WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3426/98 by Alexandros ALAVANOS to the Commission. Ban on use of the Kurdish language by a prisoner in Dutch prisons
Date: 1998-11-24
Institutions: ALAVANOS, European Parliament
Subjects: Kurdistan question, Netherlands, human rights, linguistic discrimination, minority language, penal institution, prisoner

C 207/68

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.7.1999

Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission

(14 January 1999)

Standardization in the machinery area has begun slowly, and there has been a steady output of standards for
only a few years now. This is due mainly to the need to find a consensus amongst all interested parties, and to
ensure a high level of safety, even if this implies longer periods for the adoption of standards. The Commission
implements the various measures indicated in the report on efficiency and accountability in European
standardization under the new approach (1), in order to speed up the process. In particular, it has insisted to the
European standards bodies to make available a common Web site indicating the state of progress in
standardization. Furthermore, the Commission has invited the European committee for standardisation
(CEN), the European committee for electrotechnical standardisation (Cenelec) and the European telecommu-
nications standards institute (ETSI), which are primarily responsible for the management of the standard-
ization process, to explain their measures on efficiency to national authorities, grouped in the senior officials
groups for standardization.

The Commission is not aware of significant difficulties in relation to the free movement of goods. The essential
requirements are drawn up in a very detailed way, and more than 95 % of types of machinery can be put on the
market by a manufacturer’s declaration, even in the absence of European standards. It would be interesting to
have concrete evidence of double controls, to which reference is made. It is precisely the respect of Community
legislation that allows the products to circulate freely in the Community without repetition of controls. To this
end the CE marking offers a useful indication that these rules have been respected.

(1) COM(98) 291 final.

(1999/C 207/088)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3426/98

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(24 November 1998)

Subject: Ban on use of the Kurdish language by a prisoner in Dutch prisons

Husein Baybasin, a Kurd being held in Dutch prisons, has begun a hunger strike because the Dutch authorities
have forbidden him to use the Kurdish language to communicate with his family on the grounds that under the
prison regulations the Kurdish language is not one of the ‘standard’ languages of Europe.

Since this ban prevents him from communicating with his relatives, constitutes a violation of the European
Convention on Human Rights and disregards the rules for the protection of ‘minority’ languages.

Will the Commission say:

1. What action does it intend to take to enable this Kurdish prisoner to communicate with his family in his

mother tongue?

2. Are there any other penal establishments in Europe which apply similarly unacceptable rules and, if so,

can it name them?

Answer given by Mrs Gradin on behalf of the Commission

(22 January 1999)

The Commission has no competence regarding rules and conditions in prisons under Title VI of the Treaty on
European Union. Decisions in this field are within the responsibility of the appropriate authorities of the
Member States. In case of any possible violation of the European Convention of human rights, this would be a
matter to pursue with the European court of human rights.