WRITTEN QUESTION E-2237/01 by Caroline Lucas (Verts/ALE) to the Council. EU relations with Colombia/EU assistance programme to support the peace process.
Date: 2001-07-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Colombia, EU programme, establishment of peace, financial aid, fund (EU), human rights, narcotic, paramilitary force

16.5.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 115 E/43

(2002/C 115 E/043)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2234/01

by Daniela Raschhofer (NI) to the Commission

Subject: Exports of animal meal and imports of beef and veal

(26 July 2001)

In your answer to my Question E-0804/01 (1) you write ‘Whereas the figures for exports of processed
animal protein from the Community to CEEC can be derived from the available statistics, it is difficult to
estimate the amount of exports of animal feedingstuffs containing such products with any precision.’

As it is difficult to estimate the amount of exports of animal feedingstuffs containing animal protein with
any precision, I should like to know the figures for Community exports of processed animal protein to the
CEEC that can be derived from the available statistics.

The Scientific Steering Committee is continuously assessing the BSE risk in non-Community countries and
has submitted a file containing export figures.

Can the Commission forward this file to me? If so, I hereby request it to do so.

In its answer to my Question E-804/01 the Commission writes that the outcome of these assessments was
being made available on the Internet. At what Internet address are these results to be found?

In its answer to my Question E-0804/01 the Commission left a number of questions completely
unanswered.

Hoping for a reply this time, I shall repeat them:

4 How many head of cattle and tonnes of beef and veal are imported every day into the EU from the

CEECs?

4 How many head of cattle and tonnes of beef and veal are imported into the individual Member States?

(1) OJ C 350 E, 11.12.2001, p. 41.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(18 October 2001)

The Commission is sending the figures concerning the exports of processed animal proteins from the
Community to the Central and Eastern Europe Countries (CEEC) direct to the Honourable Member and to
Parliament’s Secretariat. As explained in the answer given to the Honourable Member’s Written Question
E-0804/01 these figures are also available on the Internet for those Member States and third countries
for which the Scientific Steering Committee has conducted the geographical BSE-risk (GBR) assessment.
These reports are published at the following Internet address: http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/ssc/
outcome_en.html#reports.

The Commission will also resubmit direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament’s Secretariat the
statistics concerning the imports of cattle and beef from the CEEC to the Member States.

(2002/C 115 E/044)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2237/01

by Caroline Lucas (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(26 July 2001)

Subject: EU relations with Colombia/EU assistance programme to support the peace process

The Commission has been asked in the past to guarantee that EU assistance remains wholly separate from
Plan Colombia. Yet we are concerned that European funds could be channelled through the ‘Fondo de
Inversiones para la Paz’, which is the Plan Colombia fund. Could the Council explain how the European

C 115 E/44

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

16.5.2002

funds are channelled and what criteria were established to guarantee transparency and participation of
local people and non-governmental sectors in the design, implementation and monitoring of the projects?

Further, when will the EU present the first public report to the European Parliament on its six- monthly
appraisal of the peace process, and will that report include an independent evaluation of the Colombian
Government’s human rights performance, with particular regard to the measures taken to combat
paramilitarism and its financial supporters?

Several reports show that aerial fumigation through US military aid causes severe human rights violations
such as forced displacement and damage to the health and environment of the people affected. Given its
responsibility to help protect human rights worldwide, how is the EU going to orientate its political
dialogue with the United States on the issue that the Colombian Government does not meet the human
rights conditions required if it is to receive military aid?

With regard to the strengthening of civil society participation, one of the priorities in the EU assistance
package, what mechanisms will be set up to guarantee a fluent dialogue between the Commission and
Council and the Colombian and European non-governmental sector? What will be done to improve the
exchange of information with the non-governmental sector?

Reply

(17 December 2001)

1.
The Council is monitoring the situation in Colombia closely and on an ongoing basis. It has already
briefed the European Parliament on several occasions on its position regarding the Colombian peace
process and the EU assistance programme, notably in the course of discussions between the Parliament and
Commissioner Nielson and the Swedish Secretary of State, Lars Danielsson, on 31 January 2001. The
Council will continue to keep the Parliament informed on this issue.

The EU presented its programme to support the peace process in Colombia at the third international
2.
meeting of the support group for the Colombian peace process held in Brussels on 30 April 2001. The
programme is aimed at promoting and protecting respect for human rights, humanitarian law and
fundamental freedoms, improving the living conditions of local populations, encouraging the cultivation of
alternative crops and the protection of biodiversity and supporting the introduction of structural reforms
in all fields which fuel conflict. One of its priorities is to strengthen participation by civil society.

The programme has a budget of over EUR 330 million,

3.
including the contributions of the 15
Member States and those from the Community budget. Use of the funds, transparency in their use and,
amongst other aspects, the effective participation of civil society in projects will be governed by the
mechanisms that normally apply to cooperation between the Member States and the Commission. The
Council,
in
collaboration with the Commission.

in these different bodies, will ensure coordination of the various projects implemented,

4.
The Council has on several occasions strongly condemned the serious and persistent violations of
human rights in Colombia. It has called on all the parties in conflict to put an end to the violence, to
respect human rights and to comply with international humanitarian law. The Council has taken note of
the efforts made by the Colombian government to curtail the activities of paramilitary groups and has
urged it to adopt further measures.

5. With respect to aerial fumigation, the Council has informed the Colombian authorities of the EU’s
position and, more specifically, has expressed doubts as to the effectiveness of this measure.
It has
encouraged Colombian initiatives for independent international monitoring of aerial fumigation based on
mechanisms established by the Colombian authorities. It has also drawn the attention of the Colombian
authorities to the potential negative impact of aerial
fumigation on current and future cooperation
projects. The EU has emphasised its conviction that the cultivation of alternative crops is the most effective
means of combating the production of illicit drug crops.

6.
Lastly, in its discussions with the United States, the Council has on several occasions outlined the
European Union’s position on all aspects of the peace process in Colombia and has exchanged information
on the situation in the country.