European Parliament

Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Policy

Draft conclusions for the Committee on Development and Cooperation

on the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on linking relief, rehabilitation and development (LRRD)

(COM(96)0153 - C4-0265/96)

Draftsman: Mr Olivier Dupuis

The Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Policy supports the emphasis placed in the report on:

- the role of the external delegations

- the reorganization of the structure of the Commission and to have one single Commissioner responsible

- the role and involvement of local civil society.

In addition, it calls upon the Committee on Development and Cooperation to include the following paragraphs in its resolution:

1. Regards it as essential that the Commission clearly define how and when conditionality becomes part of the Relief-Rehabilitation-Development process, linking it to an agenda of progress;

2. Calls upon the Council and Commission to include a comprehensive gender analysis, at all stages of relief, rehabilitation and development and to provide financial backing for local initiatives taken in crisis situations, particularly those taken by women;

3. Is appalled by the lack of progress made by the Council in implementing conflict preventive measures as repeatedly called for by the European Parliament;

4. Considers it vital for the utmost attention to be paid to conflict prevention and 'early warning' by the EU institutions, and in this connection stresses the desirability of establishing a European Analysis Centre for Active Crisis Prevention;

5. Calls on the Council to press, in the United Nations, by all available means for a permanent international criminal court as an important measure of conflict prevention;

6. Calls for a reform of the CFSP in order to increase its coherence and consistency, by giving the Union the possibility to combine diplomatic efforts and humanitarian intervention capabilities (military and civilian) with the use of trade and development policies;

7. Calls on the Council to examine the possibility of establishing a European peace corps, including both civil and military units, under the authority of an ad-hoc Commissioner and in cooperation with the WEU, for peacekeeping and peacemaking operations;

8. Calls for the European control of arms exports and for the strengthening of the criteria which have been adopted by the European Council meetings of June 1991 and June 1992, to prevent arms exports to conflict area.