B4-0291/94

Resolution on the drought in Guadeloupe and the consequences of the cyclone in Martinique

The European Parliament,

A.whereas Guadeloupe, which has recently been hit by very violent cyclones and is only now recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Hugo in 1989, is currently suffering a drought unprecedented in its history, the seriousness of which has forced the national authorities to declare it a disaster area so that it can benefit in full from national solidarity measures,

B.whereas the economy of Guadeloupe, which is mainly based on agriculture and, more precisely, the production of sugar-cane, bananas and maize and cattle farming, is seriously affected,

C.whereas, according to specialists and the competent authorities, estimates for the 1995 sugar-cane harvest for Guadeloupe as a whole are very bleak (100 895 tonnes) by comparison with the 1994 harvest (more than 600 000 tonnes),

D.whereas, as regards banana production, exports during the second quarter of 1994 dropped by half; whereas the situation regarding cattle farming is no better, herds having been decimated by the drought, leaving farmers facing serious economic and social problems; and whereas losses in production of other crops are put at 90%, or even 100% in certain areas,

E.having regard, further, to the recent cyclones in Martinique, whose impact on banana production has been extremely severe, causing losses totalling 120 000 tonnes, i.e. 70% of production, valued at FF 260 m,

F.whereas the solidarity measures implemented by the French State and the regional authorities, although substantial, are already proving completely inadequate to repair the immense damage caused by this disaster,

G.whereas the Community programmes and measures implemented to assist the development of the overseas départements have as their objective the full integration of the latter into the Union; whereas it is quite justified, therefore, that solidarity should come fully into play when one of these distant European regions suffers a major natural disaster,

1.Draws the Union's attention to the scale of the disaster and urges it to consider the legal, economic and social situation of Guadeloupe and Martinique with a view to implementing European solidarity measures to assist the victims of the disaster in this overseas region regardless of the provisions of the integrated operational programme and other Community measures;

2.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the administrative authorities of Guadeloupe.