Colombia cash not spent

Date: 31/01/02

THE European Commission has said that €0.5 million earmarked for homeless children in Colombia has not been spent - more than four years after the project was drawn up.

External relations chief Chris Patten said the project fell by the wayside due to the violence that has engulfed Colombia in a 'dramatic manner' since the project was launched. A man hired by the Commission delegation in Bogota has been murdered and several members of staff intimidated.

Replying to a recent query by Spanish Conservative MEP Fernando Fernández Martín, Patten also admitted the project had been hit by administrative difficulties. A woman appointed as its director had quit and no replacement has yet been found.

The European Commission has admitted that €0.5 million earmarked for homeless children in Colombia has not been spent, more than four years after the project was drawn up.