WRITTEN QUESTION E-0510/04 by Sérgio Marques (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Stage reached in the implementation of aid to Venezuela.
Date: 2004-02-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, Venezuela, development plan, environmental risk prevention, financing, flood, project management, signature of an agreement, technical cooperation

C 88 E/188

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

(2004/C 88 E/0194)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0501/04

by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Measures to tackle the Ulysses syndrome

(23 February 2004)

The psychological upheavals which immigrants are more and more prone to, due to the very difficult
obstacle course they have to run in their search for a better life, constitute an emergent health problem in
societies where there are large numbers of immigrants.

The Ulysses syndrome, or the syndrome of immigrants suffering from chronic or multiple stress,
is
unleashed by a series of blows involving the individual’s loss of such existentially important points of
reference as family and friends, native culture and land, social position and physical safety.

Is the Commission aware of the existence of this phenomenon, its seriousness and its importance, and
does it therefore intend to put forward legislative measures to tackle it?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(28 April 2004)

The Commission is aware that immigrants may suffer from health problems, from chronic or multiple
stress due to loss of reference points such as family and friends, native culture and land, social position.

the integration of

The Commission drew attention to this issue in its Communication on immigration,
integration and
employment (1) and urged Member States to develop comprehensive integration policies at national level,
life including ensuring
which take into account
appropriate health care and access to social services. The Commission also highlighted the need for
mainstreaming specific migration and integration concerns into all policy fields at the European level,
including Community health policies. In this respect the Commission has financed a project under the
former Health Monitoring Programme on ‘Monitoring and reporting of socio-economic differences in
health indicators in the EU’, one of whose outcomes was a specific report on ‘Health inequalities in Europe
and the situation of disadvantaged groups’. This report commented on the specific situation of migrants.

immigrants into all aspects of

As regards the question of putting forward EU legislation to tackle this phenomenon, it should be recalled
immigrants, remain the
that ensuring proper health care and tackling specific health problems of
responsibility of the Member States. The Commission does not, therefore,
intend to propose specific
legislation in this field.

(1) COM(2003) 336 final.

(2004/C 88 E/0195)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0510/04

by Sérgio Marques (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(24 February 2004)

Subject: Stage reached in the implementation of aid to Venezuela

Following the tragic floods which occurred in Venezuela in December 1999, the Commission allocated
substantial sums of money to support reconstruction in the affected areas (including the state of Vargas)
and to support risk prevention (i.e. devising and implementing programmes designed to enable natural
risks to be managed in a huge area adjacent to the one affected by the 1999 floods in the states of Falcón,
Miranda and Yaracuy).

8.4.2004

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/189

Unfortunately,
concerned has been repeatedly postponed.

in spite of the money allocated by the Commission,

implementation of the projects

According to information provided by the Commission itself in September 2003, the start of the joint
implementation by Corpovargas (a body responsible for rehabilitating and developing the state of Vargas)
of the two projects to be implemented in the state of Vargas (‘Support for reconstruction and the
prevention of disasters in the stage of Vargas’ and ‘Social reconstruction in the state of Vargas’)
is
dependent upon the arrival
in Venezuela of two European technical-assistants experts. The financing
agreements have already been signed by the Venezuelan Government.

As regards the project which is concerned with preventing flooding in the states of Falcón, Yaracuy and
Miranda, the Commission stated in September 2003 that the technical annexes to the financing agreement
(which was due to be signed by the Commission and the Venezuelan Government by 31 December 2003)
had still to be concluded.

In view of the above, would the Commission answer the following questions?

1. What stage has been reached in the implementation of the projects relating to the state of Vargas?

2. Has the Venezuelan Government taken a decision regarding the body which is to oversee the project
concerned with preventing floods in the states of Falcón, Yaracuy and Miranda? When is the financing
agreement relating to that project to be signed by the Commission and the Venezuelan Government
and subsequently implemented?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(13 April 2004)

The project entitled ‘Support for reconstruction and the prevention of disasters in the State of Vargas’
officially started on 1 September 2003 when two European experts joined the project management unit
(Corpovargas). These experts had been engaged for a period of six months to help get the project under
way and advise the management body in drawing up provisional and annual operational plans for 2004.
They also made an active contribution to drawing up the dossier for the first international call for tender
(EuropeAid/117572/D/W/VE) for a works contract amounting to some EUR 10 million.

The provisional operational plan, totalling EUR 382 450, was approved on 14 November 2003 although
implementation of the first payments had already begun. The long-term international technical assistance
team took up its duties in February this year.

The Commission would point out that, despite its repeated calls, its national counterpart has not made any
contribution to the project’s implementation, and consequently no local technical assistants have yet been
engaged and the project’s timetable may have to be altered.

The financing agreement for the prevention of flooding in the States of Falcon, Yaracuy and Mirador came
into force on 29 December 2003 after being signed by the Venezuelan Minister for Foreign Affairs. This
agreement defines the responsibilities and duties of the Office of the Deputy Minister for Planning and
Development, which is the official authority and management body for the project. A delegation
agreement between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Planning and Development is being
signed.

The invitation to tender for the international assistance contract has been concluded, the evaluation
committee has given its conclusions and the contract is now being awarded.