WRITTEN QUESTION E-3542/02 by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission. Trade-related assistance.
Date: 2002-12-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: ACP countries, EU aid, aid system, development aid, trading operation

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Official Journal of the European Union

EN

20.3.2004

The policy pursued by the Czech government is not in contradiction with the competition/liberalisation
‘acquis’ in the Union. Some European companies in the electricity sectors are vertically integrated and the
European Union liberalisation directives currently in force in these sectors only require separate
management and accounts, not legal or ownership unbundling. The Commission’s proposals for a new
Directive on the electricity and gas markets would in addition require legal unbundling but this already
exists in the Czech Republic.

The Czech electricity transmission operator is an independent legal entity, which is compatible with the
Directive 96/92/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 1996 concerning common rules
for the internal market in electricity (1).

(1) OJ L 27, 30.1.1997.

(2004/C 70 E/012)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3542/02

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(11 December 2002)

Subject: Trade-related assistance

Would the Commission clarify how the calculation will be made for the amount of funding for which ACP
countries will be eligible for trade-related assistance?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(27 January 2003)

For some time now development cooperation with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries has paid
attention to trade-related assistance. This took place in a variety of forms, for example as a key component
of support for regional integration initiatives, or to address specific issues such as improving customs data.
In many cases trade-related assistance was part of a wider operation such as agricultural export promotion
or infrastructure development.

Despite the importance that is attached to trade issues, the Cotonou Agreement does not prescribe a
particular allocation for trade-related assistance. Within the available envelopes for national and regional
programmes, it is the dialogue with and among the beneficiaries and stakeholders that determines the
allocation. Hence, there is no specific calculation for the amount of funding for trade-related assistance.
The same applies to any other important development theme.

The 9th European Development Fund (EDF) guidelines for regional programming suggested a minimum
allocation of 20 per cent for trade-related assistance. With most of the regional programmes now finalised,
it is clear that this figure has been greatly exceeded: the allocation for regional integration and trade-related
assistance in regional
indicative programmes is between 40 and 50 per cent of the initial amount
i.e. EUR 280 to EUR 350 million. The regional infrastructure programmes also include significant trade
facilitation components. In addition, there are intra-ACP funds of which EUR 50 million have been
earmarked for trade-related assistance.

Because the national strategy papers and indicative programmes often contain open-ended capacity
building and technical assistance programmes, it is not possible at this stage to put a strict figure on the
share of trade-related assistance. A rough estimate would put the amount of trade-related assistance to
around EUR 150 million.

Adding to the above figures some intra-ACP programmes (including support for World Trade Organisation
(WTO) and Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) preparation and for Sanitary and Phytosanitary
compliance)
least EUR 600 million are available for trade-related
that recently came on stream, at
assistance to ACP countries for the coming years.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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recent Communication on Trade and Development (1),
In line with the recommendations
the Commission intends to use the mid-term review of country and regional strategies to review the
availability of funds for trade-related assistance.

in its

level,

Finally, at a more general
it is important to add that in collaboration with other development
partners, the policy dialogue with developing countries will address the issue of better integrating trade
policy matters into the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers and other national and regional development
plans. Moreover, the Commission plays an important role in the Integrated Framework for Trade-Related
Technical Assistance to Least Developed Countries (LDC) and has accepted to be a facilitator in three ACP
LDCs.

(1) COM(2002) 513 final.

(2004/C 70 E/013)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3543/02

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(11 December 2002)

Subject: Western Sahara

Would the Commission agree that Morocco is doing all it can to keep the Western Sahara off the agenda?
Is there not evidence of Morocco’s efforts to deny free access to the Western Sahara to journalists? What is
the Commission’s estimate of the impact of oil exploration on the prospect of a peaceful resolution of the
issues involved (cid:1) particularly since the United States and France’s oil companies are prospecting for oil off
the African coast?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(16 January 2003)

The Commission has no evidence that Morocco tries to keep the Western Sahara question off the agenda.
On the contrary, the Commission can actually confirm that during his last visit to Brussels, the Moroccan
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Benaïssa, addressed this issue in an open way in his talks with the
Commission representatives.

The Western Sahara conflict is also on the Agenda of the United Nations Security Council, which will
address this question at the end of January 2003, shortly after the United Nations Secretary General has
presented a new Report on the situation in Western Sahara.

The Commission’s view concerning the Western Sahara conflict is that only a solution to which the parties
in conflict agree will be fruitful. This is why the Commission continues to support the efforts of the United
Nations Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, and his Personal Envoy, Mr. James Baker III, in order to bring
the parties in conflict to reach a fair, lasting and mutually acceptable solution.

Regarding Morocco’s efforts to deny free access for journalists to the Western Sahara territories, the
Commission has not received any complaint nor found any mention of this matter in the ‘Reporters
without Borders 2002 Report’.

Concerning the impact of oil exploration in Western Sahara on the prospect of a peaceful resolution of the
conflict, the Commission considers that this issue does not seem particularly relevant to the resolution of
this conflict.

Other considerations about the oil exploration in Western Sahara have been thoroughly explored in the
legal opinion given by the United Nations Legal Counsel on this subject, in its letterof 29 January 2002,
to the President of the Security Council.

The Commission is the main donor of humanitarian aid to the Sahrawis refugees through the European
Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) in conjunction with its partner non-governmental organisations. This aid
consists of food and medical aid, amounting to EUR 81 million between 1993 and 2001; and another
EUR 14,3 million for Global Plan 2002. In addition, the Commission is asking the parties to adopt of