WRITTEN QUESTION E-2032/00 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission. Aid for Africa.
Date: 2000-06-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Africa, EU aid, development aid

3.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 103 E/49

(2001/C 103 E/051)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2032/00

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(21 June 2000)

Subject: Aid for Africa

The news coming out of Africa is increasingly disturbing. In addition to full-scale war, such as that
between Ethiopia and Eritrea, there are racial conflicts, conflicts over the control of mineral resources,
tribal wars, drought, hunger and starvation, while the scourge of Aids spreads fear and death. It is a
catastrophic situation which cannot leave Europe indifferent.

1.
Has the Commission submitted proposals and projects aimed at combating these terrible problems, at
the very least in the context of relations with the African countries who are signatories to the Fourth LomØ
Convention;

2.
Is it able to coordinate the action of the Member States of the Union in the UN, so that they can act
strategically to prevent wars, combat Aids, support food aid to prevent starvation, and to provide health
care;

Can it say how much money has been set aside in the Community budget and the budgets of the

3.
Member States for development aid for the countries of Africa?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(19 September 2000)

1.
The Commission attaches great importance to conflict prevention, management and resolution. In
Africa in particular major efforts are being made to restore peace and the Commission is using all the
financial instruments at its disposal to that end (budget, European Development Fund). For example, in
Burundi, it is funding the Arusha negotiations and is framing a programme for the consolidation of peace
once agreements have been signed;
in the Democratic Republic of Congo it has financed the Lusaka
negotiations (€ 2,65 million), supports the Joint Military Commission (€ 1,2 million from the CFSP
(common foreign and security policy) budget and is mobilising resources from the EDF and the
Community budget
to support mediation efforts (€ 1,9 million). The Commission has also actively
supported the Organisation for African Unity (OAU) in its bid to solve the conflict between Ethiopia and
Eritrea. It is ready to facilitate the implementation of the peace agreements, in particular by financing mine
clearance, rehabilitation, aid operations to help the return of refugees and displaced persons and
disarmament and demobilisation of armed forces. The Commission is also playing an active part in the
fight against the spread of light weapons. It provides significant humanitarian aid including food aid via
the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) in all situations of conflict, tribal war, natural
disaster and famine.

The Commission finances the activities of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), international organisa-
tions and the Red Cross movement to provide humanitarian assistance to populations of third countries in
need. In 1999, for the African region, it provided € 109,4 million.

With regard to food aid and support action for food security financed by the Community from the 1999
Community budget (budget heading B7-20, € 506 million of which € 154 million for Africa) for the most
vulnerable people in developing countries it is estimated that the share allocated to sub-Saharan Africa
represented approximately 30 % of the total. A major part of this aid was allocated to the Horn of Africa
(€ 88 million) in particular because of the situation in that part of the continent. With some exceptions,
the countries of West Africa (and in particular those of the Sahel) had in 1999 a good food security level
thanks to a good crop year.

In the fields coming within Community competence, the Commission expresses the position of the

2.
Union at the United Nations after coordination with the Member States.

In the coordination of Community and Member State development cooperation policies provided for in
Article 180 (ex Article 130x) of the EC treaty, the Commission plays above all the role of initiator of new
initiatives. For example it will soon present a communication on the acceleration of action concerning the

C 103 E/50

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.4.2001

control of the major communicable diseases (AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis) as part of the reduction of
poverty. This initiative will be taken in close cooperation with the Member States, the World Health
Organisation (WHO) and the UNAIDS (Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS) and will be the subject of an
international round table in Brussels on 28 September 2000.

In 1998 alone the Commission committed upwards of € 700 million for schemes in the health, AIDS and
population policy fields in the developing countries. Around € 300 million was committed for reproduc-
tive health and the fight against HIV/AIDS. Malaria and tuberculosis action financed by the Commission
forms part of wider programmes targeted on health systems and care coverage so budget appropriations
for these specific diseases are not identified precisely.

As regards humanitarian aid, whilst the Commission is not mandated to coordinate Member States(cid:146)
humanitarian action in the field, it does nevertheless try to coordinate its own relief activities with them.

3.
Development aid managed by the Commission is financed through the Community budget and the
European Development Fund (EDF). The total amount of heading 4 of the Community budget (external
relations) for the year 2000 is € 4,627 million. This figure is to be divided between eight geographical
programmes and several thematic and horizontal instruments, which are geographically neutral. Only one
of the geographical programmes concerns Africa, the South Africa heading with € 128 million. The EDF is
the financial instrument of the LomØ Convention. It is formed by Member States(cid:146) contributions and is
devoted to development cooperation with the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states and overseas
countries and territories (OCTs).

Total commitments from the EDF concerning Africa in 1999 were € 2,199 million (€ 219,6 million was
also committed for regional cooperation with the ACP countries).

For Member States(cid:146) bilateral aid to Sub-Saharan African countries, the Honourable Member should refer to
the statistics of the OECD development aid committee in the 1999 annual report, which show the
following figures in millions of dollars for 1997/1998 (see page 228, Statistical table 32):

Austria
Belgium
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Ireland
Italy
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom

104
300
560
103
2 132
1 339
99
596
36
799
172
234
522
1 043

(2001/C 103 E/052)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2043/00

by Olivier Dupuis (TDI) to the Commission

(16 June 2000)

Subject: On the defence of officials unfairly blamed

In his answer to Written Question P-1049/00 (1) of 23 May 2000, the Vice-President of the Commission,
Mr Kinnock, emphasises that (cid:145)Where there are serious unfounded accusations against the professional
integrity of an official, the administration is required under Article 24 of the Staff Regulations to take all