I External aid

More documents

Recommendations

Info

ANNUAL REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION’S EXTERNAL ASSISTANCE DRUG ROADS, ROADS OF THE WAR In 2000, Afghanistan provided nearly 70% of the world production of heroin and Latin America (essentially Colombia) and the world’s entire cocaine supply. The traffic penetrates the world’s two main markets, the United States and Europe, by varying routes. Supplies to the European Union enter via the heroin route (Afghanistan, Iran, Central Asia, Caucasus, Central and Eastern European countries, Turkey, Balkans) and the cocaine route, runs from Latin America via the Caribbean. This traffic passes through countries destabilised by civil war, terrorism and totalitarian regimes. Traffickers exploit this fragility to develop paths along which they are rarely disturbed. In addition, their activities <strong>aid</strong> certain governments or movements (nationalist, religious, etc.) which use the income from this traffic to finance one or the other conflict or movement*. In addition to drugs, these routes are also used for other criminal activities, such as human slavery. For example, the conflict in former Yugoslavia has promoted the development of Mafia-style Albanian organisations and today, over 80% of the heroine seized in Europe passes via the Balkans. The EU is funding preventive projects in nine countries (total budget: €2 million) on the cocaine route, in Latin America. In the Andean countries it is supporting a series of initiatives focused on money laundering, control of precursors (chemicals needed for drug production) and legislative harmonisation. It has just started helping the Venezuelan government to set up a national drugs observatory (€2 million). In Columbia, the EU is looking to play an major part in the peace process and is contributing to this effort with alternative farming programmes (€30 million out of €105 million). In the Caribbean, the EU is providing €23 million to the Barbados action plan, a series of programmes covering all aspects of the fight against drugs. This initiative is the fruit of a joint approach by the Caribbean countries, the EU, the USA and the United Nations. The Community action is facilitating a tighter crack down on money-laundering and cocaine trafficking by increasing marine patrols and creating centrally co-ordinated police, customs and army units. Addict treatment and reinsertion initiatives also receive significant support. On the heroin route, different courses of action to combat this traffic have been undertaken in Central Asia and in the Caucasus while programmes to reduce demand are in the pipeline. The EU is also preparing a new project based in Iran to prevent drug addiction and to train officials. It is also funding closer co-operation between the countries of central Asia, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey. * The role of drug trafficking as a factor of instability is stressed by the Commission in its Communication on Conflict Prevention COM(2001)211 final). © Dirli – Programa Desarrolla Integral 6.2. Perspectives The Commission gives high importance to assisting countries outside the European Union in combating drugs and to this end is programming part of its anti-drug action at the countries crossed by the two main supply routes to the European Union. It will continue to develop projects aimed at closer coordination both between beneficiary countries and with Member States. In many cases these projects extend actions developed by Member States within the Union. As the anti-drug action plan stresses, this type of co-ordination is an important factor in the effectiveness of the Community’s action. The Co-operation Office is playing a central role in developing the mechanisms for co-ordinating action outside the European Union. Horizontal Issues In many countries, drug consumption is essentially a problem among the poorest and most vulnerable parts of the population. 37
Horizontal Issues Rehabilitation and reconstruction operations fill the gap between emergency relief and long-term development programmes. 38 7. REFUGEES AND REHABILITATION ANNUAL REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION’S EXTERNAL ASSISTANCE When a catastrophe or any kind of crisis occurs, emergency relief is the first concern. But what comes next? What happens in the medium and long term? How can these situations be handled on a more permanent basis? Between the initial emergency relief and longer-term development programmes there exists a “grey area”, calling for its own particular type of help. Displaced people, the rebuilding of devastated areas and the hunt for anti-personnel mines are some of these transitional interventions. The concepts of “Linking Relief Rehabilitation and Development” (LRRD), and of “Developmental Humanitarian Assistance” originate in the 1980s when both academics and practitioners voiced concern about the so-called “grey zone” between humanitarian assistance, rehabilitation and development. For this reason, over the last ten years, (32) the Commission has been developing new forms of intervention to specifically address these situations. (32) Particularly since its communication to the Council and Parliament 1996 (COM) 153 final of 30.04.1996 (33) http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/fr/com/rpt/2000/com2000_0367fr01.pdf) (34) http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/fr/com/pdf/2000/fr_500PC0831.pdf) © UNHCR/J. Spaull The extreme variety of problems to be confronted has led gradually to the creation of a series of diverse tools. Most of these have subsequently been brought together within a single administrative service at the Commission, in an attempt to achieve more cohesive action in this “link” area. 7.1. Aid to displaced populations: a geographic approach According to the most recent estimations by the High Commission for Refugees (HCR), the number of displaced persons (refugees, repatriated persons, internally displaced groups) is over 22 million world-wide, 7 million of whom are in Asia and almost 600 000 in Latin America. DIFFERENT KINDS OF DISPLACED POPULATIONS NEED INTERNATIONAL AID These can be: - refugees remaining in their initial country of asylum; - internally displaced persons who have to survive outside their original village and region; - people repatriated from outside or inside their home country; - demobilised military and similar people; - populations living around refugee camps in their initial asylum country, whose economic situation cannot remain permanently inferior to that of the refugees living alongside them; - populations who have remained in departure areas and who must be helped to prevent them swelling the number of refugees. Perspectives Following the positive assessment of the implementation of the Regulation governing <strong>aid</strong> given to displaced populations in Asia and Latin America, (33) the Commission has decided to maintain this tool which has shown its usefulness. A new Regulation proposal has been communicated by the Commission (34) and should be approved by the Council in 2001.
Page 1 and 2: OFFICE FOR OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS OF
Page 4 and 5: Foreword Financial assistance to th
Page 6 and 7: € VI Africa, Caribbean, Pacific 8
Page 8: The second chapter describes the ac
Page 11 and 12: A New Policy People sleeping beside
Page 13 and 14: A New Policy Two doctors examining
Page 15 and 16: A New Policy 14 Many developing cou
Page 17 and 18: A New Policy Deconcentration is one
Page 20 and 21: © ACP-EU Courier II Human Rights,
Page 22 and 23: ANNUAL REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION
Page 44: Pacific Cook Islands Fiji Kiribati
Page 47 and 48: The Balkans ANNUAL REPORT ON THE IM
Page 49 and 50: The Balkans 48 The strengthening of
Page 51 and 52: The Balkans The return of refugees
Page 53 and 54: The Balkans Legal institutions and
Page 56 and 57: © Carl Cordonnier, Dailylife IV Th
Page 58 and 59: © Carl Cordonnier, Dailylife ANNUA
Page 66: © Carl Cordonnier, Dailylife ANNUA
Page 69 and 70: Mediterranean 68 Cyprus is no longe
Page 71 and 72: Mediterranean The construction of b
Page 73 and 74: Mediterranean The project at St-Kat
Page 75 and 76: Mediterranean 74 Women’s increase

I External aid

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?