WRITTEN QUESTION E-2385/99 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. German assistance in constructing a laboratory for chemical weapons.
Date: 1999-12-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Germany, Kurdistan question, Türkiye, arms trade, chemical weapon, international trade, military research, national minority

1.8.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 219 E/153

(2000/C 219 E/194)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2380/99

by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(16 December 1999)

Subject: Combating violence against women

As part of the European public awareness campaign focusing on violence against women, a call for the
submission of proposals was issued with a view to providing technical and/or financial support for
information and communication projects at European level.

How many projects have been selected? What are the amounts involved?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(27 January 2000)

As part of the public awareness campaign focusing on violence against women, a call for proposals in two
tranches was published in the Official Journal. The first tranche was published on 7 April 1999, with a
deadline of 21 May 1999 for submission of projects, and the second on 10 August 1999 with a deadline
of 21 September 1999.

The Commission will forward directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat a detailed
list of the projects which have been approved.

(2000/C 219 E/195)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2385/99

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(16 December 1999)

Subject: German assistance in constructing a laboratory for chemical weapons

The German Ministry of Defence has recently admitted that it intends to help Turkey build a laboratory for
chemical weapons. The project is allegedly (cid:145)purely defensive in nature(cid:146). However, the (cid:145)Kennzeichen D(cid:146)
programme on the ZDF television channel recently quoted military sources as claiming that on 11 May
1999 the Turkish army was using chemical weapons against the Kurdish PKK movement. Apparently
twenty Kurds were killed. Research carried out by the University of Munich also shows that the heads on
the Turkish chemical shells were supplied by the German firms Buck and Depyfag.

1.

Is the Commission aware of German help in building a laboratory for chemical weapons in Turkey?

Is this German-Turkish cooperation in line with international and European obligations and under-

2.
takings on disarmament and arms control, with particular regard to chemical weapons?

3. Will the Commission oppose German help in building a new laboratory for chemical weapons in
Turkey now that it is aware of the facts? If so, in what way will it make its opposition known to the
German government? If not, why not?

4.
Is the Commission aware that on 11 May 1999 the Turkish army used chemical weapons against the
PKK movement? If not, why is the Commission not aware of this violation of the UN convention on
chemical weapons by a candidate Member State?

5.
Has the Commission made known to Turkey its displeasure at this violation? If so, what was the
Turkish government(cid:146)s response? If not, will the Commission do so, now that it has been informed of this
fact? If not, why not?

C 219 E/154

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

1.8.2000

6. Will the Commission conduct an inquiry into the use of German warheads for an assault using
chemical weapons in Turkey, given that the equipment was supplied by an EU Member State and that this
involves an act by a candidate Member State in violation of the UN convention on chemical weapons? If
not, why not?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(13 January 2000)

The Community is not a party to the Chemical weapons convention (CWC) and has no legal competence
to take position on issues related to chemical weapons.

The issues raised by the Honourable Member should be presented to the Organisation for the prohibition
of chemical weapons, responsible for the implementation of the CWC.

(2000/C 219 E/196)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2390/99

by Mogens Camre (UEN) to the Commission

(16 December 1999)

Subject: Shipbuilding (cid:129) State-aided dumping by South Korea (cid:129) Council Regulation No 1540/98

I refer to the Commission Report to the Council of 5 October on the situation in the world ship-building
industry, and to Council Regulation No 1540/98 (1).

The report shows that the European ship building industry is facing serious problems of unfair competi-
tion from South Korea. South Korean yards are selling vessels at below cost and nobody has yet managed
to stop them.

On 9 November 1999 the Council (Industry) called on the Commission to meet its obligations under
Article 12 of Council Regulation No 1540/98.

In its conclusion, the Council notes that European ship-building has been caused injury as a result of
Korean policy. In such circumstances, Article 12 requires the Commission to propose to the Council
measures to address the problem.

It is unacceptable that European shipyards cannot compete on fair terms, and are being forced into large-
scale closures. European ship building workers are being made unemployed while owners are suffering
huge losses. The cause is not inefficiency in the European ship building industry but the fact that state
subsidies are enabling South Korean yards to charge prices below the cost of production.

What does the Commission intend to do to halt this unfair South Korean competition for European yards?

What other industries and sectors have complained of unfair competition from South Korea?

(1) OJ L 202, 18.7.1998, p. 1.

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(22 December 1999)

The Commission shares the Honourable Member(cid:146)s concern about world shipbuilding and the difficulties
many Community shipyards are facing because of aggressive competition from Korean shipbuilders.

The Council (Industry) which met on 9 November 1999 asked the Commission to take some specific steps
to stop the unfair practices shown to exist in the sector.