WRITTEN QUESTION E-0636/00 by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Council. Repopulation of northern regions in Greece where minorities of Macedonian and Turkish origin are resident.
Date: 2000-03-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU migration policy, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Greece, Macedonia, competence of the Member States, migration for settlement purposes, national minority, sensitive area

C 26 E/74

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.1.2001

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(14 April 2000)

The Honourable Member is referring to the specific measures announced by the Commission in its
communication to the Council (1) and to the fixing of export refunds for products not covered by Annex I
to the Treaty for which the rates were reduced by 4,5 % on a flat-rate basis as from 1 November 1999.

This reduction is to be replaced by the application of the abovementioned specific measures, which are
intended to ensure that refunds continue to be made for goods not covered by Annex I to the Treaty
within the framework of the budget appropriations agreed by the budgetary authority.

The specific measures comprise savings and the creation of an additional facility to allow easier access to
the inward processing arrangements to enable the Community processing industry to remain competitive
on external markets.

The rules for the application of this package of measures and their impact on the various sectors still have
to be discussed with the experts of the Member States(cid:146) delegations in the appropriate management
committees.

(1) COM(1999) 625 final.

(2001/C 26 E/092)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0636/00

by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(2 March 2000)

Subject: Repopulation of northern regions in Greece where minorities of Macedonian and Turkish origin

are resident

In January 2000 the Greek Parliament adopted a law concerning the return of Greeks coming from former
Soviet republics. This legislation states that several thousand citizens are to be accommodated in the
northern regions of Greece where sizeable minorities of Macedonian and Turkish origin (Lerin-Florina and
Xsanthi regions) are resident.

Can the Council provide detailed information on the practical arrangements for this transfer of population
in a Member States of the European Union? Can the Council confirm that thousands of citizens are to be
located in the northern provinces where there is a problem with minorities? Is the Council aware of the
consequences that significant changes in the demographic situation can produce in sensitive regions?

Reply

(8 June 2000)

The Honourable Member(cid:146)s attention is drawn to the fact that it is not up to the Council to comment on
matters which are the responsibility of a Member State.

(2001/C 26 E/093)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0637/00

by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(3 March 2000)

Subject: Recognition of Kurds as a minority and the accession of Turkey

Since the Helsinki summit in December 1999 Turkey has been accepted as a candidate state for accession
to the European Union. The conditions for membership are democratisation, improvement of the human
rights situation and respect for the criteria of the Copenhagen Treaty. The latter implies recognition of the