EU urged to improve aid to IRAQ

Ana Maria Gomes, MEP

Wednesday 27th February 2008

The EU has been urged to "step up the quantity and quality” of its EU support in Iraq. That is the key message of a report on the EU’s role in the war-torn country which was adopted by parliament’s foreign affairs committee on Wednesday.

The own-initiative report, drafted by Portuguese Socialist deputy Ana Maria Gomes highlights several areas in which it believes EU assistance should be concentrated.

Gomes says the EU has an important role to play in efforts to build a "safe, stable, unified, prosperous and democratic Iraq".

This includes "support for the rule of law and justice reforms, amelioration of the electoral process, and capacity-building in the health care sector".

The report also called on member states to ensure that "substantive EU assistance is directed towards improving public finance management and budgetary control”.

It urges the council to press for improvements in the role of women, children and minorities, and in the campaign against torture and the death penalty.

Committee members also emphasised the need for member states to "ensure the transparency and efficiency of EU assistance for Iraq".

The report also advocates "making the EU code of conduct on arms exports legally binding", and urges the council to help the security situation in Iraq.

The report asks the council to "urge the commission to alleviate the plight of Iraqi refugees in Jordan and Syria and in other countries in the region and to improve the possibilities for Iraqi refugees to find refuge in EU member states".

The report was approved with 62 votes in favour, none against and 2 abstentions.

It will be put to a plenary vote on 13 March, during the next plenary session in Strasbourg.

"Report will urge EU engagement with Iraq", says Euro MP.

Ana Gomes, MEP

15/01/2008 - "Report will urge EU engagement with Iraq", says Euro MP.

A European Parliament report is to urge the EU to engage in Iraq after it emerged that the country needs help in spending its 48 billion dollar budget this year.

The call came from Euro MP Ana Gomes, who is now on her way back from a fact-finding visit on Europe's role in the country.

Said Ms Gomes, who will present a report on her visit to the Parliament's foreign affairs committee next week: "There is a strong desire to have a more visible European presence in Iraq — not in military but in financial terms."
This year's 48 billion dollar budget is up six billion on last year and 16 times the budget under Saddam, she said.
"Iraq needs European Union help to build capacity in every institution you can think of — organising the ministries, reorganising the education system, renewing the hospital network, developing the rule of law and justice and everything to do with human rights and women's rights."
She added: "They are eager for Europeans and they want Europeans as a way of balancing the American presence. We in Europe tend to focus on the war — but it is about time we focused on the peace and helped the Iraqis to build their peace."

During her visit, Ms Gomes met the President and Prime Minister, addressed Parliament and held talks with senior military figures as well as visiting schools and hospitals in the regions.
"European business should seize this opportunity to invest in the country," she said. "There are plenty of opportunities."
The European Parliament is expected to vote on the Gomes report on EU involvement in Iraq during its March session in Strasbourg.