WRITTEN QUESTION P-2799/99 by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Treatment of Leonard Peltier.
Date: 2000-01-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: United States, common foreign and security policy, prison system

3.10.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 280 E/133

In accordance with Article 12 of the Regulation, the Commission is keeping the market situation under
regular review and will,
if appropriate, propose measures to address the situation if it is found that
Community yards are suffering injury from unfair competition practices. The Commission(cid:146)s report to the
9 November 1999 Industry Council was the first such report.

The Commission considers that the various actions decided by the Council represent a balanced package of
measures to tackle the problem of unfair competition. These are now being pursued and the Commission
has now engaged Korea in bilateral dialogue with a view to halting injurious practices. At this stage there
are no plans for other measures.

The Commission will continue to keep the market situation under review and evaluate all the information
and evidence collected pursuant to the Council conclusions. It will submit its findings to the Council and
to the Parliament as soon as necessary.

(1) OJ L 380, 31.12.1990.
(2) OJ L 202, 18.7.1998.

(2000/C 280 E/144)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2799/99

by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(7 January 2000)

Subject: Treatment of Leonard Peltier

On Thursday, 11 February 1999 former EU Commissioner Brittan stated that (cid:145)the Commission, through its
delegation in Washington, is looking into the circumstances of the medical condition of Mr Peltier and will
do its utmost to support the actions of the European Parliament in this regard. We will carefully follow up
this case (cid:133)(cid:146)

Parliament subsequently adopted a resolution on the treatment of Mr Leonard Peltier (B4-0169/1999 (1)),
in which it called for presidential executive clemency, appropriate medical treatment and an investigation
into the judicial improprieties involved in Mr Peltier(cid:146)s conviction.

Has the Commission(cid:146)s office in Washington obtained information on Mr Peltier(cid:146)s medical condition,

1.
as promised on 11 February 1999 by former Commissioner Brittan?

(a)

(b)

If so, following the inquiries made by its office in Washington, what are the Commission(cid:146)s conclusions
concerning Mr Peltier?

If not, why did the Washington office not make inquiries about Mr Peltier(cid:146)s condition, as promised by
former Commissioner Brittan?

On the basis of the information obtained from its Washington office, does the Commission feel that

2.
Mr Peltier should be moved to a hospital?

(a)

(b)

If so, has the Commission asked the American authorities to move Mr Peltier to a hospital? If not, why
not?

If not, how does the Commission put across Parliament(cid:146)s position, as contained in its resolution of
11 February 1999, to the American Congress, the President of the United States and the State
Department? What were the responses to the requests for (a) the granting of presidential executive
clemency, (b) appropriate medical treatment and (c) an investigation into the judicial improprieties
involved in Mr Peltier(cid:146)s conviction?

3.
In what way, and when, did the Commission put across Parliament(cid:146)s position, as contained in its
resolution of 11 February 1999, to the American Congress, the President of the United States and the State
Department? What were the responses to the requests for (a) the granting of presidential executive
clemency,
improprieties
(b) appropriate medical
involved in Mr Peltier(cid:146)s conviction?

treatment and (c) an investigation into the judicial

(1) OJ C 150, 28.5.1999, p. 384.

C 280 E/134

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.10.2000

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(3 February 2000)

Mr Leonard Peltier is a long term prisoner in the Federal Prison at Ford Levenworth, Kansas. An American
citizen, he was extradited from Canada after his arrest in 1976 for the murder of two federal agents and
has been in jail for nearly 24 years now. Mr Peltier is currently suffering from complications of maxilla-
facial surgery in 1996, which cause serious problems in his jaw.
In February 1999, the American
authorities informed the Commission that Mr Peltier was being given normal medical treatment.

Mr Peltier does not possess the nationality of one of the Member States and for that reason, the Vienna
Convention on consular relations does not apply. The treatment of prisoners in third countries varies,
depending on the economic situation, legal systems, administrative rules and practices. International legal
rules provide for minimum standards, such as the rule that no one shall be subjected to cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment. Although some Member States did act on an individual basis on
behalf of Mr Peltier,
there is no Community policy in this respect. The Commission has limited
competence to intervene in these cases.

(2000/C 280 E/145)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2802/99

by Jorge HernÆndez Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(18 January 2000)

Subject: (cid:218)beda and Baeza: World Heritage

It is now ten years since the Spanish cities of (cid:218)beda and Baeza (which are prime examples of Renaissance
architecture in southern Spain) first sought to have their buildings classed as World Heritage by Unesco.

If their application is successful the two cities will receive substantial amounts of funding to help them
conserve their architectural legacy and promote it as a tourist attraction.

Can the Commission say what contribution it has made towards ensuring that two such important
treasures of the Renaissance can provide at least a minimum degree of conservation? How can it help to
secure the above-mentioned Unesco classification, which would bring in the funding needed to maintain
the wide range of outstanding buildings which are to be found in the two cities in question?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(21 February 2000)

As regards the cultural sector, the Commission wishes to inform the Honourable Member that, since the
two cities of Ubeda and Baeza have never submitted a proposal under any Community programme, they
initiatives only in the
have not received any financial support. The Commission can support cultural
framework of its existing programmes and in accordance with their criteria. Note that in February 2000 a
call for proposals will be launched in the context of the First Framework Programme (cid:145)Culture 2000(cid:146).
Cultural operators who wish to obtain financial support will then be able to submit projects in accordance
with the conditions and criteria of this Programme.

The Commission would recall that the designation of sites as part of the (cid:145)heritage of humanity(cid:146) is a matter
solely for the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).