Brussels, 05/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Union will be taking part in the meetings of donors for El Salvador and Central America, to be held in Madrid on 7 March and 8/9 March respectively, under the aegis of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The European Commission will be represented by the Latin American Director at the Directorate General for External Relations, Francisco da Câmara, and Latin American Director of Europeaid, Fernando Cardesa García.
El Salvador. One month after the second earthquake that hit the country, the meeting of the advisory group for the reconstruction of El Salvador will take stock of the damage. It is too soon, however, to expect that the international community will announce financial commitments, Mendel Goldstein, Chief of Unit for Central America and Mexico at the European Commission, told the press. The European Community's Humanitarian Office has already earmarked EUR 2 million for emergency aid, and the Commission is expected to sign a further commitment of EUR 8 million this week. The aid comes in addition to that of Member States. The longer term Community aid for reconstruction could come from reallocation of funds already pledged for development in El Salvador, that is around EUR 8 or 9 million, stated Mendel Goldstein. Above all, he cited the case of funds intended for the construction of housing in the central region of San Vincent in El Salvador, badly hit by the earthquake. During the meeting in Madrid, the UN Economic Commission for Central America and the Caribbean, will present a report on the socio-economic and environmental impact of the first earthquake on 13 January. The government of El Salvador is also expected to present a first plan for reconstruction, which evaluates the total damage done at around $2 billion.
Central America: Three years after Hurricane Mitch, which devastated a large part of Central America in October 1998, the meeting of the advisory group for Central America will take stock of the situation regarding the plans for reconstruction implemented under the IDB on the donors' side and the Secretariat for the Integration of Central America (SICA) for beneficiaries. No further commitment is in principle expected at the meeting. The Central Americans should, however, present a series of infrastructure projects of regional dimension, concerning, for example, electricity connection or the creation of "biological corridors". Already criticised for its slowness in implementing its regional programme for Central America (PRRAC), with a budget of EUR 250 million over six years, the European Commission should take stock of the latest developments. Around EUR 130 million were released end 2000 and the first concrete projects are beginning to appear, under the authority of a decentralised Europeaid unit located in Managua, said Mendel Goldstein. He stressed that this is long term aid to be continued for several more years. The Commission nonetheless drew lessons from the Central-American experience, and is expected to take into account a new document on European external policy to be presented by Commissioner Patten in the near future, said the spokesman.