Brussels, 18/04/2001 (Agence Europe) - European Commission President Romano Prodi does not regard it appropriate to suspend EU cooperation with the United Nations Drugs Control Programme (UNDCP). This is the major thrust of the answer he sent Maurizio Turco MEP, member of the Bonino list, who has written to him on two occasions asking him to block Community funding earmarked for this United Nations Agency, due to "offhand manner in which it manages human and financial resources" and "its obvious inability to propose and carry out policies that behold the UNDCP".
In one of his letters to Romano Prodi, Mr. Turco had also asked for an investigation to be opened to shed light on the use of UNDCP funds managed by its Director General Pino Arlacchi. In his reply the Commission President considers that, according to "in-depth analyses and information available to date," it is not, "at this stage (..), appropriate to suspend cooperation activities with UNDCP". Prodi does, however, point out that "cooperation with this Agency and with all other partners must occur under conditions guaranteeing utmost transparency". He also confirms that he has written to Mr. Arlacchi "that the Commission intends proceeding, in future too, in as detailed a manner as possible with the financial control, assessment and verification of our cooperation actions with UNDCP".
Reacting to Mr. Prodi's response, Turco says in as press release that, in this affair, the EU remains "deaf, dumb and blind", and stresses that "President Prodi's position contrasts with the criticisms and concerns expressed by the United Kingdom, France, Germany and, especially, the Netherlands". He also points out that the Dutch Government, one of UNDCP's main donors of aid, "has blocked its annual contribution of $4 million to the Agency while awaiting the results of an investigation of the bureau responsible for inspecting the United Nations' internal services" on these accusations of mismanagement.