WRITTEN QUESTION No. 4183/97 by Glenys KINNOCK to the Council. Production and trade in weapons of torture
Date: 1998-01-22
Institutions: European Parliament, KINNOCK
Subjects: arms industry, cruel and degrading treatment, dual-use good, electrical process, export monitoring, human rights, marketing, metal product, production, torture

17. 7. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 223/69

The Commission has also received a complaint concerning this type of price discrimination on ferry transport
between Den Helder and Texel (the Netherlands). It requested details of the relevant legislation from the Dutch
authorities and expressed its doubts as to the compatibility of this system with Community law.

In the light of the reply received from the Dutch authorities, the Commission will decide what action, if any, is
also necessary in the case mentioned by the Honourable Member.

(98/C 223/83)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4183/97

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Council

(22 January 1998)

Subject: Production and trade in weapons of torture

Does the Council accept that weapons of torture are by definition used only by countries where human rights
abuses occur?

Does it therefore also accept that, further to the criteria adopted by the Council in 1991 and 1992 governing arms
sales,  as  well  as  our  obligations  under  the  UN  Convention  against  Torture  and  Other  Cruel,  Inhuman  or
Degrading Treatment for Punishment, the production of and trade in such torture equipment by companies based
in the EU should be immediately stopped?

Answer

(11 May 1998)

The Honourable Member will agree that it is extremely difficult to identify precisely all instruments and products
which  could  be  used  for  torture  purposes.  No  definition  of  (cid:145)torture  instrument(cid:146)  exists  in  any  of  the  relevant
Conventions adopted by the United Nations and the Council of Europe. However, it is clear that if an instrument
is used for purposes of torture, this can only occur in countries that do not respect human rights.

With regard to the eight criteria defined by the European Council in Luxembourg in June 1991, and Lisbon, in
June 1992, among which is the respect of human rights in the country of destination, it should be pointed out that
they apply to arms exports and, therefore, do not necessarily cover all goods, including dual-use ones or others,
which could be used for torture purposes.

Nevertheless, Member States may (cid:150) and some do (cid:150) restrict or prohibit, on a national basis, the export of some
products (e.g. portable devices aiming at inflicting electric shock or pain), which can be used as weapons of
torture.

The Council is currently examining the most appropriate way to control, in a coordinated manner, the export of
such instruments.

(98/C 223/84)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4184/97

by Karla Peijs (PPE) to the Commission

(21 January 1998)

Subject: Salting of hides › environmental problem

Slaughterhouses in Europe treat their hides by salting them. This is a potential source of pollution as the salt
removed inevitably ends up in the tannery effluent. Wet-salted hides can cause problems of salinity in our surface
and ground waters. Is the Commission aware of the pollution caused by the salting of hides for preservation
within the EU?

Does the Commission agree that within the EU we must avoid salinification as much as possible?