Brussels, 19/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - It is a globally positive assessment of the humanitarian activities of the Community that drew Poul Nielson, European Commissioner responsible for development policy and humanitarian aid by presenting, this Tuesday to the press, the 199 annual report of ECHO (Community humanitarian office), entitled "East Timor: a hope for peace".
"ECHO is carrying out its duties, as well if not better that any comparable international organisation", announced the Commissioner when basing himself on the results of the independent evaluation of ECHO activities that concluded in favour of its continuation. The Commissioner recalled with satisfaction that: a) food aid was recognised as a specific task for the EU - the activity must refine certain working methods; b) ECHO is not concerned with the discussion underway on the externalisation of humanitarian aid as the Office had not accumulated unspent money (it engages and uses its budget each year). "This external activity for which we act in the time required prove that we work efficiently. Improvements to be brought to procedures are presently being examined, and are linked to the administrative reform underway at the Commission" he announced, feeling that this positive assessment does not dispense it in anyway of doing better.
In 1999 ECHO spent EUR 812 million to answer humanitarian crisis's, conflicts and natural catastrophes throughout the world, or the largest budget eve spent by ECHO. Out of this total, EUR 378 million where allocated to Kosovo.
By outlining its interventions with examples, the Commission wanted to answer certain criticisms, according to him unfairly formulated, against the slowness of ECHO interventions. (Hurricane Mitch, Mozambique, etc.) Tomorrow EUROPE will give an account of the specific details of each dossier.