WRITTEN QUESTION E-0060/01 by Esko Seppänen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Economic aid to Montenegro.
Date: 2001-01-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, Montenegro, aid evaluation, financial aid, use of aid

C 235 E/108

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.8.2001

programming and the budgetary funds available, which were in deficit by the amount of the 1998 budget
underspend. The fact that some Member States did not consider it possible to absorb all their indicative
programming helped to resolve the problem. Consequently, there were no unutilised or available budget
appropriations for further reallocation at the end of the period.

5.
As referred to at point 4 above, reallocations were normally carried out within a Member State. The
sums involved were usually insignificant, but the number of operations was quite large (cid:129) particularly in
1999. The only noteworthy instance between Member States concerned the Peace programme, with
a reallocation of € 100 million affecting all Member States.

6.
The absence of net amounts available at the end of the period (as indicated at point 4 above), the
insignificant sums reallocated, and above all the very nature of Structural Funds programming meant that
the Commission was not able to play a central role vis-(cid:224)-vis the reallocated amounts in order to improve
absorption and effectiveness. There are nevertheless good grounds for assuming that Member States
requested reallocations with a view to meeting a more urgent need or to improving absorption capacity,
and that those reallocations therefore address the concern expressed by the Honourable Member.

(1) OJ L 374, 31.12.1988.
(2) OJ L 193, 31.7.1993.
(3) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.

(2001/C 235 E/111)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0060/01

by Esko Sepp(cid:228)nen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(22 January 2001)

Subject: Economic aid to Montenegro

Before Montenegro(cid:146)s local elections in June, the EU decided to accord € 15 million in economic aid for the
administration of the republic. To the Commission(cid:146)s knowledge, for what purposes has this aid been used,
and has the aid been properly administered in Montenegro?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(30 March 2001)

In reply to the question asked by the Honourable Member regarding the assistance provided by the EC to
Montenegro:

(cid:129) In 2000 the EC approved substantial assistance to the Republic of Montenegro. This included more
than € 9 million for humanitarian support, up to € 20 million for macro-financial assistance, € 11
million for food security and a total of € 20 million (in two phases worth € 5 million and € 15 million
respectively) for reconstruction. This is in addition to bilateral assistance provided by the Member
States, mainly in the areas of infrastructure, public administration reform and economic reform. This
level of support reflected the priority attached by the General Affairs Council, and indeed the
European Parliament, to supporting Montenegro in withstanding considerable and economic pressure
from the Milosevic regime, and to help it on the path of democracy and reform.

(cid:129) The humanitarian aid and macro-financial assistance has since been disbursed. The latter was subject
to conditionalities which the Government respected in order to receive payment of the second
tranche. The € 11 million for food security is yet to be converted into a financing agreement as the
Government has only just received the last tranche of a 1999 food security support programme,
which also had stringent conditionalities attached.

21.8.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 235 E/109

(cid:129) The amount of € 15 million cited by the Honourable Member refers, the Commission believes, to the
second phase of the 2000 € 20 million reconstruction programme. This programme, approved in
Commission Decisions in November and December 2000 for amounts of € 1 million and € 14 million
respectively, included support to the areas of transport infrastructure, education, agriculture, finance
and administrative and technical assistance. Whilst first phase infrastructure package (€ 5 million
committed in May 2000) is well under implementation, the second phase is yet to get off the ground
due to the commitment of
the dossiers and
implementation responsibility to the European Agency for Reconstruction. However, with this Agency
now in place in Podgorica the Commission hope to be able to move ahead with implementation.

funds only late on in 2000 and the transfer of

(2001/C 235 E/112)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0061/01

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Council

(23 January 2001)

Subject: Incidence of leukaemia and tumours in the European Union

There have recently been tragic cases of leukaemia and cancer among soldiers who took part in the peace-
keeping operations in the Balkans (including soldiers from Italy, France, Belgium, Portugal, the United
Kingdom, the Czech Republic and Hungary) and there is a rising incidence of serious diseases such as
leukaemia and various types of tumour and melanoma throughout the Community. The population of
Europe is concerned and afraid that there may be links between the spread of such diseases and the use of
depleted uranium during the conflict. In view of this, does the Council intend to ascertain the risk to
human health and the environment posed by the use of depleted uranium munitions? Is the Council
willing to release the figures in its possession concerning the current number of cases of cancer and
leukaemia in Europe?

Does it intend to set up a committee of inquiry capable of:

(a)

swiftly obtaining scientifically reliable data to throw light on the possible link between the munitions
used and the cases of fatal diseases;

(b)

studying the incidence of serious diseases in the Union during the last three years;

(c) assessing the damage caused to the environment;

(d)

identifying regions whose food products must not be used;

(e) ascertaining the impact on animal farming?

(2001/C 235 E/113)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0064/01

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Council

(23 January 2001)

Subject: Cases of leukaemia and tumours among soldiers involved in the Kosovo war

There have recently been tragic cases of leukaemia and cancer among a large number of soldiers in the
European armed forces who took part in peacekeeping operations in the Balkans and there has been an
exponential increase in the incidence of such diseases throughout the Community. Concern and fear have
been aroused in the whole of Europe about the possible links between these illnesses and the use of
depleted uranium in the munitions used during the conflict. Furthermore, suffering was inflicted on the
population by the bombardments and the use of depleted uranium has had disastrous effects on the
civilian population, soldiers and hundreds of voluntary workers in Kosovo. In view of all this, does the
Council intend to ascertain the truth about the effects of the weapons used in the Balkans and the various
responsibilities for them? Furthermore, will it ask the Member States to carry out health checks on all the
soldiers who took part in the peacekeeping operation in the Balkans?