European Parliament resolution on famine in Ethiopia
Date: 2000-05-03
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Ethiopia, aid policy, civil war, drought, food aid, humanitarian aid, hunger

C 41/18

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

7.2.2001

Wednesday 3 May 2000

European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council regulation amending Reg-
ulation (EC) No 1255/1999 on the common organisation of the market in milk and milk products
(COM(1999) 608 & C5-0047/2000 & 1999/0246(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

(cid:17) having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(1999) 608) (1),

(cid:17) having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Articles 36 and 37 of the EC Treaty (C5-0047/

2000),

(cid:17) having regard to Rule 67 of its Rules of Procedure,

(cid:17) having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the opinion

of the Committee on Budgets (A5-0074/2000),

1.

Approves the Commission proposal as amended;

Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 250(2) of the

2.
EC Treaty;

3.
ment;

4.

5.

Calls on the Council to notify Parliament should it intend to depart from the text approved by Parlia-

Asks to be consulted again if the Council intends to amend the Commission proposal substantially;

Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and Commission.

(1) OJ C 89 E, 28.3.2000, p. 32.

3. Famine in Ethiopia

B5-0345, 0348, 0360, 0392 and 0395/2000

European Parliament resolution on famine in Ethiopia

The European Parliament,

(cid:17) having regard to its previous resolutions on the countries in the Horn of Africa,

A. whereas in the Horn of Africa as a whole the lives of almost 16 million people are at risk on account

of famine and drought,

B. whereas the lack of rain in recent years has resulted in the almost complete exhaustion of food

reserves and a dramatic increase in malnutrition, the first victims of which are children,

C. whereas Ethiopia’s economy is essentially based on agriculture, which accounts for approximately

80 % of GDP and 85 % of export revenue, and occupies 85 % of the population,

D. whereas the chronic shortage of food in the region has been exacerbated by the recent drought,
further deterioration of the food situation is likely as local farming production is dramatically reduced,
and many farmers have been forced to sell their livestock and abandon their land in order to find
other sources of income and food,

E. whereas the Commission intends supplying 432 000 tons of food aid to Ethiopia, which represents

more than half of the official Ethiopian request (821 000 tons),

7.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 41/19

Wednesday 3 May 2000

F. whereas all food aid should be distributed through NGOs to make sure it reaches the starving popula-

tion,

G. whereas Ethiopia has been involved in a bloody border conflict with Eritrea since May 1998 which is

diverting scarce resources for relief and development to the military effort,

H. whereas the humanitarian aid needs of the Horn of Africa region are immense, ranging from food,

drinking water and drugs to vaccines for children with a view to preventing epidemics,

Urges the European Union, the Member States and international bodies to respond to the region’s

1.
calls for aid immediately, particularly as regards food and health requirements;

2.
Urges the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea to take every possible step to resolve the conflict,
under the auspices of the OAU, and, at the same time, to halt all military activity so that they can use
their logistical capacities and human resources to provide practical and immediate assistance to their peo-
ples;

3.
Calls on the Commission to monitor carefully the food requirements of the populations at risk and to
coordinate closely food shipments and delivery with the other donors in order to avoid congestion of ports
and access roads;

4.
Calls on all governments in the Horn of Africa, in particular those of Ethiopia and Eritrea, to coop-
erate fully in the transport and delivery of food aid, in particular by allowing deliveries through all the
ports in the region;

Calls on the Commission, the Member States and international organisations to make provision for
5.
financial aid which goes beyond the emergency humanitarian aid phase and is intended to help farmers
regenerate their land and purchase livestock;

Calls on the Commission to implement, once the emergency is over, a comprehensive policy to
6.
strengthen food security in the region, in particular by increasing self-reliance based on local production
and purchases;

Calls on the governments in the region, and particularly the Ethiopian Government, to implement a
7.
policy of sustainable development in the agricultural sector with a view to enabling farmers to invest in
their land and meet their own needs;

Calls on the Commission and the Council to improve the early warning system to monitor sensitive

8.
regions where famine may arise, in order to allow earlier action and to prevent disasters occurring;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the governments of

9.
the Member States, the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea and the IGAD.

4. Vertical restraints

A5-0077/2000

European Parliament legislative resolution on the draft guidelines on vertical restraints (C5-0009/
2000 & 2000/2003 (COS))

The European Parliament,

(cid:17) having regard to the communication pursuant to Article 5 of Council Regulation 19/65/EEC of
2 March 1965 on application of Article 81(3) of the Treaty to certain categories of agreements and
concerted practices and Guidelines on Vertical Restraints (1) (C5-0009/2000),

(1) OJ C 270, 24.9.1999, pp. 7 and 12.