European Parliament resolution on the floods in Algeria
Date: 2001-11-15
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Algeria, emergency aid, flood, humanitarian aid, support policy

C 140 E/586

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.6.2002

Thursday 15 November 2001

A. mindful of the havoc wrought by Hurricane ‘Michelle’ as it swept through Honduras, Nicaragua and

Cuba, leaving people dead, missing or displaced and causing extensive material damage,

B. whereas these three particularly poor countries are now confronted with an emergency as regards
hygiene, food and access to drinking water and to basic services such as hospitals and schools for
their populations,

C. whereas, in spite of this being the worst disaster to hit Cuba in 50 years, the authorities there have
been able to limit the hurricane’s impact by means of preventive measures and a well-implemented
emergency plan,

D. whereas the coincidental timing of a visit by a European Parliament delegation to Honduras and

Nicaragua has made it possible to assess the hurricane’s impact there at first hand,

E. whereas Hurricane ‘Iris’ swept through neighbouring Belize on 8 October 2001, causing further dev-

astation in that area,

Expresses its solidarity with the families of the victims and those affected by this disaster, and shares

1.
the pain felt by the peoples of Honduras, Nicaragua and Cuba;

2. Welcomes the Commission’s rapid response in providing assistance to these countries through its
humanitarian aid office (ECHO);

3.
Calls on the Commission to assess the damage in Honduras and Nicaragua, to take that damage into
account in implementing the Regional Programme for the Reconstruction of Central America, and to
increase the relevant budgetary allocations accordingly;

4.
Regrets the fact that the lack of a cooperation agreement with Cuba prevents the European Union
from helping to alleviate the impact of this disaster there through anything other than humanitarian aid; in
this regard reiterates its belief in the need for a cooperation agreement with Cuba that is compatible with
the European Union doctrine on cooperation, respect for human rights and democracy;

5. Welcomes the gesture made by the United States Government in offering humanitarian aid, and
urges it to accede to Cuba’s request to be allowed to purchase supplies and medicines from the United
States for the humanitarian disaster relief effort, in spite of the existing embargo;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, Parlacen and the

6.
presidents and legislative bodies of the republics of Honduras, Nicaragua and Cuba.

18. Disasters: Floods in Algeria

B5-0715, 0722, 0728 and 0737/2001

European Parliament resolution on the floods in Algeria

The European Parliament,

: having regard to the Barcelona Declaration,

A. mindful of the disastrous rainstorms which have struck Algeria in the past few days, leaving more
than 500 people dead and many others injured and causing major damage to infrastructure and hous-
ing, notably in and around the capital,

B.

deeply shocked by the high number of victims these floods have claimed,

13.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 140 E/587

Thursday 15 November 2001

C. welcoming the rapid response given by the Commission through its Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO),
which sent a team to assess the damage on the ground, and the immediate provision of € 758 800 to
meet the urgent needs of the victims,

D. bearing in mind the Algerian authorities’ appeal for international solidarity,

1. Wishes to express its deep sorrow to the victims’ families and to the entire Algerian people and its
representatives in view of the calamity which has befallen them, and pays tribute to the courage shown by
the rescue workers;

2.
Asks the Commission to examine every possibility for extending special emergency aid to Algeria to
help the victims of this disaster, which is without precedent in Algeria and is yet further aggravating the
already precarious situation of thousands of Algerian citizens, priority being given to the poorest families
who have been the worst affected;

3.
Calls on the Commission to make available to the Algerian government a team of technical experts
to assess and quantify the damage caused, in order to identify what reconstruction measures are necessary
in terms of urban infrastructure and the organisation of services and in other spheres, and invites the
Commission and the Member States to provide aid within the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean Part-
nership to help rebuild homes and repair infrastructure;

4.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments
and parliaments of the Member States and of the candidate countries, the Algerian National People’s
Assembly and the government of Algeria.

19. Trade in small arms

B5-0723, 0729 and 0730/2001

European Parliament resolution on small arms

The European Parliament,

: having regard to its resolutions of 19 January 1995 (1), 15 January 1998 (2), 14 May 1998 (3),
7 October 1999 (4), 5 October 2000 (5) and 15 March 2001 (6) on an EU Code of Conduct on the
export or transfer of arms and the resolution adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 21 April
1998,

: having regard to the Joint Action adopted by the Council on the European Union’s contribution to

combating the destabilising accumulation and spread of small arms and light weapons,

A.

affirming the urgent need for more effective regulation of legal and illicit arms transfers in the wake of
the tragic events of 11 September 2001, in order to cut off lines of supply to terrorist organisations
and to tightly control transfers to governments that abuse human rights and regions of conflict and
instability,

B. welcoming the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small
Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects as an important first step in the international effort to
reduce the immense human suffering caused by the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light
weapons,

C.

convinced that early and effective action by all States to implement the Programme of Action to
Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects
will result in significant progress towards this end,

(1) OJ C 43, 20.2.1995, p. 89.
(2) OJ C 34, 2.2.1998, p. 163.
(3) OJ C 167, 1.6.1998, p. 226.
(4) OJ C 107, 13.4.2000, p. 103.
(5) OJ C 178, 22.6.2001, p. 273.
(6)
‘Text Adopted’, Item 20.