Date of release : 23-05-2005

Policy area : General Affairs and External Relations

Event : General Affairs and External Relations Council

During the press conference following the "External Relations" Council held in Brussels on 23 May, Jean Louis Schiltz, Luxembourg’s Minister for Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, reported on the follow-up of the EU Action Plan for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami of December 2004.

He stated: "Right from the start of our work dealing with the consequences of the Asian tsunami we said that all promises had to be backed up with concrete action. The Presidency has therefore set up, with the cooperation of the European Commission, a system of tracking commitments, pledges and spending. We have evaluated the situation at a number of stages, and I am proud to announce that of all humanitarian-aid commitments made by the Commission and the Member States, 85% has been paid out, i.e. allocated to specific programmes.

The reconstruction of these regions will, of course, take much longer. It is essential to involve the authorities of each recipient country and to coordinate efforts. We are therefore entering the operational phase."