WRITTEN QUESTION P-0274/03 by Carlos Coelho (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Daphne programme.
Date: 2003-01-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing arrangements, Portugal, action programme, domestic violence, non-governmental organisation, women's movement

C 268 E/86

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

7.11.2003

(2003/C 268 E/087)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0274/03

by Carlos Coelho (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(30 January 2003)

Subject: Daphne programme

The AMCV (Association of Women Against Violence) is one of Portugal’s best recognised and most active
NGOs in the field of violence against women and children, in particular domestic violence, rape and sexual
abuse. Over a ten-year period the AMCV has provided support for approximately 4 000 women with an
average of two or three children apiece.

Under the Daphne initiative the AMCV submitted a project in partnership with countries such as Spain,
Italy, Ireland and Denmark. The project was ultimately rejected.

For what reasons and on what grounds was the project rejected, despite the fact that Portugal has been a
Priority 1 country over the last few years and certainly has much work to do in the above areas? Given
this state of affairs it is all the more curious that, according to an analysis of the project-distribution
pattern for all 15 EU Member States, Portugal has had only one project approved in each of the last two
years.

Since the Commission has reportedly drawn attention to what it alleges are shortcomings on the part of
the organiser, would it provide an explanation regarding the basis for such a judgment?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(27 February 2003)

Since 1997 the Daphne initiative and subsequently the Daphne programme have been victims of their
own success, with over 1 600 proposals being submitted, of which only 13 % could be selected for
financing, given the modest budget of EUR 5 million per year.

Fully aware of these limitations, and in view also of Parliament’s favourable resolution on the Daphne
programme (A5-0233/2002), the Commission has just approved a draft decision on a second programme
(Daphné II) for the period 2004-2008, with a higher budget, designed to continue the work in progress.

The Commission would inform the Honourable Member that eight projects with a Portuguese coordinator
have been financed since 1997, which gives Portuguese proposals a success rate of 22 % (by comparison
with the average of 13 %). Over the same period, more than 50 Portuguese associations and local
authorities have participated in some 25 Daphne projects.

On 18 October 2002 the Commission gave the Associaçao de Mulheres contra a violencia (AMCV)
detailed reasons for the rejection of the project to which the Honourable Member refers. These did not
allege that the AMCV was incompetent in any way. Quite the reverse, the skills of the AMCV have been
recognised as demonstrated by its participation in six other Daphne projects and in a large-scale, two-year
project selected in 2002.

(2003/C 268 E/088)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0279/03

by Jan Dhaene (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(7 February 2003)

Subject: Mobilisation of civil defence forces in the wake of the ‘Prestige’ disaster

In connection with the efforts to deal with the oil pollution caused by the sinking of the ‘Prestige’ there
were severe delays in implementing the civil defence measures coordinated by the relevant authorities. This
is well illustrated by the fact that Belgian civil defence units were on the scene before the Spanish Army.
Volunteers from throughout Europe have demonstrated their solidarity by helping to clean the oil from
beaches.