The Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament held a public hearing last week on the use of EU resources for programmes promoting democracy and human rights. A working paper by Spanish MEP, Gerardo Galeote (EPP) recalled the Council's examination of a regulation to lay down the basis for European aid for human rights and democracy. The goals of this regulation are set out as transparency, effectiveness, flexibility and visibility of the Community initiative. Mr Galeote mentioned in his report, that funds allocated for this initiative had risen from 45 million ECU in 1993 to 100 million in 1998.
NGOs represented at the meeting called for greater transparency and coherence in the allocation of funds, pointing to current deficiencies. Mrs Caroline Stainer a delegate from the International Human Rights Federation (IHRF) to the EU criticised the rule that does not allows funds to be granted directly to NGOs without approval from the government concerned. The point was made that it was precisely in these countries that the most support was required for human rights rather than in countries where authorities were prepared to collaborate with the Union on large multi-annual human rights projects. Mrs Stainer added that if the EU wants to strengthen the role of civil society in promoting human rights it should also be prepared to provide further finance for micro-projects conducted by the NGOs. Other NGOs criticised the length of funding of individual projects (five years) as too short to allow project continuity.
2. COMMISSION ADOPTS COMMUNICATION ON CHINA
The European Commission adopted its new communication on China titled, “Building a Comprehensive Partnership with China”, this week. The Communication calls for the engagement of China fully as a partner in the global economy and its integration in the world system. This is to be done by backing China's economic and social reforms and help to create an open society based on the Rule of Law. Measures envisioned to achieve this include:
1 Elevating the status and intensity of Europe's political dialogue with China. This should be placed on the same level as that with the US, Russia and Japan. To this end the Commission is proposing organising annual Chinese-EU Summits and regular meetings with senior officials. Domains of political debate are to be broadened to include issues such as arms control, the fight against crime and regional security in Asia.
2. Integrating China further into the world economy. The EU is to continue its support for China's rapid accession to the WTO while insisting that the country respects the WTO's basic principles of transparency, non- discrimination and open market for goods and services.
3. Help China become an open and humane society. The Union acknowledges that China is still far from respecting human rights on fundamental freedoms for certain ethnic minorities and political dissidents inter alia. The Communication states that these issues should be discussed frankly alongside concrete co-operation projects promoting the Rule of Law.
4. Improving effectiveness of EU financial assistance. The Commission proposes ways of enhancing the impact of its aid without increasing its budget for China. This involves trying to bring in other donors such as the European Investment Bank.
3. EUROBAROMETER RESULTS - FEW CONSIDER DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION A PRIORITY
According to the latest Eurobarometer poll on the impending 1999 European elections for MEPs, 70 per cent of Europeans on average said they intended to vote. Amongst individual EU member states, percentages ranged from the high 90% (Greece) 87% Denmark, to 59 % (Germany) and 55 % (Austria). Only 6 % of the poll participants thought the European Parliament should place an emphasis on development co-operation. Human rights in the world received a more favourable response with 20 % of poll participants in favour of EP emphasis on the subject (33 % in the Netherlands, 35 % in Denmark and 38 % in Sweden). Foreign and security policy was also considered important for the EP with 18 % of participants voicing their approval for emphasis on the issue. Top of the list of priorities for the EP was employment (64 %) followed by drug trafficking and crime (45 %), environmental protection (33 %), and the fight against cancer and AIDS (32 %).
4. NOTICE FOR EUROSTEP MEMBERS
Circulation of the Eurostep position paper on the arms code of conduct began this week. A vast majority of member organisations have already acted on the request to send it to relevant ministers in their countries.
On the same subject an extraordinary meeting was held by COARM(the EU Council Working Group on arms) on 26 March to discuss the EU proposal for the code of conduct on arms.
Also on arms, a proposal for a bulletin to provide information on the activities of member organisations concerning arms of code of conduct is being pursued.
Eurostep's response to the Commission Negotiating Mandate on the future of Lomé has been circulated to the member organisations.
5. IN BRIEF
The UK Presidency on behalf of the EU issued a declaration on the occasion of the Pope's visit to Nigeria on 21 to 23 March. The Declaration expresses the Union's welcome of the Pope's visit to Nigeria but expresses deep concern on the lack of human rights in the country. The continued detention of Chief Moshod Abiola and other political prisoners and the lack of progress towards democracy are cited among areas of concern. The Declaration calls on the Nigerian Government to take immediate steps in ensuring that the final steps of the transition towards democracy are conducted in a way that respects the rule of law and the right of the people to choose their own government.
The International Confederation for Trade Unions, ICFTU, has inaugurated a web site (http://www.icftu.org as part of its campaign on the right to organise. ICFTU reminds governments of the necessity of recognising workers' right to form and join independent trade unions of their choice and the right of workers to participate in collective bargaining.
The European Commission is pondering on a new acronym for its new service to be headed by ex Deputy Director General of DG VIII, Philippe Soubestre. The Common Service for the Management of Community Aid to Third Countries was tentatively given the acronym SCOOP (derived from the French name). However this was late deemed as inappropriate for a Commission Service. Several DG VIII civil servants are expected to be transferred along with some of their units to the new service that is to begin functioning in the middle of April.
Please note that there will be no PAF next week, 3 April.Business as usual will resume on 10 April the following week.