ThisissueacquiresincreasedimportanceinthelightofthestudybytheUniversityofCretewhichshows
clearlythatpollutionlevelsinthebuildinginquestion,especiallyinthebasement,havereachedveryhighlevels.
GiventhatinGreecethenecessaryhaematologicalexaminationsmayonlytakeplaceinaspecialresearch
centreandonlyafterreferral,istheCommissionexaminingthepossibilityofsettingupandsendinga
specialscientificteamtoexaminepollutionlevelsintheroomsofthebuilding(atmosphereandobjects)
and the effect on officials? Does the Commissionintend to accelerate the procedures so that GreececompliesimmediatelywithDirective78/319/EEC(
2)ontoxicanddangerouswasteandDirective96/59/
EC(3)?
(1) OJC51E,26.2.2004,p.182.
(2) OJL84,31.3.1978,p.43.
(3) OJL243,24.9.1996,p.31.
AnswergivenbyMrsWallströmonbehalfoftheCommission
(25July2003)
Withintheframeworkofenvironmentallaw,theCommissionhasnogeneral competencetoconduct
inspections.TheCommissioncanonlymakeuseoftheinspectionprocedureinspecificinfringementcaseswhichrelatetocompliancewithjudgementsoftheEuropeanCourtofJustice.Consequently,aspecialscientificteamwillnotbesent.
Regarding compliance with Council Directive 96/59/EC of 16September 1996 on the disposal of
polychlorinatedbiphenylsandpolychlorinatedterphenyls(PCB/PCT)(
1),theCourtrecentlydeclaredthat
GreecehadfailedtofulfilitsobligationsunderArticles4(1)and11oftheDirective(2).Theinfringement
concernsthefailuretodrawupsummariesofinventoriesofequipmentwithPCBvolumesofmorethan
fivecubicdecimeter(dm3),plansforthedecontaminationand/ordisposalofinventoriedequipmentand
thePCBscontainedtherein,andoutlinesforthecollectionandsubsequentdisposalofequipmentwhichisnotsubjecttoinventory.
Council Directive 78/319/EEC of 20March 1978, on toxic and dangerous waste(
3), was repealed by
CouncilDirective91/689/EECof12December1991onhazardouswaste(4).Concerningtheimplemen-
tationofDirective91/689/EEC,theCourtdeclaredthat,byfailingtosendtotheCommissionalltheinformationrequiredunderArticle8(3),GreecehadnotfulfilleditsobligationsundertheDirective(
5).
IfGreecedoesnottakethenecessarymeasurestocomplywiththeCourt’sjudgements,theCommission
willnothesitatetoopeninfringementproceduresunderArticle228oftheECTreaty.
Inaddition,itmustbestressedthatGreecehasbeenreferredtotheCourtofJustice(caseC-163/03)over
itsfailuretoputinplaceanadequateplanforthemanagementofhazardouswasteintheregionofThriassio Pedio (prefecture of Attiki). The referral also relates to its failure to avoid the pollution ofgroundwaterbyhazardouswaste.
(1) OJL243,24.9.1996.
(2) ECJjudgementof5June2003,caseC-83/02,notyetpublished.
(3) OJL84,31.3.1978.
(4) OJL377,31.12.1991.
(5) ECJjudgementof13June2002,caseC-33/01,EuropeanCourtreports2002,p.5447.
(2004/C58E/145) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2074/03
byRobertEvans(PSE)totheCommission
(24June2003)
Subject:TraffickinginhumanbeingsandEUpolicy
IstheCommissionawareofAnti-SlaveryInternational’scampaignwhichurgesgovernmentstoputthe
protectionofthetraffickedpersonatthecentreofcountertraffickingpolicies,forwhichover11000peoplehavepledgedtheirsupport?C58E/128 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
MinistersfromnineSouthEasternEuropeancountriessigneduptoa‘StatementonCommitmentsto
LegalisetheStatusofTraffickedPersons’on11December2002.Thesegovernmentsagreedto:improveidentification of trafficked persons; refrain from immediately expelling possible victims of trafficking;entitlepossiblevictimsoftraffickingtoremainonthestate’sterritoryandtograntthemarecuperationperiodofupto3months;referpossiblevictimsoftraffickingtoshelters,providingthemwithsocialassistance,healthcare,counsellingandlegaladvice.
1. WhathastheCommissiondonetoputtheprotectionoftraffickedpeopleatthecentreofEuropean
Unioncountertraffickingpolicy?
2. WhyistheEUnotsigneduptoabindingsetofminimumstandardsfortheprotectionandsupport
of victims of trafficking which is at least equal to those made by the nine South Eastern EuropeancountriesintheStatementonCommitmentstoLegalisetheStatusofTraffickedPersonsDecember2002?
3. Is the Commission aware of Anti-Slavery International’s report Human Traffic, Human Rights:
Redefiningvictimprotection,2002,andifsowhatconclusionshasitdrawnfromthisresearch?
AnswergivenbyMrVitorinoonbehalfoftheCommission
(23July2003)
The Commission has been actively engaged since 1996 in developing a comprehensive and multi-
disciplinaryapproachtowardsthepreventionofandfightagainsttraffickinginhumanbeings.TheissuewasaddressedintheCommissionCommunicationof20November1996ontraffickinginwomenforthepurpose of sexual exploitation(
1) and again in Commission Communication of 9December 1998
proposing further action in the fight against trafficking in women(2). This 1998 communication
announcedthataproposalwouldbepresentedforlegislationontemporaryresidencepermitsforvictims
preparedtogiveevidence.
Thisproposalwaspreparedonthebasisofathoroughexaminationofthelegislationandpracticeofthe
MemberStates,therepliestoaquestionnairewhichtheCommissionsenttotheMemberStatesinspring2000andtheconsultationsintheEuropeanForumforthePreventionofOrganisedCrime.Itintroducesaresidencepermitforthevictimsofactiontofacilitateillegalimmigrationandtraffickinginhumanbeings,subjecttoconditionsdesignedtoencouragethemtoco-operatewiththecompetentauthoritiesagainstthosesuspectedofcommittingthecrimesinquestion.Undertheserulesandamongstotherprovisions,
victimswouldbegranteda30-dayreflectionperiodinwhichtodecidewhetherornottoco-operatewith
thepoliceandjudicialauthorities.Duringthisreflectionperiod,theMemberStatewouldallowthemtoreceive aid according to their needs (housing, medical and psychological care, social assistance ifnecessary).
TheproposalwasadoptedbytheCommissionon11February2002(
3).TheEuropeanEconomicand
SocialCommitteeissueditsopinionon28May2002,theParliamentadopteditsopinioninplenaryon5December2002.TheItalianCouncilPresidencyhasannouncedthatnegotiationsshallberesumedonthisproposalassoonaspossible.
Furthermore,intheareaofCommunitylegislationtheCommission’sCommunicationof21December
2000oncombatingtraffickinginhumanbeingsandcombatingthesexualexploitationofchildrenandchildpornography(
4)pavedthewaytotheFrameworkDecisionof19July2002oncombatingtrafficking
inhumanbeings(5).ThisDecisionincludesaprovisiononprotectionofandassistancetovictims.
Since 1996 projects aimed at preventing and combating trafficking in human beings are financially
supportedthroughUnionprogrammeslikeSTOP,STOPII,AGISandDaphne.ManyoftheseprojectsfocusontheprotectionoftraffickedvictimslikeAnti-SlaveryInternational’sstudyandreport‘HumanTraffic,HumanRights:Redefiningvictimprotection’,whichreceivedfinancialassistancefromtheSTOPIIProgramme.MembersoftheCommission,on24October2002,attendedthepubliclaunchoftheproject’sfindings.TheCommissionwilltaketheoutcomeoftheprojectintodueconsiderationwithaviewtodevelopingfurthermeasuresinthefightagainsthumantrafficking.6.3.2004EN C58E/129 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
In 2001, the Commission initiated the Union Forum for the Prevention of Organised Crime. In the
frameworkoftheForumanumberofworkshopmeetingsontraffickinginhumanbeingstookplaceandinvolved participants from public agencies as well as from international, inter-governmental or non-governmentalorganisations.TheCommissioninvitedAnti-SlaveryInternationaltopresentthefindingsofthestudyinthemeetingof15November2002.Furthertothatpresentation,participantsdiscussedandunderlinedthenecessityofahumanrightsbasedapproachfortheprotectionofandtheassistancetotraffickedvictims.Thelastworkshopmeetingon30June2003focusedonco-operationbetweenlawenforcement agencies and non-governmental organisations or other parts of civil society providingspecialisedservicesandsupportforvictims.
InSeptember2002theEuropeanConferenceonPreventingandCombatingTraffickinginHumanBeings
/dashGlobalChallengeforthe21stCentury/dashbroughttogetherMemberStates,CandidateCountries,thirdcountries,international,inter-governmentalandnon-governmentalorganisationsandtheinstitutionsoftheEuropeanUnion.TheConferencewasinitiatedbytheCommissionundertheSTOPIIProgrammeandorganisedbytheInternationalOrganisationforMigrationincloseco-operationwiththeParliamentandtheCommission.ThemajoroutcomeoftheConferenceistheBrusselsDeclaration,whichaimsatfurtherdeveloping European and international co-operation, concrete measures, standards, best practices andmechanismstopreventandcombattraffickinginhumanbeings.AnumberofrecommendationssetoutintheannextotheBrusselsDeclarationunderlinetheimportanceofahumanrightsbasedapproach.TheDeclarationexplicitlyaddressestheissueofvictimprotectionandassistance.
TheCommissioninformedtheCounciloftheEuropeanUnionoftheBrusselsDeclarationandon8May
2003theJusticeandHomeAffairsCounciladoptedConclusionstakingnoteofthedocumentandagreeingtoexamineappropriateproposalstoimplementspecificitemscontainedinit.
On25March2003,theCommissiondecidedtosetupanexpertsgroupontraffickinginhumanbeings,
whichshallassisttheCommissionwithaviewtolaunchingfurtherconcreteproposalsatEuropeanlevel.Thegroupwillalsoaddresstheprotectionofvictimstakingtheirhumanrightsintodueconsiderationandpayingattentiontorecentfindingsconcerningthissubject.
TheCommissionwillcontinuetousetheCouncilworkingstructures,theExpertsGrouponTraffickingin
HumanBeings,theUnionForumforthePreventionofOrganisedCrimeaswellasprogrammeslikeAGISandDaphnetofurtherimprovetheprotectionofvictimsoftraffickinginhumanbeings.
(1) COM(96)567final.
(2) COM(98)726final.
(3) OJC126E,28.5.2002.
(4) COM(2000)854final.
(5) OJL203,1.8.2002.
(2004/C58E/146) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2090/03
byBertDoorn(PPE-DE)totheCommission
(24June2003)
Subject:Protection of the domestic postal market by the French authorities against foreign service
providers
AnumberofcourtcasesandinquiriesareunderwayinFranceagainstTNTJetServices,anexpressmail
delivery service andsubsidiary ofthe DutchTPGmaildelivery service, which, itis alleged,hasbeenevadinglabourlawprovisionsbyusingsubcontractors.Otherserviceprovidersinthepostalsector,suchastheUK’sRoyalMail,arealsobeingprosecuted.
UndertakingsbelongingtoLaPoste,theFrenchPostOfficegroupofcompanies,suchasChronopost,also
usesubcontractors.However,thereisnothingtoshowthatanyinquiriesarebeingconductedintotheiractivities.IhaveactuallyseenaletterinwhichChronopostreceivedanassurancefromtheFrenchLabourInspectoratethatitspracticesinvolvingsubcontractorswouldnotbeinvestigated.C58E/130 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion