WRITTEN QUESTION E-0431/01 by Bastiaan Belder (EDD) to the Commission. Letter of 26 January 2001 from Minister Herfkens of the Netherlands to Commissioner Nielson with a request for funding for development programmes concerned with abortion.
Date: 2001-02-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, United States, abortion, aid policy, development aid, ethics, health aid, reproductive health

21.8.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 235 E/203

(2001/C 235 E/238)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0431/01

by Bastiaan Belder (EDD) to the Commission

(16 February 2001)

Subject: Letter of 26 January 2001 from Minister Herfkens of the Netherlands to Commissioner Nielson

with a request for funding for development programmes concerned with abortion

Is the Commission of the opinion that this is a serious ethical decision and that no reply can be given to
Minister Herfkens(cid:146) request for European funding to offset the American change of policy on development
programmes concerned with abortion until Parliament and the Council have been consulted?

Does the Commission agree that Mr Herfkens(cid:146) request comes at an awkward moment now that the
Commission is reassessing European development policy? To what extent does the Commission think that
this request for aid is in line with Europe(cid:146)s priorities for development policy?

To what extent is it Europe(cid:146)s responsibility to fill the breach caused by changes in the development policy
of other countries? What impact does this way of operating have on the coherence of policy?

What is the Commission(cid:146)s attitude in general towards the implementation of development programmes in
which activities are financed in areas which are ethically sensitive in donor countries and/or in recipient
countries?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(5 April 2001)

Reproductive health is a priority area of Community development policy with consensus reached through
a series of major development conferences over recent years including Cairo, Beijing and Copenhagen. The
ability of men and women to make a free and informed choice about the number and spacing of their
children; access to good quality family planning and sexual health services; access to skilled care during
birth; these are all fundamental rights that the Community should support without question.

The Community does not promote abortion as a means of family planning. The Commission neither
supports nor condones any organisation promoting abortion. Its support aims to prevent the need for
abortion. Yet abortion is a reality in the lives of 50 million women every year; it is commonly performed
illegally under unsafe conditions and causes untold suffering and kills an estimated 80 000 women each
year. Where abortion is not against the law it should be made safe and accessible and women should have
access to quality services for the management of complications arising from abortion.

The Commission would prefer that the Community did not need to fill any breach caused by changes in
development policy in another country. Its partners in developing countries need consistency in external
policy and support. The Commission would prefer that all developed countries contribute their fair share
of development finance.

the recent United States decision on
The Commission needs more information on the impact of
reproductive health programming in poor countries and on the organisations which will be most affected.
Early indications suggest that the cuts may reduce support to sexual and reproductive health programmes
in many countries. Ultimately that can only lead to more unwanted pregnancies, more abortions and
maternal deaths, more cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquired immune deficiency
syndrome (AIDS), more poverty and misery.

C 235 E/204

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.8.2001

The Commission shares the views of the Presidency and Member State Ministers on this subject and has no
reservation in meeting, any shortfalls in such a vital area. To that end the Commission is preparing
a proposal for a Community reproductive rights programme.

(2001/C 235 E/239)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0433/01

by Hans Karlsson (PSE) to the Commission

(16 February 2001)

Subject: Lifelong learning for adults

Lifelong learning has become a widespread concept with broad-based support within the Union as
a method of keeping abreast of developments, enabling people to retain their jobs and equip themselves
to find new jobs.

Lifelong learning is defined in a variety of ways, however. It is not sufficient, in my view, for employees to
receive ongoing, in-service training; it must also be possible, for example, to embark on university studies
many years into working life so as to have a genuine opportunity to acquire the same qualifications as
younger employees.

What measures will the Commission, therefore, take to enable employees with many years of work
experience to enjoy lifelong learning at an advanced level?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(5 April 2001)

The Commission recognises the crucial role of education and training in the economic and social
development of the Community. The Employment Guidelines provide the policy framework for promoting
lifelong learning related to European Employment Strategy objectives. Following the Lisbon European
Council, which stressed the need to adapt the European education and training systems, greater emphasis
is being placed on lifelong learning and on increasing investment in human capital.

Lifelong learning is now seen as a horizontal objective of the Employment Strategy, with more focused
guidelines and more specific commitments for developing comprehensive strategies in an integrated
approach framework and setting new common targets. The strategies should include the development of
tertiary systems and further education and training for adults to improve their employability, adaptability
and skills as well as their participation in the knowledge based society. The recognition of qualifications,
acquired knowledge and skills are specifically addressed by the employment guidelines. Therefore, the
changes proposed in the employment guidelines for 2001 (1) have consequences for new policy measures
and Member States are invited to make specific commitments to develop comprehensive lifelong learning
strategies.

Moreover, this aspect is an important message of the memorandum on lifelong learning (2) and the
Commission expects to come up with some proposals at European level in its Action Plan in the autumn
of this year based on the conclusions of the consultation process for the memorandum on lifelong
learning. In this context, the recognition of professional experience as credit or entrance qualification to
higher education is an issue for policy development in the Community. Some Member States (the United
Kingdom and more recently France) have already introduced recognition of prior professional experience
for those who have not acquired upper secondary level or other entrance qualifications to higher
education. Thus, they also can have access to higher education or even credit for one year in a study
field relevant to the field of their professional experience.