WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3541/97 by James MOORHOUSE to the Council. Transexual citizens in the European Union
Date: 1997-11-14
Institutions: European Parliament, MOORHOUSE
Subjects: EU Member State, European Union, LGBTIQ persons, dismissal, equal treatment, job access, sexual discrimination, social life, surgery

C 187/18

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

16. 6. 98

Answer

(17 March 1998)

Turkey features regularly on the Council(cid:146)s agenda. The Council attaches great importance to the promotion of
relations between Greece and Turkey and the settlement of issues between them in accordance with international
law, including means such as the International Court of Justice, as well as to the promotion of good-neighbourly
relations and rejection of the threat or use of force in accordance with the United Nations Charter. The Council
emphasizes the importance of refraining from any unilateral action which might run counter to that spirit.

The Council welcomes the decision taken by Mr Simitis and Mr Yilmaz in the margins of the Balkan Summit in
Crete in early November 1997 to resume the process of normalizing relations between their countries. It hopes
that the informal agreement in principle concluded in Madrid will be applied to that end. In the same spirit, the
Council will do all it can to facilitate relations. In particular, the Presidency will cooperate with the experts from
the Eminent Persons Working Party in their task of preparing procedural suggestions to solve the problems in the
Aegean.

The  Luxembourg  European  Council  confirmed  that  the  strengthening  of  the  Union(cid:146)s  relations  with  Turkey
depended, among other factors, on the establishment of satisfactory and stable relations between Greece and
Turkey.

Following the conclusions of the Luxembourg European Council, the Council is now working on the European
Union(cid:146)s strategy vis-a‘-vis Turkey.

(98/C 187/28)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3541/97

by James Moorhouse (PPE) to the Council

(14 November 1997)

Subject: Transexual citizens in the European Union

In  the  light  of  the  Council  of  Europe  Recommendation  1117  and  the  great  disparity  in  the  legal  status  and
treatment  of  transexual  European  citizens  in  the  various  Member  States,  are  there  any  plans  to  introduce
proposals to improve civil rights for this group of disadvantaged and discriminated against citizens?

Is  the  Council  aware  of  the  extent  of  discrimination  in  employment,  passport  rights,  rights  in  prison,  rights
concerning  adoption  and  marriage  and  how  these  differences  are  having  a  serious  detrimental  effect  on  the
well-being, economic prosperity and happiness of many European Union citizens?

Answer

(17 March 1998)

The Council has taken note of the judgment of the Court of Justice on the interpretation of Directive 76/207 in the
case of access to employment and working conditions for a transsexual (1).

The Council would inform the Honourable Member that it is not currently examining the issue of transsexual
citizens of the European Union. Nor has it received any proposals on the matter.

(1)  Court Judgment of 30 April 1996, P v. S and Cornwall County Council, Case C-13/94, ECR p. I-2143.