ISLAMABAD, March 8: The European Commission (EC) has approved an initial euro 57.5 million package designated for assisting in the stabilization process of Afghanistan and its new interim administration.

The main components of the package are related to supporting public administration, rural recovery, mine clearance and basic urban infrastructures as well as help with information and coordination mechanisms to boost the reconstruction effort.

According to an announcement made by the local EU office, the total EC’s contribution in 2002 for Afghanistan amounts to 200 million euro. This also includes a food security package (the re-starting of agricultural activities, and rural production systems), aid to uprooted people and special initiatives under different instruments e.g. human rights, asylum and migration, and rapid reaction mechanism.

In addition to this, humanitarian assistance will be provided by the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) to the tune of 25 million euro in 2002.

To sustain Europe’s long-term commitment to the Afghan people, the EC intends to propose to the European Union’s budgetary authority, that for the next four years, assistance should continue, on average, at a level comparable to that of this year.

This would mean a contribution from the European Community budget of approximately 1 billion euro over the period 2002-2006: a major contribution to the reconstruction of Afghanistan and the future wellbeing of its people.

The main components of the EC Initial Recovery Programme are:

Support to public administration (euro 20 million): The EU money will finance both the long-term investment and current expenditure. One of the key priorities is to resume provision of public and social services on national basis. Another is to ensure more coherent use of resources by creating uniform public health and education systems. The first step is the rebuilding of government departments.

Rural recovery (euro 13 million): The package aims to support recovery of rural livelihoods in target areas of northern and Southern Afghanistan. Investment is urgently needed to rebuild the infrastructure and productive base in these rural communities.

Tackling the threat from mines (euro 10 million): Mine action (mine clearance, impact survey, mine awareness, victims’ rehabilitation) is a prerequisite for resumption of economic and social life in contaminated areas, particularly resettlement, agricultural and live stock production and trade.

It is also a precondition for undertaking major investment in the infrastructure, such as rebuilding the road network and reconstruction of urban areas. The area to be defined is estimated to be around 850 km2, of which 400 km2 are considered to be priority zones. The present de-mining capacity is 40 km2 year, but until now progress has been hampered by lack of funds.

Basic urban infrastructure (euro 7 million): In the main urban centres, (Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif, Jalalabad, Herat, Kandahar, Faizabad) and provincial cities affected by war, a big difference can be made by restoring the damaged infrastructure and utilities. The package would provide results in: water disposal, housing, power supply, public amenities, improved public building and the re-launch of urban planning activities;

Information and co-ordination (euro 3 million): An essential component of the reconstruction offer is to ensure that adequate information for policy planning and coordination mechanisms are available.