EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 88/357

(2004/C 88 E/0363)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1607/03

by Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(7 May 2003)

Subject: Repeated violations of human rights in Cuba

In the first few months of 2003 the Communist regime in Cuba decided to silence democratic dissent, targeting journalists, opponents and advocates of human rights. On 18 March Fidel Castro's police arrested about 80 people who were complaining about the lack of democracy.

On 1 April eleven opponents of the regime hijacked a ferry in order to escape to the United States. Three of the young men involved were executed 10 days later.

Since then there have been further reports concerning the inhuman conditions in Cuba's prisons. Castro turned down the UN's request to be allowed to inspect the island's prisons to ascertain whether they respect human rights. According to the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation there are about 300 political prisoners in Cuba.

What steps will the Commission take to help safeguard human rights in Cuba?

Does the Commission President Romano Prodi intend to ask Fidel Castro directly whether Commission and Parliament representatives may visit to ascertain whether and how EU cooperation funding is used?

How does the Commission intend to safeguard the rights of European citizens living and working on the island?

Does Mr Prodi intend to back the request made by 31 Italian MEPs calling for a cooperation agreement between the Union and the Cuban dictator to be signed without any prior check as to how democratic Cuban institutions are?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(18 June 2003)

The recent large-scale arrest of dissidents, the unfair trials and the arbitrary and excessive sentences imposed on them, as well as the execution of three Cuban citizens accused of hijacking a Cuban ferry, have had a prompt, firm and sustained reaction from the Union. The Commission has fully and actively supported the actions that have been taken in this context.

The Commission, together with the Member States, has strongly condemned such arrests in a declaration published on 26 March 2003, which was followed by a Union démarche in Havana to urge the Cuban authorities to allow the prisoners' immediate release. A second Union démarche in Havana took place on 18 April 2003, following the Foreign Ministers' statement issued on 14 April 2003.

Further measures have recently been agreed, including limits to high-level visits.

The Commission decided on 30 April 2003 to defer the examination of the Cuban application for accession to the Cotonou Agreement, signalling that these recent developments are not conducive to cooperation between the Union and Cuba.

The Cuban authorities decided on 16 May 2003 to withdraw their application.

As far as the Community cooperation funding is concerned, the recent opening of a Delegation in Havana makes possible a closer follow-up of the use of funds. Community cooperation is focused since 2000 on projects promoting economic reform and civil society development. Seven of the projects financed by the Commission in Cuba were subject to an independent monitoring mission contracted by the Commission in 2002, and a new monitoring mission is foreseen during the third quarter of 2003.

Issues regarding the rights of European citizens in Cuba are the responsibility of their respective national authorities.