WRITTEN QUESTION P-3507/01 by Mogens Camre (UEN) to the Commission. Food aid to Tajikistan.
Date: 2001-12-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: ECHO, EU programme, Tajikistan, World Food Programme, civil war, drought, food aid

C 147 E/192

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2002

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(1 March 2002)

Article 22 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights states that ‘The Union shall respect cultural, religious and
linguistic diversity.’ Article 51 of the same instrument specifies that:
‘The provisions of this Charter are
addressed to the institutions and bodies of the Union with due regard for the principle of subsidiarity and
to the Member States only when they are implementing Union law.’ On the face of it, the case referred to
by the Honourable Member does not appear to concern actions susceptible to fall within the ambit of
Article 51 of the Charter.

Article 81 of the EC Treaty confers competence on the Community in the area of competition policy: ‘The
following shall be prohibited as incompatible with the common market: all agreements between
undertakings, decisions by associations of undertakings and concerted practices which may affect trade
between Member States and which have as their object or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of
competition within the common market’
(Article 81 of the EC Treaty). Article 85 of the EC Treaty
establishes the responsibility of the Commission for the implementation of this policy. No comparable
powers are conferred upon the Community or the Commission in the area of language policy.

(2002/C 147 E/200)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3507/01

by Mogens Camre (UEN) to the Commission

(12 December 2001)

Subject: Food aid to Tajikistan

Tajikistan in Central Asia, with its population of some six million, is suffering acute food shortages as a
result of a drought during the growing season. The country has long been riven by civil war which has
ruined its economy. The Red Cross has set up an aid operation but does not have the means to fund the
amounts needed.

What means does the Commission have at its disposal to contribute to the aid operation in Tajikistan?
What does the Commission intend to do to relieve the disaster Tajkistan is facing?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(28 January 2002)

The Commission is aware of the difficult situation in Tajikistan and is addressing the problems in the
context both of TACIS and the food aid/food security programme, which provides longer-term economic
assistance, and of humanitarian aid.

TACIS and food aid/food security programme

The Commission has been active in the food security field since 1996 with a € 8 million budget support
programme.

This programme was suspended in 1997 because of security problems and will resume in January 2002
with the support of technical assistance on the ground (a € 1 million financial allocation was approved for
this purpose).

Alongside this direct aid to the Government, a ‘2001’ allocation of € 3,7 million has been approved for
vulnerable population groups targeted by the World Food Programme. This allocation of food products
consists of 10 000 tonnes of maize and 500 tonnes of oil.

20.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 147 E/193

In response to selective needs identified by non-governmental organisations and on the basis of the
projects presented, further allocations of food products, tools and seeds may be made under the Euronaid
global allocation.

In response more specifically to the overall needs of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),
an allocation of € 8 million has been reserved from the ‘Food aid/Food security 2002’ budget.

Humanitarian Assistance

The Commission, through its Humanitarian Assistance Office (ECHO), has contributed € 125 million of
humanitarian assistance to Tajikistan since 1992, making it by far the largest donor of humanitarian aid to
the country. Much of this assistance has been in the form of food aid.

In 2001, the Commission took two funding decisions worth € 12 million for humanitarian work in
Tajikistan (€ 10 million Global Plan in July 2001 and € 2 million special emergency drought decision in
August 2001). Almost € 6 million is for food aid or food security operations.

The Red Cross is currently implementing ECHO-funded projects worth € 1,85 million in Tajikistan, of
which € 1,1 million is for supplementary feeding and food security operations.

ECHO intends to continue its support for the most vulnerable sectors of Tajik society by launching a new
12-month funding programme in April 2002. In the meantime it is continuing to monitor the drought
situation closely and will consider further emergency assistance if necessary.

(2002/C 147 E/201)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3508/01

by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Commission

(12 December 2001)

Subject: Europe should take action over anti-Semitic attacks by Islamic fundamentalists

Yesterday, in the Anderlecht area of Brussels, which is well-known as one of the areas of Brussels with a
large number of nationals of non-Community countries and one in which a minaret was recently
the Chief Rabbi, Albert Guigui, was subjected to an unprecedented physical attack by
inaugurated,
Maghrebi youths. The Jewish religious authorities immediately criticised the accommodating attitude
towards the dissemination by Islamic fundamentalist circles of propaganda inciting people to anti-Semitism
which was prevalent not just in Belgium but also in other EU countries.

In view of the above facts, does not Mr Romano Prodi, who lost no time in making an official visit to the
Grand Mosque in Brussels after the events of 11 September in his capacity as President of the Commission,
intend to make an official statement specifically endorsing the criticisms referred to above?

in addition, that it is necessary to take concerted action with the
Does the Commission not believe,
countries of the EU with a view to the adopion, as from the forthcoming Summit in Laeken, of measures
to prevent and combat
Islamic fundamentalist propaganda inside and outside
mosques and Islamic centres, since this propaganda is responsible for the widespread hatred of Christians
and Jews which is becoming increasingly obvious wherever there are fundamentalist centres of this kind,
even in Brussels, the ‘heart’ of the European Institutions?

the dissemination of

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(18 January 2002)

The Commission deplores any kind of aggression on grounds of race, colour, descent, religion or beliefs,
and national or ethnic origin.