WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2552/97 by Olivier DUPUIS to the Commission. China - GSP
Date: 1997-07-15
Institutions: DUPUIS, European Parliament
Subjects: China, committee of inquiry, export, generalised preferences, human rights, international sanctions, manufactured goods, prisoner, slavery, working conditions

25. 2. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 60/137

Nevertheless,  and  although  the  United  Kingdom  was  not  a  Member  State  at  the  time  of  the  dumping,  the
Commission has asked for more precise information in order to consider what further steps may be appropriate,
if any, in order to guard against any future consequences.

(98/C 60/226)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2551/97

by Richard Balfe (PSE) to the Commission

(15 July 1997)

Subject: Sri Lanka

Will the Commission make a statement on the current situation in Sri Lanka?

Answer given by Mr Marin on behalf of the Commission

(1 August 1997)

The  Commission,  as  it  has  already  stated  on  a  number  of  occasions,  remains  seriously  preoccupied  by  the
internal conflicts which continue after 14 years to prevent normal life being resumed inside Sri Lanka and its
people moving forward to what otherwise might be expected to be a prosperous future.

It  is  particularly  concerned  at  the  persistence  of  all  too  credible  reports  of  grave  violations  of  human  rights
perpetrated not only by the so called Tamil Tigers but also sometimes by the security forces, resulting in the
deaths of innocent civilians, who are in no way responsible for the armed conflict. It therefore supports fully the
recent statement by President Chandrika Kumaratunga that all measures have been taken to protect innocent
Tamil civilians and the reassurance she gave to Tamil parties that innocent Tamils living in Colombo and its
suburbs should not be harassed by the security forces.

Nevertheless, the Commission cannot avoid some disquiet about whether the Human rights commission which
has rather abruptly replaced the Human rights task force, will be able both to become fully operational quickly
and also to exercise effectively its wider mandate.

For  its  part,  the  Commission  remains  ready  to  launch  a  substantial  programme  of  rehabilitation  and
reconstruction  to  help  the  government  of  Sri  Lanka  as  soon  as  conditions  make  this  possible.  Obviously  a
precondition must be to identify needs and prepare a programme which can be implemented in secure conditions.
The  Commission  will  therefore  continue  to  watch  the  local  situation  closely  so  that  it  can  begin  such  a
programme without delay.

(98/C 60/227)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2552/97

by Olivier Dupuis (ARE) to the Commission

(15 July 1997)

Subject: China › GSP

In  its  report  on  the  communication  from  the  Commission  on  a  long-term  policy  for  China-Europe  relations
(McMillan-Scott report, A4-0198/97), Parliament (cid:145)calls on the Commission to open investigations into forced
labour and prison labour in China, pursuant to Articles 9, 10 and 11 of Council regulations on the Generalized
System of Preferences, No 3281/94 (1) and 1256/96 (2)(cid:146).

Has the Commission opened these investigations? If so, when does it expect to be able to forward its conclusions
to  the  Council?  Does  it  intend  to  inform  Parliament  of  the  investigations?  If  so,  when  and  how?  If  the
Commission has not yet opened the investigations, when does it intend to do so?

In  conducting  the  investigations,  does  the  Commission  intend  to  make  use  of  the  experience  of  specialized
organizations, such as the Laogai Research Foundation?

(1)  OJ L 348, 31.12.1994, p. 1.
(2)  OJ L 160, 29.6.1996, p. 1.