Thursday, 15 December 2011 - Strasbourg

Explanation of vote:

Report: Jens Geier (A7-0388/2011)

Pino Arlacchi (S&D ), in writing . − I strongly support this text because, as my report on a new strategy for Afghanistan denounced one year ago, it clearly underlines that the current arrangements for managing EU funds in Afghanistan are inadequate. Afghanistan is amongst the recipient countries receiving the most civilian aid from the EU general budget. In the period 2002-2010 the combined EU (European Community and Member States) budget for aid to Afghanistan totalled around EUR 8 billion, but a significant proportion of the EU aid was lost along the distribution chain.

The main reasons for this are: waste, excessive use of intermediaries, security costs, overbilling and corruption. I strongly believe that the EU must ensure transparency and accountability in relation to the financial assistance provided to the Afghan Government, international organisations and local NGOs, in order to ensure the coherence of aid and the success of Afghanistan’s reconstruction and development.

[source:www.europarl.europa.eu]