WRITTEN QUESTION E-0608/03 by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission. Angola: Budget 2003 — Government's Economic and Social Programme for 2003/2004.
Date: 2003-03-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Angola, cooperation policy, drawing up of the budget, implementation of the budget, national budget, poverty, social cost

6.2.2004

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 33 E/57

Has the Commission supported the indigenous peoples as a target group under TACIS or other
Community programmes in the past five years? Could it provide a list of these projects?

How does the Commission monitor application of the principles of prior consultation, equal participation
and the right of veto of the indigenous peoples in the context of projects affecting them? (See the Council’s
conclusions of 30 November 1998 on indigenous peoples in the developing countries.)

How does the Commission keep itself informed of the situation of the indigenous peoples in the Russian
Federation, particularly as regards human rights, but also at the socio-economic, environmental and
cultural levels?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(2 April 2003)

The Commission is aware of the very particular situation of indigenous peoples living in Russia as well as
the difficulties they face.

The EC has funded several technical assistance projects, with the aim of promoting awareness of issues
affecting indigenous peoples and improving their access to education.

In addition to a certain number of more general projects which relate to ethnic relations (and which
therefore touch on questions relevant to indigenous peoples), two projects funded by the European
Initiative for Democracy & Human Rights (EIDHR) specifically target Russian indigenous peoples.

The first project, which runs until April 2003, aims to raise the awareness of the Russian population about
the rights and problems of minority indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East. This project
has, inter alia, created a cycle of 12 weekly educational radio programmes for Radio Russia. The second
project, which aims to extend the possibilities of the indigenous peoples of Siberia to obtain high level
education, will be launched soon.

The EIDHR is a demand-driven programme. The Delegation of the Commission in Moscow seeks to make
sure that all interested non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are aware of Commission EIDHR calls for
tender as they are announced, including NGOs of indigenous peoples.

The Commission closely follows the situation with regard to indigenous peoples in Russia by for example
maintaining contacts with organisations working to promote the rights of indigenous peoples. One
example is the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (Raipon), an NGO representing the
interests of northern indigenous peoples in Russia. NGOs of this type regularly take part in calls for tender
run by the Commission.

(2004/C 33 E/054)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0608/03

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(3 March 2003)

Subject: Angola: Budget 2003 (cid:1) Government’s Economic and Social Programme for 2003/2004

In reply to question E-2862/02 (1) of 10 October 2002 on the same subject (by the author of the present
question), the Commission, in the person of Commissioner Poul Nielsen, stated on 4 December 2002: ‘As
regards information on the implementation of the 2002 budget and the preparation of the 2003 budget,

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6.2.2004

the lack of accurate and detailed information excludes a substantiated comment in this matter’, especially
as regards real social impact. He added, however, that the government’s Economic and Social Programme
for 2003/2004 ‘would,
implemented, mean an important improvement in social spending and a
welcome matching of expenditure with the Community-financed rural rehabilitation programme in the
central highlands’.

if

Meanwhile, time has passed and a new budget year has begun. Very recently, the EU and Angola signed
the National Indicative Programme (involving, apparently, a sum in the region of EUR 200 m for the entire
period covered), in which there is a clear reference to the option of a fund for the social sectors and the
food safety/agricultural development sector.

Is the Commission in possession of data relating to the budgetary execution for 2002 and the preparation
and execution of the first twelfth of the 2003 budget, especially with regard to social areas and tasks? Has
the Commission monitored the execution of the government’s Economic and Social Programme for 2003/
2004? Does it have information at this stage on this programme’s real contribution as regards resource
allocation to the areas and tasks mentioned? What information and guarantees was Commissioner Nielson
able to obtain during his visit to Angola at the end of January 2003?

(1) See page 13.

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(10 April 2003)

The situation regarding the availability and reliability of data on Angola has not noticeably improved in
the last months.

The Commission does not have data relating to budget execution for 2002, as the Government has not
published such figures. The same applies to figures for budget implementation for the first months of
2003. In the first phase of the 2003/2004 government transition plan, it is foreseen that social spending
as a whole will overtake defence spending, forecast at 4,71 % of total public spending: education 7,16 % of
total, health 5,06 %, social security 1,26 %, housing and community services 1,36 %.

The lack of official and/or reliable information makes it very difficult to follow developments in the
country. It is in any case, almost impossible to monitor the execution of a government plan so soon after
its inception.

The Community/Angola Co-operation Strategy 2002-2007 signed on 28 January 2003 does indeed foresee
a concentration of Community support to the social sectors (health and education) and food security. A
concentration on these sectors is envisaged in the medium to longer term. In the short to medium term,
priority is given to funding the measures necessary to support
the peace process and national
reconciliation,
including creating the conditions for free and fair elections. In this context it is worth
mentioning that the strategy also foresees support to the National Institute of Statistics (INE) to increase its
capacity and to improve the availability of statistical information on poverty in Angola.

During the visit of the Member of the Commission responsible for Development and Humanitarian Aid to
Angola, at which the signing of the Co-operation Strategy took place, the Member of the Commission in
meetings with government representatives underlined repeatedly the necessity of increased spending in
social sectors as part of Angola’s peace dividend. He stressed that
the international community’s
contribution to the reconstruction of Angola could and should only complement, but never substitute
the international
the government’s own efforts. The Member of
community expected that the end of the conflict should enable the government to assume a greater share
of the burden of meeting the needs of its own people. This would also be seen as an important element in
the context of the international donors’ conference on the reconstruction of the country. The Member of
the Commission was assured that the government was prepared to tackle the issue of poverty reduction
and stronger support for the social sectors in the framework of the above mentioned programme as well
as of a long-term development strategy up to the year 2025, which is currently under preparation. The
Post-Conflict Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Programme the government is preparing with World Bank
assistance and which will be presented at the donors’ conference, should give a further insight into the
government’s intentions as regards the social sectors.

the Commission pointed out

that