WRITTEN QUESTION E-3315/97 by Herbert Bösch (PSE) to the Commission (20 October 1997)

Subject: Aid for Albania

Reports have recently come to my attention concerning the shortcomings of EU aid to Albania.

Will the Commission provide information on the following points:

1. How much money has so far been made available by the EU for Albania (through the PHARE and ECHO Programmes)?

2. How much have the individual districts received?

3. How much has been allocated to health centres?

4. How much money has so far been paid to Albanian health centres for completed projects?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (1 December 1997)

1. Total Community assistance to Albania, during the period 1991/1996, amounts to 550 MECU, of which 203 MECU through PHARE and 80.7 MECU humanitarian aid. As a result of the early 1997 political events, the Commission was obliged to interrupt most of the PHARE programmes. However, following the political stabilisation, full resumption of PHARE assistance is expected to take place in line with the priority conditionalities identified in the recovery strategy and under the international agenda for Albania prepared by the Community for the international community. In 1997, the PHARE assistance will reach 70.4 MECU and the humanitarian aid will amount to 17.0 MECU. In future, assistance from PHARE and other donors will depend on the degree of co-operation provided by the Albanian government and progress made in key reform. Leverage to ensure that the government effectively fulfils conditionalities will also be exercised through the budgetary support which the Community intends to grant to Albania (14.9 MECU from PHARE and 10 MECU from food security).

2. In Albania, there are three PHARE programmes specifically planned on the basis of districts:

- the PHARE Albania-Greece cross border co-operation (CBC) programme concerns the southern district bordering Greece (from Saranda to Korça);

- the PHARE Albania-Italy cross border co-operation programme concerns the Adriatic coast (from Vlora to Durres);

- the local community development programme (LCDP) concerns the central and north Albanian districts.

The two CBC programmes are focused above all on infrastructure projects for an overall budget of 58.0 MECU (1994-1996). Furthermore, 20.0 MECU have been allocated for 1997. The LCDP finances small regional projects for an overall budget of 8.5 MECU (1995). Also for this programme, a further allocation of 5.0 MECU is foreseen in the country operational programme 1997 for urgent rehabilitation.

3. For the health sector, the PHARE assistance amounts to 23.0 MECU. During the 1997 crisis, the PHARE assistance was partly suspended, but humanitarian aid of 7.0 MECU (food and medical aid) was implemented. A further humanitarian aid of 10.0 MECU is also foreseen in 1997. From the total of 17.0 MECU committed this year, 10.0 MECU approximately will go to the health sector (urgent medicines, medical equipment and urgent rehabilitation).

4. Health sector in the PHARE national programme

MECU

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