WRITTEN QUESTION P-0322/03 by Karla Peijs (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Guyana Shield Initiative.
Date: 2003-02-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: ACP countries, Brazil, Colombia, EU environmental policy, French Guiana, Guyana, Venezuela, development aid, environmental cooperation, forest conservation, tropical forest

7.11.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 268 E/93

(cid:1) Genotoxicity/genotoxic carcinogens in vitro micronucleus test

The test has been extensively used by ECVAMs partners (University Autonoma Barcelone and
University of Pisa) in the context of the contract study on Cell Transformation Assay. The contract
ends this month and a final meeting with such partners will be held in ECVAM on 26 February 2003.
A possible validation will be discussed.

(cid:1) Reproductive toxicity (male fertility) Leydig cell line test

Contract negotiated could not be financed in 2002, foreseen for 2003. To be integrated in a planned
Integrated Project on Reproductive Toxicity managed by ECVAM.

(cid:1) Endocrine disruption cell systems for receptor binding

(cid:1) Endocrine disruption QSAR to predict receptor binding

ECVAM has joined a validation initiative of
Development (OECD), first meeting in March 2003.

the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and

(cid:1) Acute systemic toxicity QSAR/DEREK

(cid:1) Eye irritation QSAR or ESR

Through the joint efforts of the European Chemicals bureau (ECB) and ECVAM, the Joint Research
Centre (JRC) plans to initiate the validation of QSARs for certain endpoints later this year. However,
the detailed planning of QSAR validation studies is currently awaiting discussions at the OECD level
on internationally-recognised acceptability criteria for QSARs.
It is foreseen that there will be a
minimal set of criteria to judge the readiness of QSARs for validation (equivalent to ECVAM’s test
development criteria for the entry of in vitro tests into prevalidation), and a set of additional criteria
that are applied at the end of the QSAR validation process, to judge the scientific validity of QSARs.
Therefore, the QSARs selected for validation will need to take account of certain acceptability criteria.
For this reason,
it is likely that the time-frame for the validation of QSARs will be revised in
accordance with an in-depth evaluation of specific QSARs, which was not performed during the
preparation of the ECVAM report.

(1) European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods, in its report ‘Alternative (Non-animal) Methods for

Chemicals Testing: Current Status and Future Prospects’.

(2003/C 268 E/093)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0322/03

by Karla Peijs (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 February 2003)

Subject: Guyana Shield Initiative

Is the Commission aware of the importance of the Guyana Shield for the conservation of the global
biodiversity, its importance as a global CO2 sink and as one of the major freshwater reservoirs in the
world, and its importance for the many indigenous peoples living in this area?

The EU is a party to the international environmental treaties like the Biodiversity Convention, the Climate
Change Treaty and the Desertification Convention and therefore bound to implement the objectives of
these conventions. Its Water Initiative has become a central element in the programme for sustainable
development. The Guyana Shield is one of the most important regions of the world with regard to these
objectives. Taking these objectives into account, what measures has the Commission taken to safeguard the
natural and environmental values of the Guyana Shield for posterity?

What are the objectives of the ACP and ALA development aid programmes for the Guyana Shield
countries and what activities with regard to safeguarding the natural and environmental values of these
countries are financed by these programmes?

C 268 E/94

Official Journal of the European Union

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7.11.2003

Is the Commission aware of the Guyana Shield Initiative (GSI) of the Netherlands Committee for the IUCN
(NCIUCN), the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the Global Legislators Organization for a
Balanced Environment (GLOBE) and the European Working Group for Amazonia (EWGA), which aims to
promote the integral conservation of natural and environmental values for its inhabitants as well for the
world, and is the Commission willing to support this important Initiative, politically as well as financially?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(28 February 2003)

The Commission is fully aware of the importance of the Guyana Shield as one of the largest contiguous
areas of tropical forest remaining in the world. It is estimated that the Shield may contain 10 % of the
worlds’ freshwater, with watersheds draining into the Amazon and Orinoco as well as directly into the
Atlantic.

The Commission is fully supportive of the objectives of the Rio Conventions and frequently discusses their
implementation with developing countries. However the concept of partnership underlies all Community
development and priorities are agreed through dialogue with the respective countries. Given the low
population densities and poor soils in most of the forested area of the Guyana Shield, these areas have in
most cases not been identified by the respective governments as priority areas for Community
development cooperation activities. Where opportunities have arisen, the Commission has pursued them
actively and provided support for sustainable forest management and conservation activities in the region,
in particular through the Tropical Forest budget line.

Relevant Community funded activities in the region include:

(cid:1) Support to the Iwokrama international centre for rainforest conservation and development in Guyana;

(cid:1) Support to the State Environment Agency of the Brazilian state of Amapá through the Natural
Resource Policy programme of the Pilot Programme to Conserve the Brazilian Amazon (PPG7);

(cid:1) Support to a Colombian non-governmental organisation (NGO), COAMA, for implementation of a
project in Colombia and Venezuela, including the Mataven forest in the Guyana Shield ecosystem;

(cid:1) Support to indigenous peoples organisations in Venezuela through the Human Rights budget line

(International Working Group for Indigenous Affairs).

Priorities for development cooperation spending under both the Asia and Latin America (ALA) and
African, Carribean and Pacific States (ACP) (European Development Fund (EDF)) budget lines are described
in Regional and Country Strategy papers, which are publicly available on the Europa web site.
Management of natural resources is mentioned in the Colombia, Brazil Country Strategies and the Andean
Pact Regional Strategy.

The Commission is aware of the Guyana Shield Initiative and has had informal contact with some of the
organisations involved in it. The Commission is prepared to consider both financial and political support if
such a request is made by the countries concerned, for instance in the context of the forthcoming reviews
of the Country and Regional Strategy Papers.

Further support for forest activities in the ACP countries in the Guyana Shield is planned to be provided
under the 9th EDF, where a regional envelope of EUR 6 million has been identified for ‘intra (cid:1)
ACP/Natural Resources’. The exact nature of this support will depend on an identification mission which
will visit the region in the next months, as well as the result of discussions with the ACP countries
involved. However, the Commission believes that most of this amount could be used to support Iwokrama
and activities in the Guyana Shield. Co-ordination and synergy with the Guyana Shield initiative and with
other donors strategies and activities will be ensured.

Finally, a Call for Proposals will be launched later this year under the Tropical Forest budget line for which
NGO proposals would be eligible. Any proposal concerning the Guyana Shield meeting the criteria for the
priorities to be set for the call for proposals may be submitted in that context.