WRITTEN QUESTION E-1180/01 by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission. Plan Colombia.
Date: 2001-04-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Colombia, EU financing, aid to agriculture, development aid, establishment of peace, human rights

20.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 364 E/53

constitutes a challenge both for Europe(cid:146)s mechanisms of production and its social systems. Studies into the
birth deficit show that the fall in the birth rate is not only due to women(cid:146)s difficulties in reconciling family
and working life but also to pathological causes relating to both partners. The little statistical data available
shows that one in ten couples are involuntarily childless.

1. Will the Council take initiatives to formulate a coherent and generous policy to tackle the birth
deficit?

2.
In an age in which medical science has developed techniques to assist reproduction, which in
combination with hi-tech drugs offer less fertile couples effective options, will the Council encourage the
Member States to adopt such practices in their health care systems?

Reply

(27 September 2001)

The Council is paying considerable attention to problems related to the low birth rate in Europe. This
work takes place mainly within the Social Protection Committee set up by the Council, in the context of
the open method of coordination introduced by the Lisbon European Council in March 2000.

The Nice European Council in December 2000 adopted the European Social Agenda, which addresses
amongst other issues the challenge of a declining birth rate and an ageing population. Appropriate policies
for families and children, including reconciling family life and working life, are considered to be important
tools.

in March 2001 reiterated the need to focus on the demographic
The Stockholm European Council
challenge by, inter alia, adapting existing social protection systems. To that end, the Stockholm European
Council invited the Council and the Commission to develop by 2002 indicators on the provision of care
facilities for children and other dependants and on family benefit systems.

According to Article 152 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, the delivery of health
services and medical care practices in the health system is a matter of national competence and does not
fall within the competence of the Community.

(2001/C 364 E/059)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1180/01

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(19 April 2001)

Subject: Plan Colombia

Would the Commission provide a detailed breakdown of the nature of the EU(cid:146)s € 105 million development
assistance package to Colombia?

In light of the resolution on Colombia adopted by Parliament on 1 February 2001, would the Commission
confirm that EU assistance to that country is entirely separate from the US sponsored Plan Colombia?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(25 June 2001)

The Commission has officially announced that the amount of aid reserved for the Colombian peace
process, in terms of new commitments, will be € 105 million for the period 2001-2006. A provision of
around € 6 million per year should be added to this amount to take into account the contribution of the
budgets non-programmable lines (European Community(cid:146)s Humanitarian Office (ECHO), non-governmental
organisations (NGOs), Refugees, etc.). The total amount resulting could therefore be estimated to be € 140
million.

C 364 E/54

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.12.2001

This amount has been divided between the following four axes which represents the internal articulation of
a larger Community (Commission and Member States) support programme for the peace process worth
more than € 330 million:

(cid:129) Axe 1: concerns actions aimed at promoting the respect of the specific agreements as well as the
construction of peace in the (cid:145)meeting area(cid:146), in the (cid:145)distension area(cid:146) (demilitarised zones where the
peace dialogue with the two principal components of
the (cid:145)guerrilla(cid:146), respectively the National
Liberation Army (ELN) and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), will take place)
and in surrounding areas of these two zones.

The Community provision foreseen for this axe is € 60 million. With this amount the Community will
promote actions aimed at the establishment of (cid:145)Peace Laboratories(cid:146), in the (cid:145)meeting(cid:146) and (cid:145)distension(cid:146)
areas as well in the surrounding areas.

The function of the (cid:145)Peace Laboratories(cid:146) is to anticipate, in the designated areas, the effects of peace
and in this way to provide feedback on the negotiation process.

In order to establish the (cid:145)Peace Laboratories(cid:146), the Community will finance two important integral
development projects (each of them worth € 30 million). Their purpose will be to strengthen the local
public institutions (different levels of local government), to consolidate the leading role of the groups
promoting peace,
to identify the sustainable development potential, and to support alternative
development in the zones where (cid:145)concerted manual eradication(cid:146) of illegal crops will take place.

(cid:129) Axe 2: concerns actions aimed at strengthening the national reform policies and achieving the aims

set at the time of the negotiations.

Community provision: € 25 million. The actions envisaged under this axe aim at financing the
implementation of studies and pilot projects which will make it possible to check the hypotheses of
national policy reforms set during the peace negotiations (actions foreseen to support reforms in the
(cid:145)Agricultural policy(cid:146) and in the (cid:145)Judicial system(cid:146)).

(cid:129) Axe 3: concerns actions aimed at strengthening the respect of human rights and encouraging

a peaceful culture.

Community provision: € 13 million (Budget line Human Rights and Democratisation). The actions
envisaged will be designed to promote in Colombian civil society, social and cultural processes which
have a positive influence on the peace negotiations.

(cid:129) Axe 4: concerns actions aimed at reducing the social impact of the conflict and envisaging its possible

expansion to other critical areas in the country.

Community provision: € 42 million (programmable and non-programmable budget lines).

The purpose of the foreseen actions is:

(cid:129) to promote the social and productive reintegration process of the social groups directly affected
by or involved in the conflict (displaced, former combating minors, wounded, demobilised);

(cid:129) to reduce the critical factors which, on a social (marginalisation, drug consumption) or territorial
level (underdevelopment of areas with low conflict intensity) can worsen and extend the conflict;

(cid:129) to support alternative development in the zones where (cid:145)concerted manual eradication(cid:146) of illicit

crops will take place.

As to whether the Union package will be kept separate from (cid:145)Plan Colombia(cid:146), the Commission would like
to re-iterate it(cid:146)s position: the Union(cid:146)s reservations about some aspects of the Plan Colombia are well known
to President Pastrana and to his government. And the Commission does not intend to take part in any
initiative with a military dimension.