AnswergivenbyMrPattenonbehalfoftheCommission
(18September2003)
TheCommissionreactedwithconcerntothedisappearancefromCambodiaofThichTriLuc,aRefugee
undertheprotectionoftheUnitedNationsHighCommissionerforRefugees(UNHCR),inJuly2002.Theexactcircumstances,underwhichheleftCambodiaandcameintopolicecustodyinVietnamhavenotbeenclarified.TheCommissionhasnotyetreceivedanyreplytoitsrequesttotheVietnameseauthoritiesforfurtherinformationonThichTriLuc.NorhastheCommissionconfirmationyetoftheexactchargesthattheVietnameseauthoritiesnowlayagainsthim.Inthepast,theUnionPresidencyhasrepeatedlyrequestedthattheauthoritiesofVietnamallowUniondiplomatstoattendtrialsofPersonsofconcern.So far the authorities of Vietnam have not allowed foreign diplomats to attend any of these trials.
TheCommissionwillcontinuetofollowthiscase,viaitsDelegationinHanoiandinclosecollaboration
withtheMemberStates.
TheCommissionwouldliketorecallthatitattachesgreatimportancetotherightsoffreedomofreligion,
belief, expression and of a fair trial. The Union has repeatedly affirmed that human rights anddemocratisation must form an integral part of all political dialogues with third countries. Religiousfreedom,asoneofthefundamentalhumanrights,areaddressedthroughtheUnion’sbilateralpoliticaldialogues,and,whenappropriate,throughdémarchesandpublicdeclarations,aswellasthroughUnionactioninforasuchastheUnitedNationsCommissiononHumanRightsortheThirdCommitteeoftheUnited Nations General Assembly. The reference to the respect for Human Rights and democraticprinciples in the Community-Co-operation Agreements with Vietnam and Cambodia enables theCommission to address human rights issues in its bilateral contacts with the Governments of thesecountries.
The Commissionwould like to reiterate that its overall policy towards Vietnam is to encourage and
supportprogressonhumanrightsanddemocratisation,andtoraiseconcernswhereabusesoccurorwhereadeteriorationinthesituationbecomesevident.TheCommission,throughitsDelegationinHanoi,workscloselywiththeMemberStatestomonitorhumanrightsdevelopmentsinthecountry,participatesinallUniondémarchestotheGovernmentofVietnamonhumanrightsissues.
(2004/C58E/201) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2611/03
byProinsiasDeRossa(PSE)totheCommission
(28August2003)
Subject:WorkinghoursandtheSIMAPcase(CaseC-303/98)of3October2000
InitsanswertoWrittenQuestionE-3515/02(1)givenon2December2002,theCommissionsaidthatit
haddecidedtoissueaninvitationtotenderforastudyofthescopeandconsequencesoftheSIMAPcaseforMemberStates.
InitsanswertoWrittenQuestionE-0535/03(
2)givenon24March2003,theCommissionsaidthatthe
invitationtotenderhadbeenissuedforthisstudyandthatameetingwithnationalexpertshadalready
takenplaceontheimplicationsofthejudgment.
WhydidtheCommissionwaitforalmost2½yearsbeforeissuingtheinvitationtotenderforthisstudy?Whendoesitenvisagetheresultsofthisstudybeingcompletedandmadepublic?Doesitbelievethatthis
shouldbedonebeforeitpublishesitsCommunicationonworkingtimeduebytheendof2003which,ithasalreadyindicated,willaddresstheimplicationsoftheSIMAPjudgement?
Given that the Irish Government has already failed to meet the 1August 2003 deadline for the
transposition into Irish law of some elements of Directive 2000/34/EC(
3), which extends the 1993
WorkingTimeDirectivetotheexcludedsectors,whatviewswerepresentedbytheIrishGovernment’s
representativeatthemeetingofnationalexpertsreferredtobytheCommissioninitsanswertoWritten
QuestionE-0535/03?
(1) OJC110E,8.5.2003,p.217.
(2) OJC192E,14.8.2003,p.199.
(3) OJL195,1.8.2000,p.41.6.3.2004EN C58E/187 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
AnswergivenbyMrsDiamantopoulouonbehalfoftheCommission
(15October2003)
TheCommissionlaunchedtwoinvitationstotenderforastudyontheconsequencesofthejudgmentof
theCourtofJusticeintheSIMAPcase(1).Unfortunately,theCommissiondidnotreceiveanybidsbefore
thedeadlineinresponsetothefirstinvitationtotenderandtheonlybidreceivedinresponsetothesecondinvitationtotenderwasnotacceptable.
TheCommissionplanstolaunchanewinvitationtotenderassoonaspossible.
Finally,thetransposalofDirective2000/34/CEoftheParliamentandoftheCouncilof22June2000was
notontheagendaofthemeetingwiththenationalexpertsonworkingtimetowhichtheHonourableMemberrefers.
(1) JudgmentoftheCourtof3October2000incaseC-303/98,SindicatodeMédicosdeAsistenciaPública(SIMAP)
andConselleriadeSanidadyConsumodelaGeneralidadValenciana.
(2004/C58E/202) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2619/03
byAlexandrosAlavanos(GUE/NGL)totheCommission
(2September2003)
Subject:Fulfilment by the firm Beiersdorf Hellas of commitments arising from the funding of its
modernisation
In June 1996 the Ministries of the National Economy and of Development issued a joint ministerial
decision approving the application ofthe provisions oflaw 1892/90toBeiersdorf Hellas’sthree-yearbusinessplan,andasaresultitsfundingfromthesecondCommunitysupportframework.BeiersdorfHellasoughttohaveusedtheinvestmenttosupportproductionofitsproductsandtomaintainandincreasethenumberofitspermanentpoststo288.Infact,startingin1998/dashbeforeithadfinishedimplementingitsbusinessplan/dashitbegantoreducestaffnumbers,whichfellfrom231in1998to192in2002, while its production decreased from 1900 tonnes in 1996 to 900 in 2002. Recently, theundertakingannouncedthedefinitiveclosureofitsproductionunit.Sincethisbusinessisevidentlynot
fulfilling the commitments it made, does the Commission intend to investigate this case and, if the
allegationsprovetobetrue,whatmeasuresdoesitintendtotake?
AnswergivenbyMrBarnieronbehalfoftheCommission
(10October2003)
Beiersdorf Hellas’ project was part-financed by the Community under the ‘Industry’ Operational
Programme1994-99.
TheCommissionhasbeeninformedbytheGreekauthoritiesthatofficialinspectionshowedareductionin
thefirm’sstaffnumbersandthatthisfailuretosatisfythetermsunderwhichtheinvestmentprojectwas
part-financedledtheLaw1892/90ConsultativeCommittee,meetingon9Julythisyear,toimposeapenaltyofEUR74748,02underthatLaw.
TheauthoritieshaveinformedtheCommissionthattherelevantdepartmentwillinvestigatethematterof
achangeinthefirm’sactivitiessothatitcandecidewhetherthesubsidyoughttoberecoveredinpartorinfullandapenaltyappliedunderLaw1892/90.
PendingnotificationofthedetailedconclusionsfromtheinvestigationtheCommissionwillitselflook
carefullyintothematterwhentheIndustryOperationalProgrammeisclosed.C58E/188 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion