WRITTEN QUESTION P-1022/00

by Mogens Camre (UEN) to the Commission

(29 March 2000)

Subject: Authority of the EU Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia

According to the 6 March 2000 edition of the respected Danish newspaper Berlingske Tidende, Mrs Beate Winkler, Director of the EU Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia, has just taken part in a multiethnic congress in Copenhagen.

At the congress, this EU official said that she and her Centre are monitoring and compiling statements by the Danish Folkeparti which, according to her information, is regarded as one of Europe's extreme right-wing parties.

These statements are indefensible. The description extreme right-wing party is absurd in reference to a social and liberal party and the issues which the Centre should be dealing with have nothing to do with the work or policies of the Danish Folkeparti. A left-wing Danish journalist who made similar statements in 1999 was sued and convicted in the Danish courts.

Mrs Beate Winkler's statements give the impression that she has the authority to monitor, report on and reprimand Danish citizens and political parties because they hold views which her Centre deems to be incorrect. This is a serious infringement of Danish citizens' democratic rights and it is of the greatest importance to establish whether the Commission takes the view that Mrs Winkler's political activities are consistent with the EU Treaty and the tasks conferred on the Monitoring Centre.

In the Commission's view, what authority do the EU Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia and its Director, Beate Winkler, have to criticise democratic political parties and political positions in a Member State?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(11 May 2000)

The European monitoring centre on racism and xenophobia was established by Council Regulation (EC) No 1035/97 of 2 June 1997(1). The Regulation creates an independent body which, while being answerable to the Community institutions for the use of Community funds, has maximum autonomy in the performance of its tasks (recital 23).

The Regulation lays down the objectives of the centre as being to provide the Community and its Member States with objective, reliable and comparable data at European level on the phenomena of racism, xenophobia and anti-semitism in order to help them when they take measures or formulate courses of action within their respective spheres of competence; and to study the extent and development of the phenomena and manifestations of racism, xenophobia and anti-semitism, analyse their causes, consequences and effects and examine examples of good practice in dealing with them.

The Regulation also defines a number of tasks which the centre may carry out to reach those objectives. Those tasks include carrying out scientific research and surveys, preparatory studies and feasibility studies and formulating conclusions and opinions for the Community and its Member States.

It is evident in this context that the task of studying the development of racism and xenophobia involves a wide range of action which must necessarily include the declarations made by political parties. To this end, the Commission notes that the monitoring centre has supported and promoted the signature by political parties from across Europe of the Charter of political parties for a non-racist society, which commits the parties to avoiding language in their political platforms which could promote or legitimise racist and xenophobic attitudes.

(1) OJ L 151, 10.6.1997.