WRITTEN QUESTION E-1498/99 by Hans Kronberger (NI) to the Commission. Groups hiring out mercenaries.
C 170 E/24 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 20. 6. 2000 participants of the MoU. A draft MoU for corridor VIII is near completion and will be signed in autumn 1999. Preparatory work for a MoU for corridor X has been held up for several months, due to the politically difficult situation prevailing in the region and because of the Kosovo crisis. The Commission has no information which might confirm any attempt to foster the development of corridor X to the detriment of corridor VIII. In the very near future the corridorsí development in the Balkan area, including also corridors VIII and X is likely to be implemented in the framework of the stability pact for South eastern Europe endorsed on 10 June 1999, to which the Commission will also actively contribute. Developing corridors serving to integrate the countries concerned into the enlarged TENs is part of the current Community strategy for the stabilisation and association process in the area. So far, financial support from the Community for the promotion of corridors VIII and X has been granted under the PHARE programme, for which however Croatia and the FRY are not at present eligible in the Balkan region. In Albania on road corridor VIII, between 1994 and 1997, PHARE has supported (for an amount of € 60,6 million) the upgrading of a number of sections, including the widening of roads, the provision of new bridges and the laying of new pavements. At the same time, the PHARE contribution to the rehabilitation of the port of Durrºs amounted to € 3,6 million. In Bulgaria, various sections of the national road network were rehabilitated, including some stretches along corridor VIII, for a total PHARE contribution amounting to € 40 million. In FYROM on road corridor X, the 1996 and 1997 PHARE programmes funded the Bogorodica and Medzitlija border station projects with a contribution of € 6 million. In addition, the modernisation of the Demir Kapija-Greek border road segment was supported under PHARE with a grant of € 11 million. An European Investment Bank (EIB) loan of € 70 million with Community interest rate subsidy of € 12 million has also been made available to improve road sectors on corridors VIII and X. (2000/C 170 E/024) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1498/99 by Hans Kronberger (NI) to the Commission (1 September 1999) Subject: Groups hiring out mercenaries There have recently been increasingly frequent reports of groups hiring out mercenaries, usually from Europe and mainly to Africa, but also to other theatres of war. Is the Commission aware of these activities? Does the Commission see action to combat such groups as a task to be performed at Union level? Has the Commission already taken steps to prevent such machinations? If so, what steps? If not, why 1. 2. 3. not? Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission (7 October 1999) The Commission is aware of reports of groups hiring out mercenaries to countries in Africa and to other theatres of war and is concerned about these developments. The Commission is of the view that the international community should consider effective measures in response to this phenomenon and notes with interest the work undertaken by the United Nations in this field. The Commission considers that where such groups are established in Member States or hire nationals of Member States, responsibility for policy vis-à-vis their actions, which might include combating them, lies primarily with the authorities of the Member States concerned