WRITTEN QUESTION E-1437/01

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) and Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) to the Council

(21 May 2001)

Subject: Illegal issue of visas and passports and entry of third country nationals into Greece and the EU

According to Greek press reports and allegations by the largest Greek opposition party, thousands of people from the countries of the former Soviet Union have illegally obtained visas and Greek passports and entered Greece. A committee of inquiry into the elections in Greece found that thousands of persons have been illegally naturalised although they were not entitled to Greek nationality. It should also be pointed out that despite Greece's full participation in the Schengen acquis, a large number of violations have occurred (5 000 illegal naturalisations have been established at the Moscow consulate), and wanted Russian criminals illegally supplied with Greek passports have been arrested in Spain; there have also been allegations from Tiflis in Georgia where 150 Georgians a day apply for passport visas to enter Greece, visas which they obtain from circles operating in the vicinity of the Greek consulate in Tiflis. In Russia and in Georgia popular TV channels (for instance, Iveria and Rustavi 2 in Tiflis) carry advertisements providing information on how to obtain a visa and a Greek passport.

What is the Council's position on these violations of Community rules by illegal naturalisations and the illegal issue of visas and passports and the entry into Greece, and thus the EU, (by unorthodox means) - and residence there - of thousands of persons on the basis of the Schengen acquis? How many visas, passports and naturalisations have been granted by the Greek authorities over the last few years, and what information is available concerning the illegal issue of visas and passports? What measures does the Council intend to take to eradicate practices which undermine the wholly desirable policy of legal immigration to the EU by evading controls, practices such as those of Greek Government and Diplomatic Corps officials who have abused their position and - despite the allegations brought against them - facilitated the illegal entry into the EU of thousands of citizens of the former USSR? Given that there has been a violation of the Schengen Agreement, have penalties been imposed on them by the Greek authorities responsible and, if so, what penalties?

Reply

(27 September 2001)

1. The Council attaches importance to the fight against document fraud. That is why experts have long been meeting in the Council working parties to exchange information and examine initiatives and proposals on the matter. However, under Community law as it currently stands, questions relating to naturalisation fall within the competence of the Member States, and not the Council's. The Council is not empowered to take a position on a matter which does not fall within the spheres of competence granted to it by the Treaties.

2. The Council does not have the statistical data requested by the Honourable Member.

3. and 4. The Council would inform the Honourable Member that, with the entry into force of the Treaty of Amsterdam, questions regarding immigration, visas and asylum fall within Community competence pursuant to Title IV of the TEC. It is therefore the task of the Commission, as the guardian of the Treaties, to check whether Member States fulfil their obligations in these matters.