WRITTEN QUESTION E-2593/02

by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(18 September 2002)

Subject: Electoral rolls and illegal acquisition of Greek citizenship

Following a change in the electoral roll system, local and regional elections will be held in Greece using voting cards instead of voting booklets. According to reports in the Greek press and complaints by the opposition, a significant number of individuals who are not entitled to Greek citizenship are registered on the electoral rolls. The Ministry for Internal Affairs claims that these individuals have been removed from the rolls but gives no details of the exact numbers involved or any data concerning the granting of citizenship.

In the light of this situation, will the Commission say:

1. whether the Greek Administration has provided the Commission with full information concerning the verified illegal granting of citizenship and the exact number and details of the cases in which citizenship was withdrawn; and

2. if the Commission has been notified of such withdrawals of citizenship, what measures it will take to trace these unlawfully naturalised persons who may be living in another Member State of the EU?

3. In the event that the Greek Government has not provided the Commission with such data as yet, will the Commission request it so that it can check whether these unlawfully naturalised persons are travelling within the Union on illegal passports?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(24 October 2002)

Referring to changes in electoral roll system in Greece as background, the Honourable Member raises some questions relating to naturalisations in Greece. This subject has been discussed in Written Question P-24/02(1) and oral questions H-87/02 during question time at Parliament's February 2001 session(2) and H-0706/01 during question time at Parliament's October 2001 session(3) by the Honourable Member. The Commission confirms the views presented in those cases.

The Commission recalls that a nationality of Member States is entirely a matter for the Member States concerned, as the Declaration on nationality of a Member State appended to the Treaty of Maastricht confirms(4). It is, therefore, for each Member State, having due regard to the Community law, to lay down the conditions for acquisition and loss of nationality(5). It follows that Greece lays down the conditions for acquiring and losing the Greek nationality and the Greek authorities control the correct enforcement of those conditions. This concerns also the matter of naturalisations referred to by the Honourable Member.

Because the correct enforcement of the national legislation concerning the acquisition and loss of nationality is under the responsibility of the Member States, they do not report about these issues to the Commission. For this reason, the Commission has not requested neither received specific information from the Greek authorities relating to naturalisations. Regarding data relating to migration and asylum supplied by national authorities to the Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat) as part of annual collection of statistical data, the Commission refers to its previous replies.

(1) OJ C 106 E, 4.7.2002.

(2) Written reply, 13.2.2001.

(3) Written reply, 2.10.2001.

(4) Declaration no 2 on nationality of a Member State OJ C 191, 29.7.1992.

(5) See judgement of the European Court of Justice in case C-369/90 Micheletti of 7.7.1992, ECR 1992, p. I-4239.