies
includes, as a priority, access to all basic social services and to social protection, with greater protection to
the most vulnerable.

(2001/C 53 E/147)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1267/00

by Mar(cid:237)a Sornosa Mart(cid:237)nez (PSE) to the Commission

(19 April 2000)

Subject: Structural Funds finance for the Autonomous Community of Valencia

With reference to the criteria established by the Berlin Summit, what amounts from which Structural
Funds are to be allocated to the Valencian Autonomous Community between 2000 and 2006?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(25 May 2000)

It is not possible at the moment to estimate precisely the amount of money from the Structural Funds
which the Autonomous Community of Valencia will receive in 2000-2006. Assistance under Objective 1
in Spain is currently being negotiated with the Spanish authorities and furthermore the Commission
cannot prejudge at this stage the amounts which will be allocated to this region under the Interreg, Urban,
Equal and Leader Community Initiatives.

In the case of Objective 1, the Commission sent each Member State a proposed distribution of the
appropriations available among the eligible regions of the country based on the method used by the
Commission to allocate the Objective 1 appropriations among the Member States themselves. The
Commission is sending a copy of the proposal on Spain direct to the Honourable Member and Parliament(cid:146)s
Secretariat.

However, it should be stressed that this is an outline proposal. The final allocation will be decided by
mutual agreement between the Member State and the Commission when the Community Support
Framework is adopted.

(2001/C 53 E/148)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1269/00

by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 April 2000)

Subject: Proposed new Community regulation on the system for promoting agricultural produce

The Community helps to fund various promotional programmes for some agricultural produce, including
olive oil, apples, citrus fruit or raisins.