WRITTEN QUESTION E-0852/00 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Mozambique.
C 46 E/62 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 13. 2. 2001 At the First meeting of the Standing Committee of Experts (SCE) on the General Status and 4. Operation of the Ottawa Convention, which was held on 10 and 11 January 2000, a positive assessment was made of the growing universalisation of the Convention with 137 countries that have signed or acceded to the Convention and 90 ratifications. It was reported that 31 states had already submitted reports on their implementation of the Convention to the Secretary-General of the United Nations (Article 7 of the Convention) and that 34 states were late in submitting their reports. South Africa and Canada, as co-chairs of the SCE, reported to the meeting that they had approached the States in question with a view to encouraging them to take all necessary steps to demonstrate their continued strong support for the ban on APLs. Although the Convention does not require the publication of reports, the Ottawa Convention stipulates in Article 7 that the Secretary-General of the United Nations shall transmit all the reports received to the States Parties, who will then consider matters arising from the reports at the Meeting of the States Parties. The reports are also available on the website of the United Nations Department for Disarmament Affairs: http://domino. un. org/ottawa. nsf. 5. The European Union welcomes the efforts made by the signatory States to encourage universal accession to the Ottawa Convention and has raised the issue of its implementation during meetings in the context of the political dialogue on global disarmament and arms control with all the associated countries, the EFTA countries which are members of the European Economic Area, Canada and the United States, and with other countries (Australia) or regional groups (SADC). With regard to the negotiations for the accession to the European Union, the applicant countries are expected to comply fully with the acquis, including Common Positions and Joint Actions adopted in the framework of the Common Foreign and Security Policy. (2001/C 46 E/067) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0852/00 by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (21 March 2000) Subject: Mozambique It is now many days since disaster struck Mozambique. A million people are suffering the effects of the extremely serious flooding caused by heavy rains: some have died, others are missing and damage to property is widespread. However, neither the European Union nor its Member States have taken the action which is so urgently required in order to lessen the damage caused, to care for the sick, to feed the hungry and to prevent further loss of human life. What is the reason for the EUís negligence and what action is the Commission to take in order to correct without delay the unacceptable behaviour which it has displayed in Mozambique and in other countries? Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission (28 April 2000) From the very outset of the crisis in Mozambique, the Commission and Member States have given the government their support, both in cash and in kind. Each and every Member State has given generously to the government of Mozambiqueís initial appeal, providing food aid, helicopters and transport planes, personnel, medicines, drinking water, tents and blankets, as well as funding via the United Nations (UN) such as the World food programme. The donor tracking system of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) confirms that the Community has provided the lionís share of the international communityís response to the Mozambique crisis, estimated at some € 120 million in the initial rescue and relief phases alone. 13. 2. 2001 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 46 E/63 The Commission, whilst not geared to participate directly in the search and rescue efforts, responded immediately through its Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), whose partners were operational on the ground from the first wave of localised flooding in early February. The member of the Commission in charge of development cooperation and the Portuguese Presidency visited Mozambique within days of the second wave of flooding caused by cyclone Eline to assess the damage at first hand, and a senior ECHO specialist was deployed in Maputo to co-ordinate the Commissionís relief and resettlement intervention strategy with the government, the UN, the delegation and Member Statesí missions on the spot. In financial terms, the Commission made € 1 million available to provide emergency assistance to the victims of the first wave of flooding in Mozambique and Botswana. It also responded swiftly to the subsequent flooding wrought by Cyclone Eline by announcing another € 2 million for emergency relief, to provide support to those who had been driven from their homes, while € 1,4 million, locally available to the Commissionís delegate and the government of Mozambique, was offered with a view to improving food security for the victims. A further sum of € 5,58 million has since been earmarked for relief and resettlement operations, with the prime objectives of providing shelter, water, sanitation and health care to 100 000 people displaced by the flooding in the worst-affected provinces, while facilitating their rapid resettlement through the provision of seeds and tools to ensure a second harvest, and small-scale rehabilitation of essential health infrastructure. The intervention of the Commission and its partners in Mozambique is expected to continue for at least six months, while a flood relief intervention is also planned in Madagascar as a result of the needs assessment missions conducted concurrently throughout the region. To address the medium-term needs for rehabilitation of the afflicted areas, the member of the Commission, during his mission to Mozambique on 2-3 March 2000, announced an initial amount of € 21 million in additional funds. This sum could well be increased as the needs for reconstruction and rehabilitation become clear. Finally, in order to maintain the rapid growth achieved by Mozambique in recent years, the increasing level of co-operation envisaged before the disaster will be maintained. This will result in disbursements estimated at € 150 million this year, as compared to an estimated € 100 million in 1999. This raft of interventions shows that the actions of the Member States and of the Commission in support of the Government of Mozambique have been generous, rapid and responsible. Indeed, mid-March figures from the UN (OCHA) in Maputo put the international contributions at € 115 million, of which the Member States and the Community had pledged € 85 million, almost 74 % of the total figure. The Commission, via its delegation in Maputo, and the Member States continue to be actively involved in the Government-led donor co-ordination mechanisms on the spot. These donor co-ordination groups are closely following the needs assessments exercises currently being carried out and, in the light of the results, the Commission will decide on future action to be taken. (2001/C 46 E/068) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0859/00 by María Sornosa Martínez (PSE) to the Commission (22 March 2000) Subject: Construction of a bottling plant on the island of La Gomera (Canaries, Spain) On the island of La Gomera, a water bottling plant is currently being constructed. This project is receiving EU funding under the Investment Plan for La Gomera, which qualifies for Community aid