WRITTEN QUESTION E-0394/04 by Francesco Fiori (PPE-DE), Giorgio Lisi (PPE-DE)and Georges Garot (PSE) to the Commission. Measures against hunger in the EU.
Date: 2004-02-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, European social policy, aid to disadvantaged groups, common agricultural policy, food aid, hunger, intervention stock, non-governmental organisation, voluntary organisation

C 84 E/580

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

In the opinion of the Commission, the establishment of the Court witnesses a new political environment
which is more conducive for a bold and comprehensive action of the new African Union (AU) and its
elected Commission in democracy, governance and human rights. The definition by Africans of
instruments and monitoring instruments (African Peer Review Mechanism, Conference on Stability,
Security and Development Cooperation in Africa) and institutions (Commission, Pan African Parliament,
Court on Human and People’s Rights) for the entire continent reflects this commitment and strong
ownership.

The Commission has also congratulated the AU for obtaining the required number of ratifications.
However, the Commission does not intend to lobby for ratifying a Protocol
it is not directly legally
involved in.

The Commission decided to support

the AU governance agenda through a comprehensive
2.
programme of EUR 1,9 million (European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights budget line)
instead of supporting certain ‘islands of effectiveness’ within that area. This project aims at improving the
overall capacity of the AU to develop policy initiatives and effective actions towards Member States in
relation to three closely inter-related priority themes:
(i) democratisation processes with a focus on
strengthening the capacity of the AU to observe and monitor elections; (ii) governance with a focus on
improving the monitoring capacity of
the AU; on enhancing civil society participation and on
mainstreaming gender; (iii) human rights with a focus on improving the capacity of the AU and National
Human Rights Institutions to advance human rights, including in complex emergency situations.

This programme should be seen as a first step. At the last EU-Africa troika meeting at senior officials level
(Dublin, 17-18 February 2004), the Commission repeated it would be ready to consider any further
request for funding in the area of governance, human rights and democracy. The Court, as a key
institution for ensuring human rights in Africa, could be part of such future support.

(2004/C 84 E/0656)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0394/04

by Francesco Fiori (PPE-DE), Giorgio Lisi (PPE-DE)
and Georges Garot (PSE) to the Commission

(16 February 2004)

Subject: Measures against hunger in the EU

The alarming increase in the numbers of people suffering from hunger in Europe (estimated at 100 million
European citizens in the 25-Member Union), alongside the disappearance of intervention stocks as a result
of the new CAP guidelines, is a cause for real alarm. The CAP is apparently no longer capable of ensuring,
as laid down in the Treaties, adequate supplies for all its citizens, and particularly the most destitute.

At the same time, it appears that all the NGOs and solidarity associations working on a daily basis with
the poorest members of European society, are unable to take action and fulfil their role of enhancing social
and human cohesion.

Given this situation, does the Commission, which was the originator of the European Programme for Aid
to the Destitute (EPAD), envisage modifying (cid:1) and within what time frame (cid:1) Regulation (EEC) 3149/
92 (1) which would both ensure the existence of safeguard stocks, extend the barter practices which have
proved both simple and effective, facilitate market access where necessary, and include these associations
in assessing the needs?

(1) OJ L 313, 30.10.1992, p. 50.

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/581

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(16 March 2004)

We have always been alert to the need to keep the detailed rules of the scheme for aiding the most
deprived persons in the Community adapted to changing circumstances and have amended them on
introducing in particular two major changes to provide greater flexibility that the
several occasions,
Honourable Member refers to,
the possibility of buying food products on the market that are
temporarily unavailable from intervention and, very recently, the practice of exchanging intervention
stocks for other food products.

i.e.

We are aware that the scheme provides one of the sources of supply to many associations active in this
field. These are consulted both by the Member States when they draw up their annual plan requests and by
the Commission at meetings held at least once a year.

We will continue to monitor the changing environment of the scheme and will not fail to adjust the rules
as necessary. We are considering the measure’s future in the face of the considerable reduction in public
stocks (cid:1) even the disappearance of stocks of some products such as beef and olive oil (cid:1) that is one of the
intended results of ongoing reform of the common agricultural policy.

(2004/C 84 E/0657)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0398/04

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(16 February 2004)

Subject: Child slavery networks

Does the Commission believe that the appalling phenomenon of the enslavement of children in sub-
Saharan African countries could be affecting the EU? Is the Commission taking any measures with regard
to those African countries where, according to some NGOs, 200 000 children are engaged in slave labour?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(14. April 2004)

The Commission fully supports the strong stance which the EU has taken against slavery. That stance is
illustrated by the EU’s statement on the rights of the child delivered to the 59th Session of the United
Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) in 2003, in which the EU expressed alarm at the increase
in the worst forms of child labour,
in the
International Labour Organisation (ILO) Global Report for 2002, which estimated the number of children
in the worst forms of labour at 179 million and those in slavery at 8,4 million). Moreover, the resolution
tabled by the EU on the rights of the child at the 59th UNCHR also included a call to States to take action
to combat child labour and to eliminate its worst forms immediately.

including all forms of slavery (as documented,

‘inter alia’,

The EU’s commitment to combating slavery is further reflected in Article 5 of the Charter on Fundamental
Rights, which prohibits slavery and forced labour, and in the support articulated by the EU for
including the UN Protocol to Prevent,
international
Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children and ILO Conventions 29,
105, 138 and 182.

instruments to combat slavery-related activities,

In the specific context of Africa, an action plan against trafficking in human beings has been elaborated for
agreement in the context of the EU-Africa Dialogue. Moreover, support has been extended through the EU
budget to address the issue of child slavery. A recent example is the allocation of EUR 1 252 375 to Alisei
under the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) to combat child trafficking,
modern forms of slavery and the exploitation of minors in Gabon, Benin, Togo and Nigeria. In addition,
the EIDHR programming update for 2004 (adopted by Commission Decision of 1 December 2003)