THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No.1257/96 of 20 June 1996 concerning humanitarian aid 1 , and in particular Article 2 and Article 15(3) thereof;
Whereas:
(1) The Chechnya conflict has led to an outflow of internally displaced persons (IDPs) into the neighbouring autonomous republics of the Russian Federation. Today, most IDPs have returned to Chechnya but the neighbouring republics of Ingushetia and Dagestan still host IDPs and thousands of returnees continue to be displaced within Chechnya waiting for the reconstruction of their homes. Besides there are still displaced people, including refugees, in the region at large, especially in Azerbaijan.
(2) In the last three years, and in particular since mid-2009, violence has dramatically increased and has spread to the republics of Dagestan and Ingushetia where shootings and bombings are registered on a daily basis, putting civilians at risk and under enormous psychological stress;
(3) In spite of the significant progress in the reconstruction of public infrastructure and housing, years of displacement and the persistently volatile security situation in the region have widely disrupted the state of law, the socio-economical infrastructure, medical services and agricultural production in large parts of Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan. Thus, the most vulnerable groups of the population are still in need of multi-sectoral assistance.
(4) To reach populations in need, humanitarian aid should be channelled through nongovernmental Organisations (NGOs) and international organisations including United Nations (UN) agencies. Therefore the European Commission should implement the budget by direct centralised management or by joint management;
(5) An assessment of the humanitarian situation has led to the conclusion that humanitarian aid actions should be financed by the European Union for a period of 12 months;
(6) For the purposes of this Decision, the Northern Caucasus republics involved are Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan;
(7) It is estimated that an amount of EUR 2,000,000 from budget article 23 02 01 of the general budget of the European Union is necessary to provide humanitarian assistance to over 45 000 displaced persons, taking into account the available budget, other donors' contributions and other factors. The activities covered by this Decision may be financed in full in accordance with Article 253 of the Implementing Rules of the Financial Regulation;
(8) The present Decision constitutes a financing Decision within the meaning of Article 75 of the Financial Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/20022, Article 90 of the detailed rules for the implementation of the Financial Regulation determined by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/20023, and Article 15 of the internal rules on the implementation of the general budget of the European Union4.
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
Article 1
1. In accordance with the objectives and general principles of humanitarian aid, the Commission hereby approves a total amount of EUR 2,000,000 for the financing of humanitarian actions in the Northern Caucasus from budget article 23 02 01 of the 2010 general budget of the European Union.
2. In accordance with Article 2 of Council Regulation No.1257/96, the principal objective of this Decision is to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to the victims of the Chechen conflict in the Northern Caucasus. The humanitarian actions shall be implemented in pursuance of the following specific objective:
– to improve the humanitarian situation of vulnerable populations affected by the Chechen conflict by providing integrated assistance.
The full amount of this Decision is allocated to this specific objective.
