WRITTEN QUESTION E-3546/00 by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission. Education.
Date: 2000-11-15
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, cooperation in the field of education

19.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 174 E/73

end to the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Commission appreciates and supports similar
beneficial interventions from all parties. Against the background of what appeared to be an approaching
negotiated settlement, the current wave of clashes is particularly saddening.

It remains mostly for the parties themselves to negotiate to find workable peaceful solutions. There is no
valid alternative to peace. Thus the Commission is convinced that an agreement that satisfies the vital
needs and legitimate concerns of Israelis and Palestinians can and must be found.

The necessary first step is to restore calm on the ground, allowing for a fruitful resumption of negotiations
in turn leading to a lasting peace agreement. The Commission is ready and willing to support the
implementation of such an agreement through all mechanisms at its disposal.

(2001/C 174 E/074)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3534/00

by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission

(13 November 2000)

Subject: Aid to countries of South and Central America

Can the Commission detail the financial assistance given to each of the countries in South and Central
America over the last five years? What percentage of this money has been directed towards assistance to
the African communities in each of these countries?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(20 February 2001)

In view of the length of its answer, the Commission is sending it direct to the Honourable Member and to
Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.

(2001/C 174 E/075)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3546/00

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(15 November 2000)

Subject: Education

The final declaration of the World Education Forum commits the international community to ensuring
(cid:145)that no countries seriously committed to education for all will be thwarted in their achievement of this
goal by a lack of resources.(cid:146)

As one of the world(cid:146)s major donors to the education sector, how does the Commission plan to work with
southern governments, and other bilateral and multilateral donors, to agree procedures for financing
national Education Action Plans?

Does the Commission agree that a specific (cid:145)sign off(cid:146) process needs to be developed for agreeing to fund
National Plans, and how will it contribute to ensuring that such a process is developed?

Does the Commission agree that the EU budget should include increased earmarked funds for aid to
education, on an annual basis, to demonstrate that the EU will deliver on its commitments? In addition,
will the Commission propose such an increase to the budgetary authorities in the future?

C 174 E/74

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

19.6.2001

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(22 January 2001)

The Commission is committed to the overall principle contained in the final declaration of the WEF
concerning aid to countries seriously committed to education for all.

It has to be stated that under the current regulations development aid from the Commission is allocated
according to country strategies, National
Indicative Programmes and the guidelines adopted for the
programming process.

Bearing this in mind, the Commission is ready to support national education action plans aimed at
achieving the post-Dakar targets. As decided in the Framework for Action adopted at Dakar,
the
Commission looks forward to monitoring with partner countries, and all donors, progress towards the
2015 targets and intermediary objectives. It will work with the United Nations organisations, with non-
governmental organisations (NGOs), and with partner countries to advocate and promote the objectives
laid down by the Forum.

More specifically, the Commission intends to strengthen co-operation with southern countries and other
donors, particularly with Member States, in order to assist in developing National Action Plans (NAPs).
Such co-operation will take place at central level through enhanced complementarity and co-ordination in
the framework of the new development programming. Accordingly, the Commission recently organised a
meeting with the experts in education from the Member States, aiming at better co-ordination of their
the Dakar Framework for Action. The group will be further
positions on the implementation of
strengthened in the future so as to participate more actively in the Education for All process.

In the same context, the Commission has participated recently in the first meeting of the Working Group
set up by Unesco to implement
it
coordinated its position with the Member States regarding the objectives and content of the group.

the Dakar Framework for Action. With this purpose in mind,

At country level the Commission intends to co-operate with governments in developing, when compara-
tive advantage is evident, agreed procedures based on a sector-wide approach, on participation of civil
society and in close coordination with all donors.

The Commission considers that new (cid:145)sign off(cid:146) processes do not need to be developed when a financing
process already exists for the whole education sector or a sub-sector and is considered as valid, even if it is
not specifically defined as a National Action Plan (NAP). Nevertheless, in particular cases, the need for a
specific funding process for a NAP should be recognised, but always in the framework of national
development and sectoral policies and planning.

No commitment has been made by the Community to set up a mechanism to mobilise resources towards
the (cid:145)Education For All(cid:146) objectives. Notwithstanding, in their joint Declaration of 10 November 2000, the
Council and Commission stressed that continuous support to social sectors is consistent with the approach
developed in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Programmes (PRSPs). Therefore, basic education remains a
priority for the Commission in programming and implementing its aid to developing countries.

Within this context, the Commission is willing to examine a contribution to any initiative taken by the
World Bank for the benefit of developing countries involving monitoring or implementation of national
plans in support of basic education.

A certain flexibility is needed to react to recipients(cid:146) priorities and to work in a complementarity manner
with other donors. This being said, the Commission is ready to report, ex-post, on how commitments and
disbursements have developed in line with broad community priorities.