(2004/C58E/068) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1205/03
byAlexandrosAlavanos(GUE/NGL)totheCommission
(2April2003)
Subject:OutlawingoftheHADEPpartyinTurkey
TheHADEPpartyhasbeenrecentlyoutlawedbytheTurkishConstitutionalCourtwhichalsobannedover
40ofitsmembersfromanyformofpoliticalactivityoverthenextfiveyears.Inaddition,thepublicprosecutorhasbeenseekingtooutlawtherecentlyfoundedDEHAPparty.
The HADEP party, under the name DEHAP, gathered two million votes in the most recent Turkish
elections,6,2%atnationallevel,whilein12provincesintheKurdishareasitcamefirst,achieving47%inDiyarbakir,Batman,Sirnak,HakkariandBan.
TheEuropeanCourtofHumanRightshasalreadycondemnedTurkeyforoutlawingpoliticalpartieson
numerousoccasionsinthepast.Lastyear(Sadakv.Turkey)theCourtruledthatthisinfringednotonlytherightofsuchpartiesfreelytoexercisetheirmandateandtheirrighttofreedomofexpression,butalsotherightofvoterstofairandfreeelections.
Inviewoftheabove,willtheCommissiontakeactionwithaviewtohavingthisnewandunacceptable
measureoverturned,giventhatitpreventspartiesfromfreelyexercisingtheirmandateandinfringestherighttofreedomofexpressionandrepresentationofmillionsofKurdsinTurkey?
AnswergivenbyMrVerheugenonbehalfoftheCommission
(30April2003)
TheCommissionisawareofthesituationregardingtheHADEPparty,anditssuccessor,theDEHAPparty.
On14March2003aCommissionspokespersonexpressedtheconcernoftheCommissionwithregardtothebanningoftheHADEPparty,asthedecisionappearedtobeagainstthespiritofthecurrentreformagendainTurkey.
AccordingtotheTurkishauthorities,theTurkishConstitutionalCourtdelivereditsjudgementagainstthe
HADEP party after receiving evidence that the party had explicitly aided and abetted the KurdistanWorkers’Party(PKK),whichisconsideredbytheTurkishstatetobeaterroristorganisation.
TheCommissionnotesthat,althoughtheEuropeanCourtofHumanRights(ECHR)hasinthepastruled
againstTurkeywithregardtothefreedomtoexerciseaparliamentarymandateandtherighttofreedomofexpression,somecasesagainstTurkeyhavenotbeenupheld.Forexample,inthecaseoftheRefahPartisi(TheWelfareParty)andothersversusTurkey,theECHRheldthattherewere‘convincingandcompellingreasonsjustifyingRefah’sdissolution’whichcouldberegardedas‘necessaryinademocraticsociety’.
AsaCandidateCountry,TurkeyaimstofulfiltheCopenhagenpoliticalcriteriaaswellasthepriorities
identifiedbytheAccessionPartnership.TheseincludethealignmentofprovisionsconcerningthefreedomofassociationwiththeEuropeanConventiononHumanRightsandMemberStatenorms.TheCommissionwillcontinuetomonitoralldevelopmentsrelatedtothefreedomofassociationinTurkeyandintendstoraisethisissueinitsregulardialoguewiththeTurkishauthorities.
(2004/C58E/069) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1225/03
byMogensCamre(UEN)totheCommission
(2April2003)
Subject:GermangovernmentaidtoworkerstakingupjobsinotherMemberStates
TheDanishnewspaperJyskeVestkystenreportedon15MarchthatabusinessmanfromKielhadhadthe
ideaofsupplyingGermanworkerstoDanishfirms.ThisisashrewdideainthattheGermangovernment6.3.2004EN C58E/51 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
subsidisesGermanworkerswhotakeupjobsabroadbyapproximatelyDKK60anhour.Theindividual
workeralsoreceivesataxallowanceofsomeDKK800aday.
Thebusinessmaninquestionhassent3000e-mailsandfaxestoDanishfirmsofferingtosupplythem
withGermanworkersinthebuildingtradesatanhourlyrateofDKK120.Bywayofcomparison,afirm
mustpaybetweenDKK175and190anhourforaskilledDanishworker.
Thebusinessmanisdoingnothingillegal,heissimplyexploitingcurrentGermanlawasthesystemwas
introducedbytheFederalInstituteofLabour.However,thissystemisseverelyunderminingtheDanishlabourmarketinthatitisincreasingthepressureonasectorinwhichunemploymentiscurrentlyrising.
Germanyhas,ineffect,introducedanunfairsysteminanattempttoexporthighGermanunemployment
toanotherMemberState,inthiscaseDenmark,therebyunderminingtheDanishsystem.
Inthelightofthissituation,whatdoestheCommissionintendtodotoputanendtothisarrangement,
whichisdistortingcompetition?
AnswergivenbyMrMontionbehalfoftheCommission
(27May2003)
TheCommissioncanassuretheHonourableMemberthatitisawareofthefactthatemploymentaid
grantedbyMemberStatesmayhaveamajorimpactoncompetitioninthecommonmarket,althoughthepromotionofemploymentisacentralaimfortheeconomicandsocialpoliciesoftheCommunityandofitsMemberStates.TheCommunityhasdevelopedaEuropeanemploymentstrategyinordertopromotethisobjectiveandasalegalbasisforemploymentaidtobegrantedbyMemberStates,theCommissionhas adoptedCommissionRegulation (EC) No2204/2002of5December 2002onthe application ofArticles87and88oftheECTreatytoStateaidforemployment(
1).
AsregardsthespecificmeasuresmentionedbytheHonourableMember,theyseemtoformpartofplans
and measures already put into effect aimed at reforming the German labour market. Some of theseelements are presently under scrutiny by the Commissionunder State aid law. The Commissionwillrequest the German authorities to provide information on the specific measures addressed by theHonourableMemberandwillassessthemifappropriateunderStateaidrules.
(1) OJL337,13.12.2002,corrigendumOJL349,24.12.2002.
(2004/C58E/070) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1231/03
byChristopherHuhne(ELDR)totheCommission
(2April2003)
Subject:ECCommitteeontheDrivingLicence
1. WhoarethemembersofthemedicalworkinggroupsestablishedundertheauspicesoftheEC
CommitteeontheDrivingLicence,andwhatpowersordecision-makingresponsibilitiesdotheyhaverelativetoEuropeanpolicyontheuseofbiopticlensesindriving?
2. Can the Commission confirm whether the relevant working group is now established and
functioning,andwhatthefrequencyofitsmeetingsis?C58E/52 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion