During the reform in late 1999 of the DG Relex, Burghardt requested that Viñas take over the small planning team for external relations which the new Prodi Commission wished to strengthen. Viñas produced notes for his Commissioner Chris Patten. But human rights and Latin America were no longer the priorities, instead the major issues were relations with the US and the Commission's relations with the CEC. Viñas went from disappointment to disappointment. The new Amsterdam Treaty offered new perspectives to the Community with regard to the defence of human rights, but resources were limited. Viñas was responsible for elaborating a strategy and preparing a declaration which however when approved did not reflect its original ambitions.
The files concerning the Commission's role in promoting human rights and democratisation with studies of EU institutions' policy statements and commitments on human rights, including EU common strategies and positions, statements from UN, international bodies, Commissioner's speeches and the EP position as well as human rights/democratisation clauses included in EC co-operation agreements and treaties. The results permit the researcher to understand the EC/EU actual positions on these issues.
Following the communication to the Commission concerning the reform of external aid of May 16, 2000 from the year 2001, the SCR/EuropeAid was made responsible in the field of human rights for project identification while the management of funds remained with Relex.