WRITTEN QUESTION E-1448/00 by Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler (PSE) to the Commission. Financial support from DG Trade for Brazilian non-governmental environmental organisations.
Date: 2000-05-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Brazil, EU financing, non-governmental organisation, pollution control measures

C 72 E/60

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.3.2001

(2001/C 72 E/069)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1448/00

by Wolfgang Kreissl-D(cid:246)rfler (PSE) to the Commission

(10 May 2000)

Subject: Financial support from DG Trade for Brazilian non-governmental environmental organisations

In 1997 the Commission (DG Trade) concluded contracts with several Brazilian non-governmental
environmental organisations pledging them financial support for projects. The NGOs have now been
waiting for three years for news and, above all, the financial support. One example is the contract with
Ecotropia, reference number BR97/023/B7-6201/04.

Could the Commission reply to the following questions:

1. What are the general aims underlying the support for the projects carried out by the Brazilian NGOs?

2. What has happened thus far? Has an assessment of the support measures been carried out?

3. What is the explanation for the non-provision of financial support?

4. Will the Commission take steps in the near future to comply with its obligations under the contracts?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(29 June 2000)

The project mentioned by the Honourable Member is one component project within a large commitment
made in 1997 ((cid:145)Brazil Package(cid:146), B7-6021/97/0542). The package consists of 12 non-governmental
organization (NGO) projects, dealing with environmental matters, supported by a central project manage-
ment unit. Unfortunately the package has not yet been implemented and no contracts have so far been
signed with the partner NGOs.

The aims of the projects to be carried out by the partner NGOs in this package are related to the
conservation and sustainable use of tropical forests in Brazil through a variety of actions.

The projects have not yet been started and therefore no assessment has been carried out. The Commission
has not entered into a contract with any of the partner NGOs, but they were informed that their projects
had been accepted for funding. A number of preparatory measures were undertaken, notably a mission to
finalise planning of the component projects. The main one is the need to create the legal basis for the
project management unit and define implementation procedures because there are no previous similar
cases in Brazil. Such procedures are currently under negotiation.

As stated previously, the Commission does not have contractual obligations vis-(cid:224)-vis the partner NGOs as
no contracts have been signed. It is however pursuing all efforts with the Brazilian authorities to unblock
the situation.

The delay experienced in the implementation of this project is a serious issue. However this problem
should not obscure the fact that four other NGO projects amounting to € 3,9 million have been funded
from the tropical forestry budget line in Brazil between 1997 and 1999, and over € 22 million were
committed for Brazil from the NGO co-financing line.