WRITTEN QUESTION E-0933/01 by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Speeding up emergency aid.
Date: 2001-03-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: administrative formalities, aid policy, aid to disaster victims, natural disaster, the EU's international role

C 350 E/60

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

11.12.2001

(2001/C 350 E/064)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0933/01

by Jonas Sj(cid:246)stedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(28 March 2001)

Subject: Speeding up emergency aid

(cid:145)The Eurocrats(cid:146), a Danish TV programme broadcast on 11 February 2001 on Swedish television, reported
inter alia on the time taken to process emergency aid and aid projects in general. One example was
a project to save the rainforests in Bolivia. The project application was lodged with the Commission in
December 1997. It was formally approved by the Commission five months later, but the work on the
contract and the budgetisation etc. has dragged on. Commissioner Nielson stated in February 2000 that
the finance had been arranged, but in November 2000 nobody yet knew whether the project would be
allowed to go ahead.

Another example quoted was the emergency aid following the devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch in
Central America in November 1998. In December 1998 and May 1999 the Commission promised € 200-
250 million as disaster aid. The appropriations were approved in May 2000 which was followed by the
procedure to launch the emergency aid project. The project began three years after the disaster.

The handling of these emergency aid projects reveals only too well the bureaucratic inefficiency involved.
Has the Commission reviewed its emergency aid procedures and produced any proposals for establishing
a fast-track emergency aid procedure which does not take years?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(19 June 2001)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to Written Question P-1085/01 by
Mr Schmidt (1).

The Commission would like to underline yet again that there is a confusion between humanitarian aid
provided by the European Community(cid:146)s Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) and the longer-term
development aid provided by other Community instruments. Therefore, it reaffirms that humanitarian aid
to victims of hurricane Mitch was delivered in a record period and the amount committed (around € 40
million) has been totally disbursed.

The development projects that are being implemented have had to be agreed with national authorities and
have had to undergo a long phase of preparation (needs assessment, appraisal, design of proposals, etc. (cid:133)).
This necessarily implies a longer-term approach.

Nevertheless, the Commission has recognised the need for urgent and major improvements in the speed
and quality of aid delivery, and is currently working on it in the context of the reform of Community(cid:146)s
external aid.

(1) OJ C 318 E, 13.11.2001, p. 197.

(2001/C 350 E/065)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0935/01

by Jonas Sj(cid:246)stedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(28 March 2001)

Subject: Responsibility of a Commission official

In the fraud case involving Messrs. Perry Lux, some of the few project documents that remained showed
that Mr Gomes-Reino, the Director of ECHO, had signed three or four contracts with Perry Lux and
Hubert Onidi one. The latter was forced out of his post at the Commission. Mr Gomes-Reino on the other
hand was absolved by the Commission.