91998E3480

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3480/98

by John Iversen (PSE) to the Commission

(25 November 1998)

Subject: Food aid for North Korea

There is now daily media coverage of the food situation which has grown worse in North Korea, from where several cases of cannibalism have been reported.

Further to the question I tabled in September last year, will the Commission now say what the situation is as regards the food aid which the EU has already given, and which it will give, to the people of North Korea.

Answer given by Mr Pinheiro on behalf of the Commission

(22 January 1999)

For the last two years, the Commission has been closely monitoring the food security situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). There are undeniably food shortages although the extent cannot be precisely verified, given only partial co-operation from the authorities. As might be expected, there is also evidence of adverse consequences on the health and nutritional status of the population. Nevertheless, sensationalist rumours of cannibalism have not been substantiated by the 100 western expatriates now based in the DPRK assisting in the various aid programmes.

International food aid deliveries over the last two years in total amount to approximately 1,5 million tonnes. The Commission, acting on behalf of the Community, has provided considerable quantities of food aid products targeted at the most vulnerable sections of the population. The total value of this food aid and food security support in 1997-1998 has now reached 100 millions euro. This assistance has been channelled through the World food programme (WFP), European non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with an expatriate presence and bilaterally. The bilateral support in 1998 has been monitored by a Commission financed technical assistance team. In addition to food aid and support for agricultural rehabilitation, the Commission has also granted in excess of 24 millions euro for public health, sanitation and emergency nutritional support over the same period.

The Commission is presently reflecting on the modalities of a possible food aid and agricultural rehabilitation programme for DPRK in 1999. No final decision has yet been taken. Since the shortages are mainly structural (the by-product of DPRK's agricultural and wider economic policies), the Commission therefore takes the view that in order to be efficient and sustainable its assistance will need to be accompanied by policy adaptations from the DPRK authorities. These should aim to modernise agricultural practices and start to implement more far-reaching market-oriented initiatives.