WRITTEN QUESTION E-2443/02 by Marco Cappato (NI) to the Commission. Report by the Contraloría de la República on the Plan Colombia.
Date: 2002-08-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Colombia, EU financing, cooperation policy, drug traffic, environmental impact, fight against crime, narcotic

7.11.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 268 E/7

3. According to the Memorandum of Understanding of November 96, the central government does not
have the right
the
humanitarian needs of Northern Iraq are assessed by the UN through the regional governments,
discussed with the central Iraqi government and included in the distribution plan.

to veto UN expenditure in Northern Iraq. The necessary goods to fulfil

4. The Commission is not aware of the existence of specific agreements between Baghdad government

and Kurdish governments for the purchase of electricity.

5. According to the Memorandum of Understanding of November 96, there are no provisions indicating
that UN staff dislocated in the Iraqi Kurdistan should be paid from the northern share of the oil for
food revenue. The Commission is not aware of other similar arrangements.

6. The Commission is not aware of the problems related to the supply of anti-malaria medicines. The UN
Security Council is competent for giving the approval to all goods imported by Iraq. Member States
rather than the Commission are the competent ones to address this question to the UNSC.

7.

If the Member States consider that the management of the ‘oil for food programme’ should be
modified, they can take the necessary steps to propose these modifications to the UN Security Council.

(2003/C 268 E/007)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2443/02

by Marco Cappato (NI) to the Commission

(28 August 2002)

Subject: Report by the Contraloría de la República on the Plan Colombia

In view of the fact that the Contraloría General de la República Colombiana (Office of the Comptroller
General of Colombia) has stated in its third assessment report on the Plan Colombia that:

(cid:1) the anti-drugs Plan Colombia contains administrative irregularities;

(cid:1) eradication by force has failed to strike a blow at drug traffickers, so much so that today 163 000
hectares are still under illegal cultivation across the country and cultivation of
the crop has
outstripped its destruction, since 152 000 hectares were burned between 2000 and 2002, and despite
this coca is now being grown in areas previously dedicated to coffee production;

(cid:1) the Plan Colombia is unsatisfactory from an environmental standpoint;

and since the European Union is contributing USD 31 million to the Plan:

(cid:1) Does the Commission intend to take action to suspend cooperation with this Colombian anti-drugs

Plan?

(cid:1) If not, what reforms will it propose to prevent even more European taxpayers’ money from being

wasted?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(20 September 2002)

While supporting the efforts of the Colombian government to put an end to the violence that affects this
country, the Union is not contributing to the so-called ‘Plan Colombia’. The Union has put forward its own
support package, made public in Bogotá on 24 October 2000. At the third meeting of the Support Group
for the peace process in Colombia, on 30 April 2001 in Brussels, the Member of the Commission
responsible for External Relations confirmed a Community contribution of EUR 140 million (EUR 105 mil-
lion in programmable aid and EUR 35 million in non-programmable aid).

C 268 E/8

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

7.11.2003

As described in the Commission’s Country Strategy Paper (1), Community assistance is focused on:

(cid:1) the support of ongoing Colombian activities in the search for peace;

(cid:1) targeting the roots and causes of the conflict;

(cid:1) providing humanitarian assistance to the victims of the conflict.

As to whether the Union package will be kept separate from Plan Colombia, the Commission would like to
reiterate its position: the Union’s reservations about some aspects of the Plan Colombia are well known to
the Colombian government; furthermore, the Commission does not intend, in the framework of its aid
package, to take part in any initiative with a military dimension.

(1) Available at http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/colombia/csp/index.htm.

(2003/C 268 E/008)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2451/02

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(29 August 2002)

Subject: Measures to tackle present and future increases in consumer prices as a result of the introduction

of the euro

1.
Does the Commission recognise that the views of 83 % of the European population who, according
to the latest Eurobarometer opinion poll, believe that the introduction of the euro has led to sharp price
increases for the consumer, are borne out by the findings since announced by national governments and
national bank governors and that public opinion on this issue is more well-founded than previously
expected by the Commission when it answered my questions E-4066/00 (1) and E-1193/02 (2)?

Are these increases partly caused by the often systematic rounding up of prices and the efforts of

2.
certain sectors to obtain extra revenue?

3.
Can the Commission confirm that although the governments and bank governors of a number of
countries have indicated their concern about price increases, no measures have been taken anywhere to
freeze or reduce prices?

4. What is the reason for the passive attitude described in paragraph 3? Is the Commission encouraging
the Member States to take price measures as a means of subsequently rectifying unforeseen negative effects
or is it is still maintaining the preference expressed in its answer to question E-1193/02 for unrestricted
interaction between supply and demand?

5.
Has the Commission now devised a plan on how a similar wave of extra price increases can be
avoided if any existing or future EU member states join the eurozone? If so, what measures is it
envisaging? If not, what impact does it anticipate that this passive attitude will have on the referendums
that would be held on their joining?

Source:De Volkskrant, 13 August 2002.

(1) OJ C 187 E, 3.7.2001, p. 125.
(2) See page 1.

(2003/C 268 E/009)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2585/02

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(10 September 2002)

Subject: The inflationary effects of the euro

When the euro came into circulation in January 2002 there were fears of an increase in inflationary
pressures being caused by the unlawful rounding up of prices or covert increases, especially after the
period of dual circulation during the conversion to the euro. The Portuguese press recently revealed that