WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3904/97 by Cristiana MUSCARDINI to the Council. Tourist massacre in Egypt
Date: 1997-12-10
Institutions: European Parliament, MUSCARDINI
Subjects: EU police cooperation, Egypt, Europol, Islam, exchange of information, terrorism, tourism

2. 10. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 304/3

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission

(9 February 1998)

In 1986-91, Andalusia received approximately ECU 25 million under the Community Initiative Valoren for 126
projects to promote local production of alternative energy (solar, wind power, biomass) and to improve the use of
energy.

In  1994-99,  the  Commission  is  granting  assistance  from  the  European  Regional  Development  Fund  of
ECU 118.3 million for a global grant managed by IDAE (Instituto para la diversificacio·n y el ahorro energe·tico)
covering  all  the  Spanish  areas  eligible  under  Objective  1  for  the  same  purposes  as  the  assistance  mentioned
above. Since this is a programme depending on applications received, a regional breakdown of the figure given is
currently not possible.

The operational programme for Andalusia also provides, over the same period and in the field of alternative
energy, for several aid schemes part-financed by the ERDF with a volume of approximately ECU 14 million.

The Cohesion Fund has not supported any projects of this kind in the region, as the scope of this Fund is to
finance projects in the field of the environment and transport infrastructures of common interest.

(98/C 304/04)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3904/97

by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Council

(10 December 1997)

Subject: Tourist massacre in Egypt

In  the  wake  of  the  massacre  of  tourists  in  the  Valley  of  Queens  in  Egypt  at  the  hands  of  Islamist  terrorists
organized along the lines of a full-scale revolutionary army, Europe cannot postpone the following decisions:

1. 

2. 

3. 

to assist President Mubarak(cid:146)s government in taking drastic and resolute action against terrorism and Islamic
fundamentalism;

to obtain guarantees of the safety of all those visiting Egypt for the purposes of business or tourism in order
to ensure that it retains its links to the West;

to protect the architectural and cultural heritage of Egypt, whose history belongs to and must be safeguarded
by the international community as a whole.

Will the Council say what specific measures it intends to promote in order to combat collusion in the EU Member
States between international terrorist groups, specifically Islamist terrorists?

Answer

(28 May 1998)

1.

The Council condemns terrorism in any form and supports Egypt in its fight against it.

2.
The internal and external threats posed by terrorism to the European Union are regularly reviewed by the
Council  bodies.  On  15  October  1996,  the  Council  adopted  a  Joint  Action  concerning  the  creation  and
maintenance  of  a  Directory  of  specialized  counter-terrorist  competences,  skills  and  expertise  to  facilitate
counter-terrorist cooperation between the Member States of the European Union (1).

On the basis of the arrangements concluded for the exchange of operational information in this area, meetings
and seminars are regularly held to help combat all aspects of terrorism.

3.
In the light of the expected entry into force of the Europol Convention, the Council agreed on 19 March
1998 to take a decision on the extension of the mandate of Europol to cover the fight against terrorism as soon as
possible after Europol takes up its activities (Article 2 of the Convention).

(1)  OJ L 273, 25.10.1996, p. 1.