ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 78/657

(2004/C 78 E/0699)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3843/03

by Maurizio Turco (NI), Marco Pannella (NI), Marco Cappato (NI), Gianfranco Dell'Alba (NI), Benedetto Della Vedova (NI) and Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission

(12 December 2003)

Subject: Censorship practised at the request of the Russian Consulate in Milan by the city authorities in connection with the Romano Cagnoni photography exhibition

On 4 December 2003 the Milan city authorities were due to stage an exhibition (which had been scheduled since last April) of the work of the photographer Romano Cagnoni.

The photograph which appears on the invitation (and also on the posters, the banners, the public-transport advertising and the catalogue cover) contains a foregrounded image of a smiling Chechen soldier.

After the first posters appeared on walls in Milan the Russian Consulate complained to the city authorities that they constituted ‘a senseless provocation’ and with less than a week to go before the opening of the exhibition the authorities decided not to display any more posters, banners or public-transport advertising and to cover up the posters which were already on the streets. They have not yet decided whether to censor the catalogue cover as well, although they cannot take any action in respect of the invitations, which have already been sent out.

In order to justify the censorship practised by the Milan city councillor with responsibility for cultural matters, Salvatore Carubba has told Romano Cagnoni that ‘it would not please the Bishop to see that murderer's ugly mug in piazza del Duomo [Cathedral Square] at Christmas time’.

Is the Commission aware of the facts set out above? What action does it intend to take vis-à-vis the Milan city authorities in response to this serious act of censorship?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(23 January 2004)

Freedom of opinion and expression is one of the Union's fundamental rights guaranteed by the Charter of Fundamental Rights. However, the Commission cannot comment on the specific case referred to by the Honourable Members, which is exclusively a matter for the Member State concerned.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 78/544

(2004/C 78 E/0569)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3421/03

by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Commission

(18 November 2003)

Subject: Eurostat scandal — unanswered questions

Does the Commission still trust the relevant Commissioner to monitor the reform process within Eurostat and to accept his responsibilities?
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 78/546

(2004/C 78 E/0579)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3431/03

by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Commission

(18 November 2003)

Subject: Eurostat scandal — unanswered questions

Since the Commission's agencies in Luxembourg were arms of the political authority, are there grounds to suppose that some Commissioners facilitated the continuation of unorthodox practices or supervised them inadequately? How does the Commission intend to solve this kind of problem?
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 78/545

(2004/C 78 E/0573)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3425/03

by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Commission

(18 November 2003)

Subject: Eurostat scandal — unanswered questions

What is the explanation for the fact that the Commission did not make any connection between the various signs regarding the Eurostat scandal, which dated back to 2000? As regards the Secretary-General's superior, who received confidential information from OLAF on the launch of investigations, can the Commission accept that neither itself nor the Commissioners responsible for personnel were informed of the matter? Was this perhaps justified by internal administrative procedures?
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 88/126

(2004/C 88 E/0134)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3013/03

by Marco Cappato (NI) to the Commission

(14 October 2003)

Subject: The case of the Tunisian journalist Néziha Rejiba

On 25 September 2003 the Tunisian customs authorities issued the Tunisian journalist Néziha Rejiba with a summons because she had given a young Tunisian man EUR 170 in cash, an offence punishable by up to five years' imprisonment and a fine. However, the journalist has not broken the law, which sets a time-limit of one week for changing foreign currency into Tunisian dinars.

Néziha Rejiba, who has published articles on the Internet denouncing violations of human rights committed by the Tunisian authorities, writes for the on-line magazine Kalima (www.kalima.com), which has been censored in Tunisia since it was first published in October 2000. For the last three years she has been subjected to physical aggression and been continually harassed by the Tunisian police, her home is under surveillance and her telephone is monitored or (as at present) cut off.

Has the Commission taken official steps to ask the Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia to clarify the situation? What response has it received?

What steps will the Commission take to induce the Tunisian government to ensure that freedom of expression and the right to a fair trial are respected by the Tunisian authorities in this case?

In view of the fact that the World Summit on the Information Society is due to be held in Tunis in November 2005, what steps will the Commission take to help to ensure an end to the constant and systematic violation of the freedom of expression of the Tunisian population?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(17 December 2003)

The Commission is aware of the reports concerning Ms Rejiba referred to by the Honourable Member.

The Commission continues to follow the human rights situation in Tunisia closely. The Commission has always condemned violations of the principles of liberty democracy respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, principles upon which the Union is founded and which are common to the Member States as stated in Article 6 of the Treaty on the European Union.

In particular, the Commission considers freedom of expression as an area of fundamental importance to the development of democracy and a participatory society in all areas. In the framework of the MEDA budget line, the Commission in collaboration with a European centre for journalism is seeking to promote freedom of expression in Tunisia through a Media support programme aimed at journalist training. In order to support Tunisian efforts to strengthen the rule of law, the Commission also intends to launch a programme aimed at modernising the Tunisian judiciary, similar to those already launched for Algeria and Palestinian Territories.

As far as the World Summit on the Information Society is concerned, the Commission refers to its answers to the Honourable Member's Written Questions E-2554/03 (1) and E-2931/03 (2).

(1) OJ C 65 E, 13.3.2004, p. 175.

(2) OJ C 70 E, 20.3.2004, p. 165.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/522

(2004/C 84 E/0598)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4079/03

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(14 January 2004)

Subject: Bird trapping on Cyprus

Birdlife International alleges that illegal bird trapping on Cyprus, using both mist nets and lime sticks, has increased by 100 % over the past year, despite Government assurances to the contrary.

Will the Commission state whether the trapping of migratory birds in these ways will be contrary to EU law after the accession of Cyprus on 1 May 2004?

If so, has the Commission indicated to the Government of Cyprus that infringement proceedings may commence rapidly if the situation continues after the date of accession?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(23 February 2004)

As an acceding country, Cyprus will be required to fully implement and enforce the Birds Directive (1) on 1 May 2004. No transition period has been given and no specific derogations have been requested by Cyprus. In October 2003 Cyprus adopted national legislation to transpose the requirements of both the Birds and Habitats Directives (2).

More specifically, the Commission clearly pointed out during the negotiation for accession that certain bird-trapping methods, like the ones involving the use of mist nets and lime sticks, are incompatible with the provisions of the Birds Directive. The practice is illegal in Cyprus and the Cypriot authorities have assured the Commission that they would step up efforts for effective enforcement of the law in question.

The Commission continues to monitor the situation and the progress made by Cyprus in working towards meeting its obligations under Community law, not just in transposition but also in implementation and enforcement. Should problems be observed, then the Commission will raise them with the national authorities to seek their resolution. The Commission wishes to assure the Honourable Member that it will not hesitate to take all the appropriate measures, in order to guarantee the correct application of Community environmental law by its Member States.

(1) Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds, OJ L 103, 25.4.1979.

(2) Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 78/137

(2004/C 78 E/0140)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2633/03

by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission

(2 September 2003)

Subject: Refunds on exports from Member States to the Vatican City State of fresh and frozen beef (code 0201) for 2000. Inconsistencies between CATS and OECD data.

In response to questions E-1477/03 and E-1480/03 (1) relating to refunds on exports of agricultural products from Member States to the Vatican City State (VCS), Commissioner Fischler stated on 21 May 2003 that the Commission was collecting the information it needed to answer the question and would communicate its findings as soon as possible.

The following supplementary data can be supplied in relation to the export of fresh and frozen beef (code 0201):

(a) the European Commission's CATS (Clearance Audit Trail System) database shows that in 2000: — 46 404,210 kg were exported from Ireland to the VCS with a refund of EUR 38 323,65, equivalent to aid of EUR 0,83/kg; — 389 850 kg were exported from Italy to the VCS with a refund of EUR 305 341,16 equivalent to aid of EUR 0,78/kg; — 294 544 kg were exported from Holland to the VCS with a refund of EUR 211 144,95 equivalent to aid of EUR 0,72/kg;

(b) the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) database shows that in 2000: — 249 700 kg were exported from Italy and 266 700 kg from Holland to the VCS,

(c) This indicates that: — unwarranted aid of EUR 168 053,03 was paid on an additional 214 398,21 kg not shown in the OECD data;

Does the Commission not agree that the increasingly patent omissions and the discrepancies between the data from the different institutional sources seriously affect the credibility of these institutions and might be due to possible fraud against Community funds, or is it already able to discount this possibility of fraud?

(1) OJ C 70 E, 20.3.2004, p. 45.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/12

(2004/C 84 E/0011)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1940/03

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(13 June 2003)

Subject: Stamp duty exemption scheme

In approving the UK stamp duty exemption scheme for disadvantaged areas, as announced in DN; PP/03/8.9 dated 21 January 2003, can the Commission indicate why it regards wards containing more than one fifth of the population of the UK as ‘small areas of severe deprivation’ and what the reporting obligations and the timescale are for these reports from the UK authorities on the input of the scheme on the physical regeneration of the eligible areas?
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 88/409

(2004/C 88 E/0415)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2401/03

by Avril Doyle (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(21 July 2003)

Subject: Exemption from VAT on postage for charities

Further to the Commission proposal to put VAT on postage and recognising that this would impose a severe financial burden on charities that depend on direct mail fundraising and are not eligible to reclaim VAT in the same way as ordinary businesses.

Can the Commission advise whether it will be possible for charities that have the specific difficulty of not being able to reclaim VAT under Irish tax law to secure an exemption from this EU legislation?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(5 September 2003)

The Commission's Proposal (1) amending Directive 77/388/EEC (2) as regards value added tax (VAT) on services provided in the postal sector, would allow Member States to apply a reduced rate to most postal services now used by private consumers. The scope of the proposed reduced rate would include direct mail sent by charities for fundraising purposes. According to the Commission's projections, were Ireland to apply a reduced rate of 5 % to those postal services, prices should not increase. The reason is that An Post is currently unable to deduct VAT it pays on its costs, most of it at the standard 21 % VAT rate. Once the proposal is adopted, the Post Office's costs will go down since it will be able to deduct VAT paid on them.

VAT takes account of the particular social interest involved in charitable activities by exempting certain supplies of goods and services effected by charities. It does not however exempt supplies effected by other businesses and acquired by charities. It is not practical to devise a system with different VAT liabilities for postal services depending on who is the person acquiring those services. Such a system would involve enormous compliance costs for postal operators, and be difficult for tax administrations to control.

(1) COM(2003) 234 final.

(2) Sixth Council Directive 77/388/EEC of 17 May 1977 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to turnover taxes-Common system of value added tax: uniform basis of assessment, OJ L 145, 13.6.1977.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/43

(2004/C 84 E/0047)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2952/03

by Maurizio Turco (NI) and Marco Cappato (NI) to the Council

(8 October 2003)

Subject: Sentence of death by stoning in Nigeria

Mr Jibrin Babaji, a Nigerian citizen aged 20, has been found guilty of sexual relations with three underage boys and has been sentenced to death by stoning. The sentence was handed down on Tuesday, 23 September 2003 by an Islamic court in Bauchi state, under the Sharia penal code.

Does the Council have further information on the matter? What measures does it intend to take, in line with the European positions in favour of a moratorium on the death penalty worldwide, to ensure that this death sentence is not executed?

Reply

(8 March 2004)

1. The Council underlines that the EU and its Member States continuously act in international fora, such as the Commission on Human Rights, with a view to favoring the adoption of legal instruments condemning capital punishment.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/508

(2004/C 84 E/0585)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3512/03

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(25 November 2003)

Subject: Probable impact of the strike of employees at the National Statistical Service of Greece on the publication of European indicators

The strike by employees of the National Statistical Service of Greece following the continuing refusal of the relevant minister to receive workers' representatives and engage in discussions with them is in its sixth week. As a result of the strike it is impossible to publish crucial statistical indicators on various sectors (the economy industrial production, culture, health, etc.), including indicators concerning inflation.

How long is it since Eurostat received statistics from the Greek National Statistical Service?

What impact is this delay — which is set to continue — having on the publication of European indicators by Eurostat?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(8 January 2004)

The strike by employees of the National Statistical Service of Greece (NSSG) appears to be of some impact on the ability of the Greek authorities to meet their Community statistical obligations.

For instance, some problems have occurred with regard to the timely delivery of current statistics. As an example, short-term business statistics have not been delivered since the start of the strike. Similar examples can be found in domains where the provision of statistical data is governed by gentlemen agreements. However, it is important to note that, as a whole, the effect on Union and Eurozone level data has been so far relatively small even if it is likely to imply a relative, but not substantial, fall in quality due to the need for estimates to be included for Greece.

The disruption of work might also have an impact which will continue after the end of the strike. For example, Eurostat has already been informed that Greece would probably be unable to respect the timetable for delivery of data for the 2003 Farm Structure Survey. Similar effects may be expected in other sectors.

Furthermore, working relations may have been disrupted by the absence of Greek delegates from working party and other meetings. The negotiations for a number of grants to NSSG have equally been disrupted which may be expected to have an indirect impact in the medium to long term on the ability of Greece to meet some of its statistical obligations.

The Commission takes note however, that the strike is terminated and this will certainly contribute to the resumption of normal cooperation of the NSSG with the Commission.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/129

(2004/C 84 E/0166)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-4002/03

by Marco Cappato (NI) to the Commission

(19 December 2003)

Subject: Violation of privacy at the World Summit on the Information Society

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) took place from 10 to 12 December 2003 at the Palaexpo in Geneva.

Three of the experts present — Alberto Escudero-Pascual (of the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm), Stephane Koch (president of the Internet Society, Geneva) and George Danezis (a Cambridge University researcher) — have complained that the badges issued them on registration for the Summit contained radio frequency identification chips (RFID chips) enabling individual delegates' movements within the Palaexpo's different areas to be tracked.

It appears from the three experts' complaints that the use of such chips and the lack of a privacy policy on the part of the WSIS place it in breach of the EU privacy directive, of the UN guidelines on the use of personal files, and of Swiss law on personal data protection.

Was the Commission aware that the badges contained chips of this nature?

Will the Commission seek formal explanations from the organisers of the summit and the Swiss government, and will it call for the full and immediate deletion of the personal data thus illegally collected?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(28 January 2004)

At the World Summit on the Information Society held in Geneva from 10 to 12 December 2003, use was reportedly made of RFID technology-based badges to control access to certain restricted areas at the Summit venue.

Although the Commission in principle promotes the use of new, innovative technology such as RFID, any application based on such technology should respect the principles applicable to the processing of personal data of Union citizens transferred from the Union to a third country.

The RFID system seemed to be partly functioning on the basis of the processing of personal data of participants who had registered online, prior to the Summit, from their resident country.

The Commission will seek further information on whether and how RFID-based applications were used in relation to personal data transferred from the Union, in order to assess the legality of the processing under Community law.
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 78/770

(2004/C 78 E/0820)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2960/03

by Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(8 October 2003)

Subject: Middle East peace process

The recent resignation of the Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority, Mr Abu Mazen, has made it clear that the obstacles to a genuine peace process in the Middle East remain as severe as ever. There is no doubt that the PNAs actions are strongly influenced by the pressures and actions of the extreme fundamentalist groups, but it is also the case that Israel has not changed its policy.

The ‘targeted killings’ continue, aimed at alleged authors of terrorist acts — accused of such crimes only by the Israeli government — without recorded investigations or proper trials. The construction continues of the wall intended to cut off the occupied territories from the rest of the country.

In the light of this blockage of the implementation of the ‘road map’, can the Council answer the following questions:

1. What is its position on the ‘targeted killings’?

2. Does it not consider such acts to be incompatible with the existing legal systems in the majority of the Union's Member States?

3. Should it not issue a declaration stating that no-one, and even less so a government, has the right to dictate or execute death sentences without any kind of trial?

4. What action will it take to urge the Israeli government to put an end to such practices?

5. Does it intend to denounce these crimes under the EU/Israel agreements?

6. What action will the Council take should the Israeli government refuse to put an end to these practices?

Reply

(4 March 2004)

Like the Honourable Parliamentarian, the Council is of the view that the resignation of PM Abu Mazen has highlighted that serious obstacles to the Middle East Peace Process remain and that Israelis and Palestinians have not yet done enough for the serious implementation of the road map.

On the other points, the European Council on 16/17 October 2003 has taken a clear position:

— it calls on Israel to abstain from any punitive measures which are not in accordance with international law, including extra-judicial killings;

— the European Council was also particularly concerned about the route marked out for the so-called security fence in the Occupied West Bank. The envisaged departure of the route from the ‘green line’ could prejudge future negotiations and make the two-State solution physically impossible to implement. It would cause further humanitarian and economic hardship to the Palestinians. Thousands of Palestinians west of the fence are being cut off from essential services in the West Bank, Palestinians east of the fence will lose access to land and water resources;

— the EU regularly raises these issues with Israel, in particular on the occasion of the EU-Israel Association Council (see 18 November 2003) which offers a good opportunity to convey firm messages to the Government of Israel in this respect;