WRITTEN QUESTION P-2486/01 by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Peace and Reconciliation Fund.
Date: 2001-09-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU control, EU programme, Structural Funds, establishment of peace, financial aid, fraud against the EU, terrorism, use of aid

18.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 93 E/141

The Commission is actively participating in joint Union efforts to address human rights issues in Pakistan
as part of the Common Foreign and Security Policy. The blasphemy law was raised with the authorities
during ad hoc political Troika talks in Islamabad on 20-21 November 2000. On 3 May 2001 the Troika
carried out a demarche on the death penalty with the Minister of Law and Justice, Human Rights and
Parliamentary Affairs. On this, as well as other occasions since then, the Union’s concerns on the
blasphemy law have been communicated to the Pakistan authorities.

(2002/C 93 E/170)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2486/01

by Christopher Heaton-Harris (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(5 September 2001)

Subject: Peace and Reconciliation Fund

Recent reports have stated that the European Union has been funding well-known IRA terrorists through
the EU’s Peace and Reconciliation Fund.

Has the Commission initiated a formal investigation into the possible gross misappropriation of European
Union funds?

Has the Commission suspended payment to these particular organisations until a proper investigation has
been concluded?

What steps will the Commission take to ensure that taxpayers’ money is properly spent and if it is
confirmed that money has been inappropriately allocated, what steps will the Commission take to reclaim
the money?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(8 October 2001)

The Commission assumes that the Honourable Member is referring to an article published in the British
edition of the Sunday Times on 26 August 2001 entitled ‘IRA suspects funded by EU grants’.

The article names individuals suspected of involvement in terrorist activities who are alleged to number
among the beneficiaries supported by European Structural Funds via projects concerning two ex-prisoner
groups: ‘Tar Isteach’ and ‘Coiste Na n-larchimí’.

Although the individuals concerned have not been convicted of a terrorist offence,
the European
Commission has asked the programme management authority on the ground = the Special EU
Programmes Body = to examine the projects concerned. This examination has provided no evidence to
suggest that there are irregularities in the administration of European funds. At present there is therefore
no basis either for a suspension of payments or for a request for reimbursement of EU funds.

Although the PEACE I programme and its successor, PEACE II, are unique among European interventions
under the Structural Funds, they are subject to the same strict set of rules with regard to financial
management and control. The Commission has already demonstrated in the past that it will not hesitate to
suspend payments where there is evidence of the misuse of European funding. It has the full cooperation
of the Special EU Programmes Body in this respect.