EC/developing countries: rehabilitation and reconstruction operations in developing countries

The Commission's amended proposal retained a number of amendments adopted by Parliament, particularly those which: - stressed that the Commission needed to ensure that the efforts made in the areas of humanitarian aid, rehabilitation and development were coherent and continuous; - gave priority to the question of rapid and effective aid; - highlighted the need to implement as quickly as possible measures that enabled refugees, displaced people and demobilised troops to return home and helped the entire population to resume normal civilian life in their countries and regions of origin; - provided for the possibility of using resources to help develop economic activity, particularly through the creation of SMEs and by promoting regional economic integration; - provided for financial support for specialised NGOs; - asked that the Commission be assisted by an advisory committee made up of representatives of the Member States and chaired by a Commission representative in accordance with the country or region concerned: the EDF committee for ACP countries, the MED committee for Mediterranean countries, and the ALA committee for Latin American and Asian countries; - established the regulation's date of application from 1 January 1997. The Commission did not take over the other amendments as they did not conform to the objectives or methods involved in 'rehabilitation', because they implied excessive restrictions in terms of management, or because they were unacceptable for institutional reasons. �