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

Adopting the recommendation for second reading by Mr Niall ANDREWS (UPE, IRL) and Mrs Monica BALDI (UPE, I), Parliament approved the common position of the Council with the following amendments: - it pointed out that it had taken the initiative in 1986 to establish an item in the budget aiming to provide support to the countries in southern Africa which were affected by the deliberate destabilization orchestrated by South Africa; - it also called for operations, to commence at the earliest possible stage, to take over from humanitarian action and pave the way for the resumption of medium-term and long-term development aid. These operations should facilitate the return of refugees, displaced persons and the demobilized military and the reintegration of the entire population into normal civilian life in their home countries and regions; - Parliament considered that the priorities for operations should be the physical and operational rehabilitation of basic infrastructure, including mine clearance, the relaunch of production, the reintegration into society of refugees, displaced persons and the demobilized military, training and education to counter the effect of internal conflict and destabilization operations, and the restoration of institutional capacities. It also called for resources to be used to develop economic activity, particularly through the creation of SMEs and by promoting regional and economic integration between the Member States and the SADCC ; - it called for the cooperation partners to include regional and specialized aid organizations. It also called for a financial contribution from local partners, in particular to operating costs, where a project is designed as a start-up for an ongoing activity, in order to ensure the sustainability of such projects after Community funding has ceased; - it called for the reinforcing of coherence and complementarity between the actions financed by the Community, Member States and other donors, such as UN agencies, and for continuity in the efforts made; - with regard to comitology, it called for the Commission to be assisted by an advisory committee (the committee changing according to the beneficiary country or region concerned). Parliament also asked to be present as an observer at the general policy meetings organized by the Commission.�