WRITTEN QUESTION P-0312/04 by Elspeth Attwooll (ELDR) to the Commission. Development aid.
Date: 2004-02-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Community budget, EU Member State, EU aid, United Kingdom, development aid

C 88 E/694

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(1 March 2004)

The Commission is aware of the information the Honourable Member provides on the high proportion of
Roma children in a number of institutional care facilities. The Commission is also aware of the situation
regarding international adoption in Bulgaria.

In the 2003 Regular Report on Bulgaria’s progress towards accession, the Commission has described the
situation and issues concerning child welfare and the Roma minority. The Commission is closely
monitoring progress in these areas and holds regular consultations with relevant Bulgarian authorities in
this respect. The Bulgarian authorities have launched efforts to reduce the high number of children in
institutional care. Reforms to the legal framework for child protection and anti-discrimination policy have
been adopted; the challenge now is to ensure full enforcement of this new legislation and the recently
adopted de-institutionalisation action plan. Furthermore, a new Action Plan for the implementation of the
‘Framework Programme for Equal Integration of Roma into Bulgarian Society’ provides specific budgetary
support for measures such as improved access to, and quality of, education of Roma children as well as
social protection of Roma families. The Commission has emphasised that determined and sustained efforts
are needed to fight the widespread social disadvantage affecting the Roma community.

The Commission has raised the need for better regulation of the rules concerning adoption, including
international adoption.
In 2003, amendments to the Law on Family provided for a clearer system.
However, further efforts are necessary to ensure that inter-country adoption should remain a measure of
last resort, used only when in the best interests of the child.

The Commission has supported Bulgaria’s efforts in these areas through pre-accession funding under the
PHARE programme. On child welfare, assistance has been provided to improve policies and the provision
of care for socially marginalised children (cid:1) including a significant number of Roma children. It provided
support and training to the national State Agency for Child Protection, the new Bulgarian body charged
with overseeing child welfare reform, and local Child Protection Departments. It also aimed to support the
Bulgarian Government in the design of alternative forms of child care and in the reform of management
and care of children in a number of selected homes. Other projects are being implemented to improve
social services for the disabled, to increase school attendance by Roma children and social integration of
vulnerable groups.

Further relevant pre-accession assistance to Roma children and their families is envisaged in the framework
of multi-annual programming for the 2004-2006 period currently under discussion with the Bulgarian
authorities.

The Commission will continue to closely monitor Bulgaria’s respect for human rights and freedoms,
including in relation to the Roma community and child welfare.

Assessment of Bulgaria’s progress towards accession and the accession negotiations will continue on the
same basis and principles that applied to the ten Acceding States.

(2004/C 88 E/0713)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0312/04

by Elspeth Attwooll (ELDR) to the Commission

(2 February 2004)

Subject: Development aid

What is the EU budget’s total contribution for overseas aid, both as an amount and as a percentage of
Gross National Income (GNI)? Can the Commission provide an equivalent figure for the United States?

When the individual national budgets of the Member States of the EU are taken into account in addition to
the contribution of the EU budget, what is the total contribution by the EU for overseas development aid,
as an amount and as a percentage of the EU’s GNI?

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/695

As a percentage of GNI, how does the UK’s national budget for overseas development aid compare to that
of the other 14 Member States and of the 10 accession states?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(10 March 2004)

In 2002, the EU total contribution for official development aid was USD 29 949 million, equal to 0,365 %
of Gross National Income (GNI). The USA total contribution for official aid was USD 13 290 million, equal
to 0,13 % of GNI. Those two ratios are respectively above and below the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development/Development Cooperation Directorate (OECD/DAC) average which is at
0,23 % of GNI (with an exchange rate EUR/USD of 1,28).

The budget managed by the European Community accounted for EUR 6 962 million in 2002 and was
included by the Member States in their statistics on the basis of their contribution keys for the budget and
the European Development Fund.

The ranking of the Member States in % of GNI for 2002 was:

1. Denmark 0,96 %;

2.

Sweden 0,83 %;

3. Netherlands 0,81 %;

4.

Luxemburg 0,77 %;

5. Belgium 0,43 %;

6.

7.

8.

Ireland 0,40 %;

France 0,38 %;

Finland 0,35 %;

9. United Kingdom 0,31 %;

10. Germany 0,27 %;

10. Portugal 0,27 %;

12. Austria 0,26 %;

12. Spain 0,26 %;

14. Greece 0,21 %;

15. Italy 0,20 %.

The ten Acceding countries have collectively an average ratio of official development assistance (ODA) /
GNI at about 0,03 % of their GNI.

(2004/C 88 E/0714)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0401/04

by Concepció Ferrer (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(16 February 2004)

Subject: River Ebro water transfer

In view of the recent news that Brussels confirms that Spain has not correctly applied the Directive
demanding that the environmental impact of specific projects be assessed before they are approved, by