EU BACKS COLOMBIAN PEACE

MIAMI -- A controversial U.S.-backed counterdrug offensive in Colombia
received a much-needed boost this week after the European Union pledged
almost $300-million in funding for Colombia.

U.S. and Colombian officials hailed the announcement as a diplomatic
victory for Plan Colombia, the much-maligned $7.5-billion project to crush
the drug trade and bring peace to war-torn Colombia.

But European officials insist they want no part of the U.S.-financed
military assault on Colombia's drug industry, instead limiting their aid to
strengthening democracy and helping farmers who cultivate illegal crops to
switch to legal production.

"We are supporting the peace process in Colombia. We are not supporting any
military plans or activities whatsoever," said European Union External
Relations Commissioner Chris Patten, who made the announcement in Brussels.

The European funds, he said, were intended to send "a strong signal of
political support" for the peace effort of Colombian President Andres
Pastrana, rather than support for the military anti-drug offensive.

Even so, U.S. and Colombian officials expressed satisfaction that Europe
will help Colombia.

"Everybody's got to contribute to this in their own way. And we do what we
do, others do what they do," said Marc Grossman, undersecretary of state
for political affairs, who led a U.S. delegation in Brussels urging
European support for Colombia.

Colombian officials said the European funds opened the way for
implementation of $2.1-billion in non-military projects under Plan Colombia.

Luis Alberto Moreno, the Colombian ambassador to the United States, called
the EU commitment "a turning point" in the search for peace in Colombia.
The donors' agreement demonstrated "there is indisputable political support
for the peace process," he said.

However, he recognized Europeans are still sour on the U.S. military role
in Colombia.

European officials have made no secret of their misgivings about what they
see as the plan's lopsided emphasis on a military solution to Colombia's
problems. Last year Congress approved $1.3-billion for Plan Colombia, of
which almost 80 percent was for military training and aerial eradication of
drug crops.

"They (the Europeans) didn't agree with the strategy," said Adam Isacson,
who follows U.S.-Colombia policy closely for the Center for International
Policy in Washington. "They don't like fumigation. They don't think it
works and they don't feel they should have to be the ones who mop after the
mess."

But U.S. and Colombian officials say recent discussions have led to a
change of heart in Europe.

"That has been the great achievement of Colombian diplomacy," said Mauricio
Cardenas, Colombia's special envoy for Plan Colombia, who spent the last
few months lobbying European governments. "There's much more understanding
about the plan now. The Europeans are much happier with the strategy."

European officials deny their position has changed. In making the
announcement Monday, the European Union's Patten said Europe favors "a
comprehensive and balanced approach" to the drug problem, emphasizing that
Europe supports manual eradication of drug crops rather than
military-backed aerial crop spraying.

He added that any counterdrug policy "needs to be backed up by long-term
alternative income-generating plans," as well as "the social needs of the
population."

Patten said he hopes that the first European-funded projects could begin
this year. EU funds would be largely directed at fostering local
institutions, and groups promoting human rights, peace and social development.

The new European funds are also the result of recent U.S. efforts to make
support for Plan Colombia more internationally palatable. U.S. officials
have placed greater emphasis on social and economic aid in a new proposal
being prepared for Congress.

President Bush announced at the Summit of the Americas in Quebec last month
that he will seek $882-million for a follow-up to Plan Colombia known as
the Andean Regional Initiative. Half will be for strengthening democracy
and social development, including $146-million for Colombia.