The convention at work

EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENT FUND

Following, where required, favourable opinions from the EDF Committee, the Commission has decided to provide grants and special loans from the 5th, 6th and 7th EDFs to finance the following operations (grants unless otherwise stated). Major projects and programmes are highlighted:

Economic and social infrastructure

Benin: ECU 17 million for the rehabilitation of the Cotonou-Hillakondji road.

Ethiopia: ECU 6.868 million towards a programme for the social reintegration of vulnerable groups in society including displaced people, demobilised soldiers and the war-wounded.

Nigeria: ECU 15.5 million for a programme to combat poverty in the Bornou region by improving rural production (better management of water supplies, help for farmers' associations etc.) among the farming communities on the shores of Lake Chad.

Uganda ECU 22 million towards a road-maintenance programme in the south west of the country

East Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti): ECU 8.5 million for the installation and development of an advance cargo information system.

Dominican Republic: ECU 1.4 million for a development programme in Puerto Plata province.

Trade promotion/structural adjustment

Congo: ECU 14.25 million for a general import programme in support of structural adjustment.

Zambia: ECU 11.8 million for a general import programme in support of phase two of the structural adjustment programme.

PALOP countries (Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, STomamp; Principe): ECU 2.6 million to help create the conditions for external trade and internal investments within the five countries.

All ACPs: ECU 7.7 million to support ACP-EU professional organisations involved in improving the production and commercialisation of goods on external markets.

All ACPs and OCTs: ECU 7.484 million, under the heading of regional cooperation, to finance participation by ACP countries and OCTs in trade and service development activities during 1995.

Agriculture

Senegal: ECU 1 million to support the horticultural export system.

Kiribati: ECU 1.1 million for a marine algae development programme.

Enterprise

Trinidad & Tobago: ECU 2 million to support a development programme for small enterprises.

Health

Mauritania: ECU 350 000 to support the strengthening of control and prevention measures relating to sexually transmittable diseases and AIDS.

Mauritius: ECU 423 000 to support a programme against AIDS.

Seychelles: ECU 139 000 to support a programme against AIDS.

All ACPs: ECU 1.85 million for technical support to health systems reform.

Education

Angola: ECU 2.7 million to strengthen the operational capacity of an industrial institute in Luanda.

Djibouti: ECU 336 000 for the rehabilitation of primary schools in the Ali Sabieh district.

Tanzania: ECU 1.95 million to support Tanzanian students in the Commonwealth of Independent States and other countries of the former Eastern Bloc.

PALOP countries (Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, STomamp; Principe): ECU 1 million for training and upgrading of human resources.

All ACPs: ECU 2 million to support a regional university training programme (in the economic sciences).

Environment

Cd'Ivoire: ECU 1.99 million for forestry management in coastal areas (intermediate phase covering 1994-95).

Cd'Ivoire: ECU 1.75 million for preparatory management work in the Onumbo-Boka forests.

Institutional support

Guinea Bissau: ECU 1.25 million to support the exploitation of land resources.

Mozambique: ECU 1.95 million to support the socio-economic and cultural reintegration of young people.

Tanzania: ECU 1.7 million to support the electoral process during 1994-95.

Miscellaneous

All ACPs: ECU 2 million to support ACP cultural events in the EU countries during 1994-95.

EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK

Loans

Cape Verde: ECU 2 million to help finance the construction of an anchovy processing and packing plant at Mindelo.

Eritrea: ECU 8 million to help finance the rehabilitation and extension of the internal telecommunications network as well as the country's connections with international networks.

Mali: ECU 5 million towards modernising and extending a cotton seed oil refinery.

VISITS

President Jagan of Guyana

President Cheddi Jagan of Guyana discussed relations between his country and the EU in a meeting with President Delors and Vice-President Marin in Brussels on 14 September. During the talks, the President emphasised the serious difficulties facing Guyana, and in particular, the high level of debt and the need for a massive reconstruction effort to tackle the complete delapidation of the country's economic and social infrastructure. He went on to say that since the 1992 elections, Guyana had played the 'full democratic game' and that it was committed to the principles of human rights, good governance and the rule of law. Encouraging progress was reported in the implementation of Lomonvention programmes, reflecting the good capacity of the country to absorb external assistance.

Prime Minister Twagiramungu of Rwanda

Faustin Twagiramundu, the Prime Minister of Rwanda, had a meeting with Vice-President Marin in Brussels on 10 October.

The two men had an exchange of views about the current situation in Rwanda and the wider region.

At the peak of the Rwanda crisis, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees estimated the Rwandan refugee population at 2.5 million out of a total estimated population, based on the 1991 census, of 7.7 million.

The European Union is of the view that priority must be given to the return of these refugees to their homes. Reconciliation, and the creation of the necessary conditions for their repatriation are, accordingly, vital and cooperation at an international level has an important role to play in the process.

The Commission Vice-President stressed that he favoured increasing, as soon as possible, the number of human rights observers in the country and he went on to underline the need for a full and rapid deployment of the United Nations forces in order to provide protection for people against acts of vengeance and pursuit.

The objectives and priorities of the Commission, he said, were to continue providing humanitarian aid to the refugees and to take coordinated measures aimed at restoring the situation in the short term in Rwanda, notably as regards water and electricity supplies.

Mr Marin drew attention to the continuing commitment of the Commission and the EU Member States to the humanitarian effort in Rwanda: more than ECU 300 million had been allocated for this purpose in the last 11 months. He also announced further aid of ECU 18 million which will be used for the implementation of a food aid programme. This will provide 22 000 tonnes of cereals and 9500 tonnes of seed, as well as agricultural tools, with the next harvest in mind.

In addition, the Commission expects to approve soon a short-term rehabilitation programme which should allow for the re-establishment of water and electricity supplies in Kigali and for a livestock vaccination campaign.

In the longer term, however, rehabilitation and the progressive restoration of development cooperation can only take place if tangible results are achieved in respect of national reconciliation, the return of refugees and human rights. The European Union is ready to help the Rwandan Government in its efforts, in particular as regards providing guarantees to returning refugees through the presence of an adequate number of observers.

Prime Minister Kengo of Zaire

Vice-President Marin met with the Prime Minister of Zaire, Kengo Wa Dondo, on 14 October. The Prime Minister was visiting the Commission as part of a tour of his country's main partners, with a view to relaunching international cooperation with Zaire.

The talks focused on the political and economic situation in Zaire and the region as a whole. Mr Kengo described the alarming state of his country, where the official economy has collapsed, inflation has exploded and the population is poverty-stricken. He thanked the European Union for its substantial humanitarian contributions, and asked it to step up its assistance in this field. Mr Kengo also explained that, with the help of the international community, his government intended to draw up and implement an economic and financial recovery programme.

Mr Marin stressed the importance of proceeding rapidly with the implementation of such a programme, which would form the basis of the gradual resumption of cooperation with Zaire. In particular, he called on Mr Kengo's government to take urgent steps to:

- address the security situation in the country;

- implement a sound, independent and transparent monetary policy through the Zaire Central Bank;

- prepare an emergency economic adjustment programme allowing for the resumption of dialogue with the Bretton Woods institutions;

- respect human rights and freedom of expression;

- establish a timetable for the holding of free and transparent elections.

In this context, Mr Marin indicated that, in the interests of the people of Zaire, the Commission was looking at the possibility of resuming cooperation with the country on a limited basis while maintaining the highly important humanitarian aid effort.