Brussels, 02/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on the EU to maintain its "own, non-military strategy" for supporting the peace process in Colombia. On the same day as Colombian President Andrés Pastrana called on the revolutionary armed forces of Colombia, the Farc, to return to the negotiating table before the end of the week, MEPs restated their "unreserved support to the peace initiated by President Pastrana" and insistently called on the parties to persevere in their efforts despite all the difficulties, by urging the Farc to resume dialogue and continue peace negotiations. In a text where the toughest lines towards US military intervention were attenuated by amendments from the EPP and Socialist groups (adopted with votes against from the far left), the MEPs nonetheless place emphasis on the risks of the conflict escalating in the region, and on its social dimension. Thus, they mainly note that a lasting peace cannot be achieved without indepth reform of the model for sharing wealth. They stress it is important to stimulate a real land reform process.
Speaking to MEPs who were concerned about the military aspects of the Colombia Plan financed up to 1.3 billion by the United States, the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, Poul Nielson, gave his assurance that the Commission does not have the slightest intention of taking part in the military aspects of the plan. "We have our own plan, our own philosophy", he declared, recalling that the Commission had announced, last October, a programme to support the peace process with EUR 105 million over six years. Mr Nielson pointed out that this programme will be broken down as follows: EUR 40 million for economic and social development and land reform, EUR 30 million for the development of alternative crops to crops used for drug production, and EUR 25 million for reform of the legal system. To this must be added aid for human rights and humanitarian assistance managed by the European Community's Humanitarian Aid Officed (ECHO). "The EU will also continue giving aid to the displaced populations. EUR 24 million have been earmarked since 1997 for this and 10 million should be made available this year", said Poul Nielson. He also pointed out that the "total sum of European aid will be specified during the next donors' conference", to be held in Brussels this month. Sharing MEPs' fears about the risk of the conflict spreading beyond Colombia's borders, the Commission plans to insist on a regional solution to the drugs problem, outside the EU/Andean Pact meeting to be held in March, said Poul Nielson.
While welcoming the neutral position adopted by the EU in the Council's conclusions of 9 October (see EUROPE of 28 October, p.15), the MEPs invited the Union to distance itself more from the military aspects of the peace plan launched in 1998 by President Pastrana in order to put an end to drugs trafficking and to 30 years of civil war. "The EU must distance itself still further from the military aspects of the Colombia Plan concluded between Presidents Pastrana and Clinton, without consultation either with the US Congress or with the Colombian Parliament", said Joaquim Miranda (United Left, Portugal), who drafted the resolution. "The EU must be still clearer, as some want to make the Council Conclusions a complement to the Colombia Plan, mainly certain Member States that take part in its financing", remarked Joaquim Mirana in a thinly veiled reference to Spain, who had announced aid of $5 million for the Plan. Three-quarters of US aid is intended for the military aspects of combating narcotics trafficking, stressed British Labour member Richard Howitt, who urged for aid to be focused on alternative crops. MEPs of the EPP Group, along the line of Spanish Ignacio Salafranca and Concepció Ferrer, insisted on the need to take into account the efforts of consultation by President Pastrana, while distancing themselves from the military aspects of the Plan. They also called on the Colombian government to fight more firmly against the exactions of the paramilitary groups. The representatives of the United Left and Greens Groups condemned the military aspects of the plan even more vigorously and, like French Green member Didier Rod, called on the EU and the Member States not to cooperate in the Plan and even to oppose it. Mr Rod assured that the version of the Plan presented to the EU is not the same as that submitted to the US Administration. Priority must be given, on one hand, to the dismantling of the international drugs networks and paramilitary groups, and, on the other hand, to social reform, United Left MEPs urged. Without redistributing land, European funds will go to those who own land, including the drug traffickers, said Italian Communist Giuseppe Di Lello.