WRITTEN QUESTION E-0802/02 by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission. Reconstruction of Kambia Hospital, Sierra Leone.
Date: 2002-03-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Development Fund, Sierra Leone, aid policy, aid programme, health aid, medical institution, terms for aid

8.5.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 110 E/5

The fact that Mr. Kabir clearly belongs to the camp opposed to the present government, has worked
against the BNP during the election, has strongly criticised Jamaat (an Islamic party of the coalition) and
written against fundamentalism and communalism has led many observers to conclude that his arrest is
politically motivated.

It is up to the judiciary now to judge this matter.

(2003/C 110 E/004)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0802/02

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

Subject: Reconstruction of Kambia Hospital, Sierra Leone

(20 March 2002)

What funds is the Commission providing to fulfil its commitment to reconstruct Kambia Hospital?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(26 April 2002)

The Commission was approached by the Kambia Hospital Appeal launched from Cheltenham hospitals in
England. But until today no official request was made by the Government of Sierra Leone (the National
Authorising Officer) to the Commission and accordingly no formal commitment was ever made from the
Commission side.

As the basis for use of European Development Fund (EDF) funds is partnership, after receiving an official
request from the government, the Commission will examine carefully the possibility in the light of the
current situation. If eligible and depending on the budget of the operation, it could be financed from the
actual Health Sector Support Programme or the Resettlement and Rehabilitation Programme, both of
which are under implementation and have funds available. Reconstruction of social infrastructure and
support to the health sector in Sierra Leone are both priorities for Community-Sierra Leone co-operation.
A EUR 30 million Resettlement Programme was signed with the government in December 2000.

The overall objectives of the programme are:

(cid:1) to assist war-affected populations and communities in resettling in their areas of origin through

agricultural assistance programmes;

(cid:1) to support the reintegration into society of ex-combatants by means of paid employment concentrat-

ing on rehabilitation of infrastructures;

(cid:1) to improve the provision of basic social services in health, sanitation and education fields.

The activities to be realised are:

(cid:1) infrastructure rehabilitation of primary education/health and water/sanitation facilities. The iden-
tification of the infrastructures to be rehabilitated is carried out in collaboration with the local
communities, the ministries concerned and in co-ordination with other donor agencies;

(cid:1) job creation and training schemes for the unemployed, resettling communities and ex-combatants.

Important internal reallocations of the programme took place in December 2001, in order to take into
account the economic, military and social conditions in the country. A EUR 10 million contribution from
the programme was pledged into a Multi-Donor Trust Fund managed by the World Bank. This decision
came after the World Bank Conference held on 11 and 12 June 2001 in Paris to call for new funding for
the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration Programme of ex-combatants in Sierra Leone.

C 110 E/6

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.5.2003

The Health Sector Support Programme is a EUR 28 million project signed in May 2001 for a period of five
years. It aims to improve the health status of the population in the rural districts of Sierra Leone. This will
be achieved through establishing mechanisms for the sustainable delivery of quality affordable health care
at the primary and first referral
level. The Health Sector Support Project gives priority to establishing
systems of care and management.

The project will have complementary operational components, which are expected to achieve the
following results:

(cid:1) availability and accessibility of primary and first referral health services;

(cid:1) reinforced human and financial resources for the health sector;

(cid:1) accessibility of essential drugs;

(cid:1) reinforced stakeholder participation.

The Health Sector Support Project responds to a focal sector of
Indicative
Programme in Sierra Leone and is complementary to the EDF-funded project, which supports reforms in
the Ministry of Finance (MOF), and to the EDF-funded Rehabilitation and Resettlement Project (RRP). It is
expected to contribute to restoring confidence and hope among the traumatised population of Sierra
Leone and to supporting the government’s efforts towards poverty reduction. Its activities will also be
complementary to activities undertaken by United Nations agencies and development banks.

the 8th EDF National

(2003/C 110 E/005)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0940/02

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(9 April 2002)

Subject: Harmful gas emissions from the Reggio Emilia incinerator between 1 January 2002 and

10 February 2002

Between 1 January and 10 February 2002 the waste incinerator situated in via dei Gonzaga in Reggio
Emilia in the Italian region of Emilia Romagna, managed by the firm AGAC under the control of the local
authority, repeatedly emitted harmful substances such as carbon monoxide, hydrochloric acid and total
organic carbon. The population and the authorities were not informed about the harmful emissions and
the excessive emission levels at the appropriate time. The facts only emerged one month later, when a
person living near the incinerator complained of feeling unwell.

Can the Commission say whether the silence on the part of those who run the plant, and who did not
even inform the Reggio Emilia provincial authorities during the 40 days when the harmful substances were
being emitted, infringes Community public health and environmental standards?

Does the incinerator in question comply with European legislation on the environment and public health?

Supplementary answer
given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(11 November 2002)

The Italian authorities have not yet replied to the request for information sent by the Commission in order
to verify whether, as regards harmful gas emissions from the Reggio Emilia incinerator in the period
between 1 January 2002 and 10 February 2002, the relevant requirements had been complied with and
whether the incinerator now complies with relevant Community emission standards. The issue will be
discussed in the coming weeks in a meeting between the Commission and the Ministry of
the
Environment.