Brussels, 26/06/2000 (Agence Europe) - During the hearing at the European Parliament on external relations, the EU Special envoy for South-East Europe, Bodo Hombach, outlined the role of the Stability Pact in the Balkans. He underlined the significant number of projects already launched in the field of human rights and democracy, but also with regard to infrastructure, where 33 large projects out of a total of 35 have already received payments. According to him, the most difficult work is still to come with the monitoring of the implementation. "A reform of external aid is necessary," said Mr. Hombach in reminding that Commissioner Patten decided to react energetically. Mr. Hombach welcomed the plan to create an agency for the administrative management of aid and he called on the Parliament to grant all its support to this reform.
The head of the UN administration in Kosovo (UNMINK), Bernard Kouchner said that the European Union action in Kosovo is a "true success." "The EU must stop beating itself", he added in insisting on the progress achieved and the good co-operation between the various protagonists, even if much time is still needed to change the mentalities. He raised the need for additional money totalling EUR 25 Million by the end of the year.
Hubert Weber recalled that the numerous criticisms that the Court of Auditors, of which he is a member, have repeated themselves over the last years with regard to the management of external aid. He felt that the Commission has "chosen the right direction" but needs considerable human resources to exit the systems of Technical Assistance Offices (TAO) and take-over the management of the programmes.
To the pleas from Commissioners Patten and Schreyer for additional personnel resources (see EUROPE of 23 June, p.11), the MEPs reacted favourably, but called for, on the initiative of the French Christian Democrat Jean-Louis Bourlanes and the Dutch Liberal Lousewies van der Lann, that the Commission refines its argument and that it gives the exact number of additional positions it requires. The Austrian Socialist Johannes Swoboda recognised the need to reduce the bureaucracy and shorten the delays. He said that thought is also needed with regard to the possibility of helping structures that are not real States, by adding Montenegro and the Serb opposition. The Italian Radical Emma Bonino welcomed the Commission's desire for reform and the success achieved in Kosovo. Nevertheless, it is necessary to remain vigilant and avoid that the mobilisation weakens, she said, when welcoming Mr. Chirac's initiative to organise in the autumn an EU Conference with the region's countries.
Glenys Kinnock (Labour, Britain) raised the fears of the EP's Development Committee who fears that the development and the fight against poverty be put aside to the benefit of other actions in Central and Eastern Europe. She reminded that the EU answer is very unfair: USD 216 per inhabitant in Kosovo against USD 16 in Sierra Leon and 8 in the Congo. During the last decade, 36% of the EU's external aid has gone to the ex-Yugoslavia while 32% was given to the 70 ACP countries. Commissioner Michaele Schreyer replied that the increase in aid for the Balkans is reasonable when taking into account the reconstruction activities unfolding. She even said that it was case of a "drop in the ocean compared to all the military spending." The recalled that the Council felt it necessary to free additional resources through a reprogramming of external aid. The Commission does not share this opinion and thinks on the other hand that these resources must be mobilised from all the budgetary lines, including common agricultural policy (even if this is not very popular), confirmed Mrs. Schreyer.