(2004/C58E/020) WRITTENQUESTIONE-0484/03
byTheresaVilliers(PPE-DE)totheCommission
(20February2003)
Subject:ExportofsheepfromaccessioncountriestotheEuropeanUnion
Howmany(i)lambsagedsixmonthsorlessand(ii)adultsheepwereexportedfromeachaccession
countrytoeachEuropeanMemberStatein(a)2000and(b)2001?
AnswergivenbyMrFischleronbehalfoftheCommission
(21March2003)
TheHonourableMemberwillfindenclosedtheinformationthatisavailablefromtheCommission.Atable
whichissentdirecttotheHonourableMemberandtoParliament’sSecretariatgivestheexportoflambsuptooneyearold.Unfortunately,thestatisticsdonotprovideinformationonlambsagedsixmonthsorless.Additionally,theCommissionprovidesalsothestatisticsonlivegoats.
Only four countries are mentioned. There is no export from the other Accession Countries to the
Community.
(2004/C58E/021) WRITTENQUESTIONE-0524/03
byIldaFigueiredo(GUE/NGL)totheCommission
(24February2003)
Subject:WTOnegotiationsontheGeneralAgreementonTradeinServices(GATS).
TheGeneralAgreementonTradeinServicesiscurrentlybeingnegotiatedwithintheWTO,followingon
fromtheconclusionsoftheWTOministerialmeetinginDoha.The‘offer’phase,asitistermed,isduetoendon31March2003.
1. Whatspecificproposalshavebeensubmitted,bothbyEUMemberStatestonon-membercountries
andbynon-membercountriestoEUMemberStates?
2. HowdoestheCommissionviewanewadvanceintheliberalisationofservices(bearinginmindthe
specificproposalsbeingnegotiated),notleastasregardsitseconomic,social,environmental,andpoliticalimpact, especially in terms of curbs on national sovereignty and the growing impoverishment ofdemocracy?
3. In the light ofthe demandsbeing put forward by political, workers’ social, environmental, and
developmentcooperationorganisations,whatwouldbetheCommission’sattitudeto:
/dash suspensionofthenegotiationsandamoratoriumontheprocessesunderwaytoliberaliseservices?
/dash serious,exhaustivepublicdebatetogaugetheconsequencesoftheliberalisationpoliciesimplemented
todateandtheimpactofthecurrentrulesandthenewGATSproposalsin,forexample,restricting
the freedom of countries endeavouring to provide or develop free, universal public sectors and
services?
4. HowdoestheCommissionviewexclusionofpublicservices(includingeducation,health,energy,
water,transport,communications,andsanitation)fromthescopeoftheGATSnegotiations,asisbeingcalledforbypolitical,workers’,social,environmental,anddevelopmentcooperationorganisations?6.3.2004EN C58E/19 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
AnswergivenbyMrLamyonbehalfoftheCommission
(27March2003)
TheHonourableMemberisreferredtothestatementmadebytheCommissionduringthedebateontrade
inserviceswithintheframeworkoftheWTO,includingculturaldiversity,atParliament’spart-sessioninMarchthisyear.
(2004/C58E/022) WRITTENQUESTIONE-0549/03
byBaronessSarahLudford(ELDR)totheCommission
(26February2003)
Subject:MinorityrightsinVietnam
AstheCommissionisaware,officialsinVietnamcontinuetostiflefreeexpression,andtosystematically
suppressandcontroltheactivitiesofreligiousgroups,includingethnicminorityChristiansinthenorthernand central highlands, members of the banned Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, and Hoa HaoBuddhists in the south. Members of these faiths and their leaders are frequently detained by localauthorities and are subjected to beatings and pressure to renounce their religion and cease religiousgatherings.
Apart from taking every available opportunity to raise its concerns with Vietnamese officials and
politicians about such continued human rights abuses, what pressure can the Commission exert onVietnam’sauthoritiestoensurethesituationimproves?
Doesthecontinuedandsystematicpersecution ofreligious minoritiesnotinfringe theHumanRights
ArticleoftheFrameworkCooperationAgreementsignedbetweentheECandVietnaminJuly1995?Ifitdoes,whatactionwilltheCommissiontake?
AnswergivenbyMrPattenonbehalfoftheCommission
(14May2003)
The Commissionwouldrefer the Honourable Member toits reply to Written Question E-454/03 by
MrGrahamWatson(
1),concerningthepersecutionofChristiansinVietnam.
AsfarastheUnifiedBuddhistChurchofVietnamisconcernedtheHonourableMembermayknowthat
thesituationhasrecentlyevolved.Mostnotably,itsSupremePatriarch,VenerableThichHuyenQang,hasbeenreceivedbyVietnam’sPrimeMinisterPhanVanKhai.TheCommissionisawarethattherecenteventsdonotautomaticallyentailachangewithregardtothelegalstatusoftheUnifiedBuddhistChurchofVietnam,whichremainsbannedinthecountry.TheCommissionwillcontinuetomonitorcloselythedevelopments,butconsidersthattheselatestgesturesoftheGovernmentofVietnamareanencouragingsteptowardsenhancedtoleranceoffreedomofreligion.
TheUnion’spolicytowardsVietnam,andindeedtoallcountries,istoencourageandsupportcontinued
progressonhumanrightsanddemocratisation,andtoraiseconcernswhereanyabusesoradeteriorationinthesituationisobserved.
TheCommunity-VietnamCo-operationAgreement,whichwassignedin1995,statesinitsfirstArticle
thatrespectforhumanrightsanddemocraticprinciplesisthebasisofourco-operation.Thisreferenceconstitutes the enabling framework for the Human Rights dialogue of the Commission with theGovernmentofVietnam,forinstanceinthecontextofJointCommissionmeetings.TheCommission,together with the Member States represented in Vietnam, therefore monitors closely human rightsdevelopmentsinVietnamaspartofthepolicyoftheUniontoencourageandsupportthecontinuedcommitment of the Government of Vietnam to make progress in the field of human rights.The Commission also participates with the Member States in the regular dialogue with and in alldémarchestotheGovernmentofVietnamonhumanrightsissues.C58E/20 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion