News Release
No. 17/04
February 13, 2004
AFGHANISTAN: HOW THE EU IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE
The European Union (EU)
has been and continues to be one of the major donors backing the reconstruction
of
Afghanistan. Taking together contributions from the Community Budget and
member states, the EU provided over EUR 850 million in 2002 and EUR 835 million
in assistance to Afghanistan in 2003 to help in its reconstruction efforts.
At the Tokyo donors' conference
in 2002:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/afghanistan/intro/arsg.htm the
European Commission (EC) played a leading part in this EU performance. The Commission
promised EUR 1 billion over 5 years. In both 2002 and 2003, the actual amount
committed to Afghanistan has been higher, and assistance has been delivered swiftly.
At the forthcoming international conference to be held at the end of March,
Europe will
again be a significant participant.
This reconstruction support
is only part of the story. Europe is also bearing much of the costs of the International
Security Assistance Force and the growing number of Provincial Reconstruction
Teams which aim to improve the security and stability for Afghanistan.
Contributions from the Community Budget have outstripped the Tokyo pledge. In
Tokyo, the Commission effectively pledged EUR 200 million per year for Afghanistan.
In 2002, the Commission delivered over EUR 280 million (including EUR 72 million
from ECHO). In 2003,
the Commission delivered over EUR 300 million (including extra EUR 50 million
to promote security by supporting police salaries and training and EUR 55 million
from ECHO). In 2004, the EC expects to commit around EUR 245 million for reconstruction
and humanitarian support.
The European Commission is delivering fast. In
both 2002 and 2003, over 70% of funds were actually contracted within one year.
This is an impressive performance for the EC and indeed for any agency. Delivery
is accelerating. Between July 2003 and April 2004, the EC expects a total of EUR
337 million to have been committed in development assistance alone. The EC intends
that by August 2004, at least 80% of this will be contracted.
Priorities
Security is the single
biggest problem facing Afghanistan at present. The problem of warlordism continues
to undermine the ability of the Afghan government to spread its authority nationwide,
and terrorist actions underline the continuing instability in some parts of the
country. The south/southeast of Afghanistan is increasingly a no-go area for foreigners,
and EUR 13 million of EC aid had to be suspended at the end of 2003 due to security
concerns. A number of member states are contributing to improved security through
NATO or through their own Provisional Reconstruction Teams. The EC is supplying
aid to support Germany and Italy in their lead role on law, order and justice.
The security challenge is
inextricably linked to the continuing prevalence of narcotics which helps fund
illegal activities. Afghanistan is once again the largest producer of opium poppy
in the world with bumper crops in both 2002 and 2003. This activity may now account
for as much as 50% of Afghanistan's GDP. This represents a concrete danger to
Europe, since 90% of the heroin on Europe's streets now comes from Afghanistan.
The European Union welcomes the unequivocal statement from the Afghan Government
at the recent International Anti-Narcotics Conference in Kabul (8-9 February)
stating its determination to stamp out poppy production. The UK is working closely
with the Afghan government on its eradication programmes.
Capacity within the Afghan
administration to deliver services is uneven. While some Ministries are improving,
others remain weak. For Afghanistan to reap the full benefit of international
assistance, rapid reforms are necessary.
Following the conclusion
of the Constitutional Loya Jirga in January, elections are scheduled for this
summer. The UN-led registration process continues despite security difficulties.
The elections are an important milestone towards implementing the 2001 Bonn Agreement
which sets out Afghanistan's path to a democratic future.
http://www.uno.de/frieden/afghanistan/talks/agreement.htm
The European Commission is contributing to the international effort in all these
areas in 2003-2004
Just under EUR 100 million
is being devoted to the strengthening of the government in Kabul, through
reform of the public sector, capacity building within key government institutions,
and continued financial support for the government's recurrent budget. This helps
the Afghan government deliver services, which are urgently required by the population.
The EC is supplying over
EUR 100 million to rural communities to help them find alternatives to poppy production.
The rural sector constitutes the foundation for Afghan economic growth and it
is here that most returned refugees are seeking to make their living. The programme
particularly targets those who might otherwise depend on illicit poppy cultivation.
The
EC is supplying EUR 65 million to help the Afghan police impose law and order,
another key component in Afghanistan's
fight against drugs. The EC gives further financial support to the Afghan government's
own anti-narcotics strategy. Lastly, Afghanistan
must be better able to stop smugglers on its borders if the drugs trade is to
be controlled. To this end, the EC is financing a project to strengthen border
control on the Afghan-Iran border so the authorities are better able to interdict
and stop drug smugglers.
Beyond drugs and security, Afghanistan
faces the challenge of preparing for elections this year a key milestone
in the Bonn Process to stabilisation and democratisation. The European Union has
financed EUR 30 million for voter registration, nearly half of the original budget
for this exercise. Within this, the Commission contributed EUR 15 million. An
Election Observer Mission is also under consideration to help the Afghans ensure
their election exercise is transparent and legitimate.
In addition the EC is making
an important contribution to the regeneration of the national economy by helping
to repair the roads network (EUR 90 million), boost public health (EUR
25 million) and remove mines and unexploded ordinance.
Examples of EC Achievements
The Commission's assistance
programmes are making a real difference to Afghans' lives:
- Emergency work on the
Kabul-Jalalabad road has already cut travel times by up to half. Work to fully
reconstruct the road is now underway;
- Health services are being
delivered in 6 provinces, covering 20% of the population;
- Key public sector workers
including doctors, teachers and nurses and the police are back at work;
- A kick-start for the rural
economy by providing 57,000 metric tons of improved seed, vaccinating 200,000
animals and rehabilitating 633 irrigation structures. This contributed to the
remarkable economic take-off of the rural economy in 2003;
- The creation of 1.4 million
days of employment—in 2002 alone—to promote rural livelihoods;
- The clearance of 8 million
square metres from land mines, allowing families to return to their homes to restart
their lives;
-
The rehabilitation of the women's park in Kabul,
plus hammans across many urban centres. For the first time women can gather together
in public without being accompanied by male family members.
Funding to Afghanistan
in 2002, 2003 and 2004
|
Recovery and Reconstruction
|
2002 committed
|
2002 contracted
|
2003 committed
|
2003 contracted
|
2004
|
|
Aid to uprooted people
(B7-302)
|
24
|
24
|
*
|
'
|
'
|
|
Reconstruction support first tranche
( 2002: B7-300; 2003: B7-305 )
|
57.5
|
57.5
|
79.5
|
73
|
'
|
|
Reconstruction support - second tranche
(2002: B7-300 ; 2003 : B7-305)
|
70.0
|
60.7
|
79.5
|
33
|
'
|
|
Food Security (B7-20)
|
46.6
|
46.5
|
30
|
5.5
|
'
|
|
Rapid Reaction Mechanism (B7-671)
|
6.9
|
6.9
|
'
|
'
|
'
|
|
Return of Afghan Nationals
( B7 667)
|
3.4
|
2.7
|
7
|
3.5
|
'
|
|
Reallocation of ALA
under-committed funds to Afghanistan
|
'
|
'
|
50
|
50
|
'
|
|
Total Reconstruction Support
|
208
|
198 (95 %)
|
246
|
165 (67 %)
|
203
|
|
Humanitarian ECHO
|
72.5
|
72.5 (100%)
|
55
|
50.4 (92 %)
|
40
|
|
Total Humanitarian & Development
|
280.5
|
270.5 (97%)
|
301
|
215 (72%)
|
243
|
For
further information:
http://www.eurunion.org/partner/EUUSTerror/EUandAfghanistan.htm
http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/afghanistan/intro/index.htm
