WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3738/97 by Yves VERWAERDE to the Commission. Situation in the Congo Republic
C 158/186 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 5. 98 The Commission would like to take this opportunity to point out that, since the onset of military exchanges, it has provided funding for emergency humanitarian aid to four organisations: Me·decins sans frontie‘res (France and the Netherlands), Me·decins du monde (France), Secours catholique (France) and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Throughout the conflict and until today, these programmes have meant that the basic needs of around 350 000 of the most vulnerable of the displaced persons can be provided for. The Commission, in co-ordination with the main humanitarian organisations, is carefully monitoring the situation locally, in particular with regard to Brazzavilleís water supply. The funding granted to date is spread over a number of sectors and comes in total, if one includes contributions to the World Food Programme, to around ECU 10 million. (98/C 158/251) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3737/97 by Yves Verwaerde (PPE) to the Commission (21 November 1997) Subject: Me·da-Democracy Programme Would the Commission inform me of the state of progress in setting up the implementing rules for this Community programme. It would seem that the subsidies for the projects selected during 1997 cannot be paid unless such rules have been determined beforehand. Answer given by Mr Mar ·n on behalf of the Commission (9 December 1997) As regards the rules for applying the MEDA programme for democracy, the Honourable Member is referred to the Commissionís answer to written question E-1808/97 by Mr Titley (1). Under the programme, some 62 measures were adopted for funding in 1996 and 32 others have been adopted so far in 1997. The Commission has drawn up a proposal for a regulation (2) concerning financing for democracy and human rights. It is currently being examined by the Council and Parliament. If adopted, the regulation will strengthen the implementation of effective, coherent and visible measures by establishing flexible, transparent and swift procedures for taking financing decisions. (1) OJ C 45, 10. 2. 1998, p. 105. (2) OJ C 282, 18. 9. 1997. (98/C 158/252) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3752/97 by Johanna Maij-Weggen (PPE) to the Commission (21 November 1997) Subject: Water management in ACP countries At the ACP-EU Assembly in October 1997 in Lome·, various delegates observed that, in some ACP regions, water problems are becoming increasingly serious and that there is an increasingly urgent need to agree regional water management initiatives and programmes. What has the Commission so far done in this field, and what budget items can be drawn on directly or indirectly for such measures?