WRITTEN QUESTION E-1167/01 by Geoffrey Van Orden (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Zimbabwe Resolution.
Date: 2001-04-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Zimbabwe, development aid, political situation, sanction (EU), suspension of aid

4.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 340 E/185

(2001/C 340 E/213)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1167/01

by Geoffrey Van Orden (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 April 2001)

Subject: Zimbabwe Resolution

What action has been taken against
the
European Parliament (R5-0156/2001)? What steps have been taken to identify overseas assets held by
President Mugabe and his supporters? Has development cooperation assistance (for which the Commission
is responsible) managed by the Zimbabwean Government and its agencies been suspended?

the Zimbabwean Government

following the resolution of

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(5 June 2001)

Identification of the overseas assets of President Mugabe and his supporters would be an early step in
direction of preventive sanctions. However, taking this step would require a common position of the
Union under the common foreign and security policy (CFSP).

Discussions in the CFSP fora indicate a consensus in favour of Political Dialogue under Article 8 of the
Cotonou Agreement, and against any form of sanctions at this stage. President Mugabe has welcomed this
initiative and the Troika Heads of Mission in Harare have been instructed to carry out the Dialogue. The
Union(cid:146)s policy of Dialogue will be reviewed at the General Affairs Council in June 2001.

At present, the Commission shares the publicly expressed views of the leader of the Movement of
Democratic Change (MDC) opposition, Mr Tsvangirai, that sanctions should be applied in response to
a severe deterioration: suspension of the Constitution or cancellation of Presidential Elections.

Development co-operation assistance managed by the Commission has been re-oriented to the social
sectors. The Commission believes that a collapse of basic social services would have extremely high costs
in terms of human suffering and ulterior rehabilitation.

The Commission has therefore maintained its programmes in the areas of primary health and education.
This assistance, agreed with the Government of Zimbabwe, is directed towards the most vulnerable groups
of the population. The projects are designed to ensure that the funds reach the poorest, in the knowledge
that without Community support those children would not attend school and the sick would not be
treated.

Given the nature of this type of assistance, it is likely that even if the Union decided to apply sanctions
against Zimbabwe, these humanitarian/social oriented programmes to alleviate poverty would still be
maintained.

(2001/C 340 E/214)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1169/01

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(19 April 2001)

Subject: Pollution of the Mediterranean

Oil emissions caused by discharges of tankers(cid:146) washing water have brought the Mediterranean to the brink
of disaster.

Worrying data comes in the form of
the 1600 satellite photographs compiled by the European
Commission(cid:146)s Research Centre (cid:129) the only reliable evidence of oil pollution in the Mediterranean. 70 % of
the oil released into the Mediterranean by ships results from traditional practices, since discharging into the
sea is quicker and cheaper.