WRITTEN QUESTION E-2208/99 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Ariane programme.
18. 7. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 203 E/149 (2000/C 203 E/189) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2196/99 by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission (29 November 1999) Subject: Combating world hunger The first report recently published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) paints a bleak picture of the world situation since the target set in 1996 to halve the numbers suffering from hunger by the year 2015 does not seem to be materialising. 204 million people in India, 164 million in China, half the population of North Korea and Mongolia, one third of the peoples of Cambodia, Laos and sub-Saharan Africa are suffering from hunger, while two in every five children are undernourished. Bearing in mind that the UN had decided that the developed countries should spend 0,7 % of their GDP on humanitarian aid to the developing countries, will the Commission say whether that decision is being implemented and by which Member States of the European Union? Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission (21 December 1999) The Commission is convinced of the need to increase international official development aid, which has fallen to its lowest level for decades. In the United Nationsí work on development finance, the Community has reaffirmed its commitment to cooperation and its readiness to work towards the objective of devoting 0,7 % of Gross National Product (GNP) to development aid. Several Member States ü Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden ü have achieved or exceeded the target. The Community average is 0,34 % of GNP. Support for food security policies is an integral part of Community development policy. (2000/C 203 E/190) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2208/99 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission (29 November 1999) Subject: Ariane programme In the 15 October issue of the weekly information bulletin for local and regional authorities entitled Europa Regionií, it was reported that the 291 projects which are to receive EU financial assistance under the 1999 Ariane programme have now been selected. Can the Commission publish a list of all the public and private bodies, firms, businesses, private citizens and organisations in countries both within and outside the European Union that have been deemed eligible for such assistance, together with the amounts allocated in each case? Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission (13 January 2000) In view of the length of its answer, the Commission is sending it direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliamentís Secretariat