WRITTEN QUESTION E-0874/00 by Lucio Manisco (GUE/NGL) to the Council. Embargo against Iraq and the price of oil.
Date: 2000-03-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Iraq, OPEC, common foreign and security policy, international sanctions, monopoly, petroleum, poverty

C 46 E/68

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.2.2001

The problem has already been identified and addressed in the digital television area. It is now possible to
use compression for production and post-production and to recompress for digital transmission without
significant loss of quality. It is possible that similar techniques could be applied in the case of digital radio,
but no (cid:145)off the shelf(cid:146) technical solution exists for radio, as far as the Commission is aware.

2.
Regarding the consumer protection aspects, the Commission feels there is no need to compensate
consumers. DAB is still the standard which radio broadcasters want to use. In dynamic and converging
communications markets, the Commission approach to technology and standards is to limit its interven-
tions in the market to the strict minimum. Markets and consumers should make the appropriate choices.
Although DAB is a European standard, its use is anyway not mandated by regulation at Community level.

3.
The Commission believes that radio broadcasters should identify technical solutions for the problem
of concatenated compression as quickly as possible. The problem could for instance be addressed by
submitting a suitable project within the fifth framework programme. However, there are no doubt other
measures that the industry could take in order to raise awareness and develop good practice.

(1) ETS 300 401 etc.: DAB specifications.

(2001/C 46 E/071)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0874/00

by Lucio Manisco (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(23 March 2000)

Subject: Embargo against Iraq and the price of oil

In the last 12 months the price of refined petroleum products in Europe has risen sharply (by 21 % in
Italy) and in the last few days the price of crude oil on the New York stock exchange rose to more than 32
dollars a barrel. This worrying rise in the price of fuel and petroleum by-products is solely due to
reductions in the amount put onto the market by the OPEC countries.

At the same time we are witnessing the suffering caused in Iraq by an embargo which continues to
penalise the weakest sections of the population (the World Health Organisation announced back in 1996
that the sanctions had directly caused the deaths of more than one million people, including half a million
children).

Does the Council not consider that an embargo which penalises only the weakest sections of the
population is a violation of the most basic human rights?

Does the Council not consider that it must take steps to persuade the United Nations to review the
embargo against Iraq as a matter of urgency?

Does it not consider that if Iraq resumes marketing crude oil the OPEC countries may revise their
intransigent position?

Reply

(10 July 2000)

The European Union will continue to implement the embargo imposed by UN Security Council resolu-
tions. The prime considerations for the European Union are lasting security and stability in the region as
well as the living conditions of the Iraqi people. The European Union is concerned about the humanitarian
situation in Iraq and is trying to alleviate this situation within the framework of the relevant UN Security
Council resolutions. Notwithstanding the positive effects on Iraq of the sharp rise in oil prices over the last
twelve months, the European Union also notes the importance of full compliance and cooperation by the
Iraqi government in order to improve the humanitarian situation.