WRITTEN QUESTION E-3198/00 by Vitaliano Gemelli (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Violence in Colombia and continual oppression of its rural and indigenous communities.
Date: 2000-10-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Colombia, EU aid, food aid, war

C 163 E/58

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2001

As regards Pakistan, regular political dialogue meetings between the Union and Pakistan were suspended
following the military coup last year. However, the subject of the protection of religious minorities was
raised with senior interlocutors in the administration and the Pakistani Government during the Troika(cid:146)s ad
hoc visit in November 1999. The next ad hoc Troika, due to take place at the end of November 2000, will
resume this discussion. Heads of Mission in Islamabad will also continue to raise these issues with the
appropriate interlocutors.

(2001/C 163 E/056)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3194/00

by Philip Bradbourn (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 October 2000)

Subject: Association of Citizens for the Promotion of European Currency

Could the Commission please indicate the annual cost to the European Union budget of the Association of
Citizens for the Promotion of European Currency and how many individual members by Member State the
group actually comprises?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(6 December 2000)

The Association of citizens for the promotion of European currency (Promeuro) received € 10 000 on the
1998 budget (B3-306) and nothing on the 1999 and 2000 budgets.

According to Promeuro it has about 120 active members of which 77 pay subscriptions (Belgium 21,
Denmark 2, Germany 6, Spain 5, France 15, Italy 10, Luxembourg 9, Austria 1, Finland 1, United
Kingdom 5 and third country 2).

(2001/C 163 E/057)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3198/00

by Vitaliano Gemelli (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 October 2000)

Subject: Violence in Colombia and continual oppression of its rural and indigenous communities

The serious, ten-year internal conflict in Colombia between drug traffickers and the military, with the
occasional backing of the paramilitary, has, over time led to a depopulation of the areas concerned by the
fighting on account of the repeated threats, air attacks, murders and massacres to which the local and
indigenous communities are being subjected. The areas most directly involved are those which,
for
economic and political reasons, are of greater strategic importance and which the combatants have an
interest in owning or controlling.

Furthermore, forced displacement is on the increase: in 1999, 288 000 people were forced to flee their
homes and from 1985 to 1999 over 1 700 000 people were forcibly evacuated.

Can the Commission say whether any aid is being granted to the Colombian Government to tackle

1.
and overcome this grave social instability?

2. What proposals for social stability is the European Union putting forward in Colombia and which
NGOs is it using to do so?

3. What is the Commission(cid:146)s view of the (cid:145)returning communities(cid:146) that are attempting to return people
to their homelands?

4. What is the EU(cid:146)s relationship with the (cid:145)Peace Communities(cid:146) in Colombia and to which projects does
the Commission plan to give financial support in order to promote development and solidarity and protect
communities at risk of displacement?

6.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 163 E/59

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(13 November 2000)

The Community is supporting the Colombian government with a substantial multiannual programme. The
Commission plans to focus on social and economic development and combating poverty, alternative
development, support for the reform of the judiciary sector, support and promotion of human rights,
assistance to displaced people, and protection of the environment and tropical forests.

this is partly carried out through non-
As to the implementation of the Community programmes,
governmental organisations (NGOs), especially in the field of displaced people, community development
and environment. Among the European NGOs which carry out projects in Colombia are Oxfam, Caritas,
MØdØcins sans FrontiŁres, Comitato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo dei Popoli (Italie) (CISP), Movimento
Sviluppo e Pace (Italie) (MSP), Miserior, Katholische Zentralstelle Fur Entwicklungshilfe (Allemagne) (KZE),
Agriculteurs Fran(cid:231)ais et DØveloppement
Jugend Dritte Welt, Fonds de
(France)
CoopØration au DØveloppement-SolidaritØ Socialiste (Belgique)
(FCD), Intermon, Broederlijk Delen, and
the Greek Committee for International Democratic Solidarity (Grece) (EEDDA).

International

(AFDI),

Concerning the Honourable Member(cid:146)s question on the return of displaced people to their territories of
origin, the situation in Colombia at the moment is far from being stable and the number of displaced
people is expected to increase even further in the near future. Moreover, the Commission intends to
support people willing to return only if the necessary conditions concerning their personal security and the
respect for human rights are guaranteed. On an international level, the Community is the principal donor
of aid to over 1 million displaced people in Colombia (€ 24 million since 1997).

The Commission also supports the peace communities mentioned by the Honourable Member through
specific actions carried out by NGOs to meet their needs for humanitarian aid, and through active
participation in the (cid:145)Mesa por la paz en UrabÆ(cid:146) (a platform for peace consisting of different national and
international entities)
in order to observe the human rights situation in the area, where the peace
communities are situated (UrabÆ).

As to the Honourable Member(cid:146)s question on specific projects working with communities who risk being
displaced, the Commission finances the project (cid:145)Cien municipios por la paz(cid:146) (100 municipalities for peace)
with the Colombian (cid:145)Redepaz(cid:146) movement. This project of € 850 000 seeks to encourage 100 municipalities
all over Colombia to co-operate actively in favour of peace.

(2001/C 163 E/058)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3199/00

by Mario Mauro (PPE-DE) to the Council

(16 October 2000)

Subject: International body(cid:146)s discrimination of a sports company which has actively fought doping

For 15 years the company A & V Sport Ltd and the sports group Amore & Vita Giubileo Beretta have
successfully participated in international sport and championed the health-related aspects of sport.

The Amore & Vita professional cycling team, part of the Fanini group, has the longest history in the
international arena; it has had great worldwide success, winning, amongst others, 11 world championships,
28 Italian championships and 11 stages of the (cid:145)Giro d(cid:146)Italia(cid:146); it has introduced 3 700 athletes to cycling and
has discovered and launched numerous champions, such as Cipollini, Bartoli, Tafi, Sorensen and others.

The team(cid:146)s manager, Ivano Fanini has, in recent years and in less suspicious times, actively fought against
doping with the aim of cleaning up cycling, which is now the focus of huge controversy with cyclists from
all over the world involved in cases of doping.

Despite the fact that A & V Sport Ltd met all the requirements of the International Cycling Union (ICU) for
its 2000 membership, the latter organisation, and namely its president, Hein Verbruggen, first of all
unreasonably delayed and then rejected the team(cid:146)s application for the year 2000.