WRITTEN QUESTION E-1185/01 by Concepció Ferrer (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Assessment of Community projects.
Date: 2001-04-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, EU programme, aid policy, aid to refugees, cooperation in the field of education, mass education, peacekeeping, project evaluation

C 40 E/24

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.2.2002

The Commission has already expressed concern about the access to the (cid:145)Eleftherios Venizelos(cid:146) International
Airport and asked the Greek Government to inform it about the measures that are taken in order to
improve the accessibility of airport.

Minister Laliotis and Minister Verelis have provided the Commission with a thorough presentation of the
works and measures that the Greek authorities are envisaging. The Greek Government has also presented
future plans (e.g. completion of ATTIKI ODOS by end 2002, rail connection by the year 2004). The
Commission will continue to insist upon the Greek Government to increase its efforts to provide efficient
and environmentally sustainable access to the airport.

The Commission is unable to confirm suggestions that airfares are expected to rise significantly as by-
product of opening the new airport. In case, however, that there are clear indications suggesting that
airport charges are not cost-related or set in a discriminatory way the Commission would use its powers to
rectify the situation. Up to now, substantiated complaints in this regard have not been put forward.

(2002/C 40 E/022)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1185/01

by Concepci(cid:243) Ferrer (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 April 2001)

Subject: Assessment of Community projects

There is currently a degree of concern regarding the procedures for assessing Community development
programmes,
in particular programmes aimed at countries which have emerged from a recent armed
conflict or countries which are in the process of emerging and which still have numbers of displaced
persons and refugees.

A point to be considered is that peace agreements such as the Arusha agreements do not include non-
structural measures, in particular ones relating to education.

A further consideration is that non-structural measures aimed at reconciliation processes are regarded by
conflict-settlement specialists as essential to the successful achievement of a lasting peace, in that they help
to overcome the ethnic prejudices and the hatred and rancour which lead to and fuel any armed conflict.

In view of the above, could the Commission state how,
in its project and programme assessment
procedures, it takes into account and evaluates the impact of Community initiatives in the field of non-
structural measures relating to peace consolidation, in particular issues relating to peace education within
the camps set up for displaced persons and refugees?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(13 July 2001)

As underlined in the Commission(cid:146)s communication of 11 April 2001 on conflict prevention (1), the EU
seeks to project stability both among its immediate neighbours and throughout the world, by supporting
regional
integration and by building trade links. Direct support to regional structures in Africa and
autonomous trade concessions to the Western Balkans are examples of instruments with a long-term
stabilisation perspective.

its disposal,

For the Commission, the key to dealing with conflict is reacting quickly and promoting active prevention
via effective implementation of targeted measures.
instruments for non-military crisis
including technical and financial aid to regional and international
management at
organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), official national, regional and local authorities
and agencies, community-based organisations and private-sector institutes and operators. These actors in
crisis management also receive support from other geographical cooperation instruments such as the
European Development Fund for the countries of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, and other major
instruments in Chapter B7 of the Community budget such as the regulations on human rights.

It has several

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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Furthermore, the reformed programming process for external assistance, set in train over the last year with
the production of Country Strategy Papers for all recipients of EC assistance, requires a systematic analysis
of
the political situation in the partner country including those factors which could impact on
development such as the issues needing to be addressed to promote peace and reconciliation.

In the Balkans, most of the measures taken by the Commission are geared to the process of reconciliation.
The Commission gives very substantial support to the transitional civil administrations, such as the Office
of the High Representative (OHR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the missions of the United Nations in
Kosovo (MINUK) (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY)). The purpose of these transitional administrations
is to shoulder much of the administration of the country and to support local administrations and
governments until they can administer the region in a context of lasting peace.

As regards reconciliation itself, the Commission assists programmes in support of non-nationalist and
independent media, in the knowledge that the media have had a major role in the Balkan conflict. Among
other measures, the SENSE programme supports information on the activities of the International Tribunal
in The Hague.

In assessing these measures, the Commission specifically tries to find out whether its support has achieved
the expected results. The ways in which it does this depend on the nature of the programmes; often
surveys are undertaken among the beneficiaries, both before a programme is designed and to assess its
impact, for example among groups of displaced persons and refugees. The issues referred to, awareness
campaigns and education to reject prejudice, violence and intolerance, are included in such surveys, as are
other issues such as people(cid:146)s capacity to develop activities enabling them to meet their basic needs.

The evaluations conducted by the Commission also cover activities relating to voter education. While the
EU(cid:146)s activities in the field of support for elections is still a crucial
(though not sufficient) factor for
democratisation, voter education ensures that citizens understand their democratic rights and therefore
increases their ability to exercise them. Voter education is important, particularly for those population
groups which have little or no experience of democratic procedures and traditions.

(1) COM(2001) 211 final.

(2002/C 40 E/023)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1212/01

by Jean-Charles Marchiani (UEN) to the Council

(24 April 2001)

Subject: Languages used in the defence sector in the European Union

Can the Council state what languages are used in Eurocorps and the Standing Military Committee?

In view of the fact that French and German are by virtue of demographic realities by far the most widely
spoken mother tongues in the European Union, does it not feel that they ought to be retained (cid:129) both for
historical and political reasons (cid:129) as priority languages within European military structures?

Can it explain the reasons behind the use of English within such structures?

Does it believe, both in the interests of efficiency in time of crisis and in the light of the prevailing cultural
realities in Europe (existence of three major language branches, i.e. Latin and Gallo-Latin, Germanic and
Anglo-Saxon), that it would be appropriate at the very least to limit oneself to the use of French, German
and English?

Given the prospect of the establishment of a genuinely independent European defence policy, does it not
believe that the unjustified and excessive use of English sends out, by analogy, a very poor message to
Europeans?