ECHO: a safety net for the vulnerable

The Commission played an active part in Bosnia-Herzegovina since the very beginning of the war via its humanitarian office (ECHO, the European Community Humanitarian Office). It has supplied the means for a considerable number of humanitarian organisations to come to the aid of people who were displaced, besieged and cut off from basic resources. ECHO was the mainstay of the largest humanitarian operation ever mounted on the European continent.

Two years and a half after the Dayton/Paris accords, a great number of people are still totally dependent on humanitarian aid in Bosnia-Herzegovina. These include displaced people who have not been able to return home and are still living in collective centres (schools, public buildings etc.); old people who have no pensions and the institutionalised such as orphans and the handicapped. The distribution of food and hygiene products remains fundamental as long as there is no social security. ECHO offers a lifeline to these populations and at the same time tries to establish structures, which can eventually become autonomous.

The humanitarian office also plays an important role in projects related to the return of refugees and displaced people.

The essential aid programme

After the signature of the peace accords, in addition to the numerous urgent repair operations undertaken by ECHO, the Commission was the first to set up an essential aid programme. The task was to respond to the most urgent needs, to improve living conditions for the Bosnian population and to set in motion the transition between humanitarian aid and the international community's reconstruction programme.

The essential aid programme allowed Bosnia Herzegovina to import the products and equipment necessary to start the reconstruction process. Building materials, piping, seed, agricultural machinery, medical supplies, mine detectors, buses, trams, electrical equipment, coal and all sorts of other equipment and raw materials were brought in and distributed. Roads were re-opened, power stations were reconnected, public services started up again, the first houses were rebuilt, public transport resumed, telephone connections were re-established and schools were re-furbished.

Although the programme worked well for the first few months, difficulties later arose in monitoring the distribution of all these materials. There was a risk that this might lead to irregularities. The Commission then reviewed the programme. The importation of goods and equipment was replaced by integrated programmes in the same sectors, but whose implementation could be closely monitored. Thus, irregularities were avoided and the interests of the European taxpayer protected.

Major reconstruction projects

During 1996, the Commission set in motion its "OBNOVA" programme. "Obnova" means reconstruction in Bosnian. Most of the major reconstruction programmes are long term investments. In addition to reconstruction work in the literal sense, the projects include training in management and sectorial strategy in order to make the different sectors economically viable and compatible with current practices in the EU. For example, the Commission supplies refuse lorries but also trains the appropriate authority in the wider problem of waste management.

Transport

The Commission has repaired many roads, bridges and railroads throughout the country. Three airports are being rebuilt: Sarajevo, Mostar and Banja Luka. One of the main objectives in this sector is to re-establish links between Bosnia-Herzegovina and its neighbours.

Telecommunications

After four years of silence, the citizens of the two entities in Bosnia-Herzegovina can now speak to each other again. The reconnection of telephone links between the two entities became a reality in September 1997 thanks to work financed by the Commission. In addition to the repair and reinforcement of the network, the EC's assistance also allows operators to be trained in the commercial management of this public service.

Energy

Energy is vital to re-establish normal living conditions, and allow factories and businesses to resume operations. The Commission has renewed installations at the major coal-fired and hydroelectric power stations. Power supplies are now more or less back to normal in most of the major towns and cities. Here too, reconstruction is not limited to simply repairing the pre-war installations. Assistance cannot be effective without the development of a viable energy resource management system.

Urgent action: de-mining Bosnia-Herzegovina

The war may well be over. The material means for reconstruction may well have been mobilised. But as long as the country is infested by mines, it can never recover. The hidden enemy can strike for decades to come. Classic mine detectors are often unusable in Bosnia-Herzegovina because there are so many metal fragments in the destroyed areas. Most major reconstruction projects can not start until de-mining operations on the site have come to an end. The Commission is confronted with this potential threat in a number of projects such as the repair of the water supply system in Sarajevo, the Bosanski Samac bridge and the rebuilding of the Dobrinja suburb near Sarajevo airport.

The estimated presence of 3 million mines and the number of accidents reported (35 people killed or injured every month, 80% of mine victims are civilians according to the British Red Cross) are clear evidence of this particular scourge. Fields cannot be cultivated, many houses are inaccessible, refugees are afraid to return home. Given that Bosnia-Herzegovina will have to face up to this threat for decades to come, it is very important that local people are trained in de-mining. The Commission has trained teams of Bosnian de-miners who are working on the major reconstruction sites. The EU is also the main financial supporter of the UN Mine Action Centre which was handed over to the Bosnian authorities at the beginning of January 1998. In order to increase the pace of demining, the Commission has just signed civil defence support programmes with the two Bosnian entities.