WRITTEN QUESTION E-1180/01

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(19 April 2001)

Subject: Plan Colombia

Would the Commission provide a detailed breakdown of the nature of the EU's 105 million development assistance package to Colombia?

In light of the resolution on Colombia adopted by Parliament on 1 February 2001, would the Commission confirm that EU assistance to that country is entirely separate from the US sponsored Plan Colombia?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(25 June 2001)

The Commission has officially announced that the amount of aid reserved for the Colombian peace process, in terms of new commitments, will be 105 million for the period 2001-2006. A provision of around 6 million per year should be added to this amount to take into account the contribution of the budgets non-programmable lines (European Community's Humanitarian Office (ECHO), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Refugees, etc.). The total amount resulting could therefore be estimated to be 140 million.

This amount has been divided between the following four axes which represents the internal articulation of a larger Community (Commission and Member States) support programme for the peace process worth more than 330 million:

- Axe 1: concerns actions aimed at promoting the respect of the specific agreements as well as the construction of peace in the meeting area, in the distension area (demilitarised zones where the peace dialogue with the two principal components of the guerrilla, respectively the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), will take place) and in surrounding areas of these two zones.

The Community provision foreseen for this axe is 60 million. With this amount the Community will promote actions aimed at the establishment of Peace Laboratories, in the meeting and distension areas as well in the surrounding areas.

The function of the Peace Laboratories is to anticipate, in the designated areas, the effects of peace and in this way to provide feedback on the negotiation process.

In order to establish the Peace Laboratories, the Community will finance two important integral development projects (each of them worth 30 million). Their purpose will be to strengthen the local public institutions (different levels of local government), to consolidate the leading role of the groups promoting peace, to identify the sustainable development potential, and to support alternative development in the zones where concerted manual eradication of illegal crops will take place.

- Axe 2: concerns actions aimed at strengthening the national reform policies and achieving the aims set at the time of the negotiations.

Community provision: 25 million. The actions envisaged under this axe aim at financing the implementation of studies and pilot projects which will make it possible to check the hypotheses of national policy reforms set during the peace negotiations (actions foreseen to support reforms in the Agricultural policy and in the Judicial system).

- Axe 3: concerns actions aimed at strengthening the respect of human rights and encouraging a peaceful culture.

Community provision: 13 million (Budget line Human Rights and Democratisation). The actions envisaged will be designed to promote in Colombian civil society, social and cultural processes which have a positive influence on the peace negotiations.

- Axe 4: concerns actions aimed at reducing the social impact of the conflict and envisaging its possible expansion to other critical areas in the country.

Community provision: 42 million (programmable and non-programmable budget lines).The purpose of the foreseen actions is:

- to promote the social and productive reintegration process of the social groups directly affected by or involved in the conflict (displaced, former combating minors, wounded, demobilised);

- to reduce the critical factors which, on a social (marginalisation, drug consumption) or territorial level (underdevelopment of areas with low conflict intensity) can worsen and extend the conflict;

- to support alternative development in the zones where concerted manual eradication of illicit crops will take place.

As to whether the Union package will be kept separate from Plan Colombia, the Commission would like to re-iterate it's position: the Union's reservations about some aspects of the Plan Colombia are well known to President Pastrana and to his government. And the Commission does not intend to take part in any initiative with a military dimension.