WRITTEN QUESTION P-1023/00 by Niels Busk (ELDR) to the Commission. Payment of co-responsibility levy.
Date: 2000-03-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: agricultural quota, common agricultural policy, fodder, producer co-responsibility

C 46 E/106

Official Journal of the European Communities

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13.2.2001

(2001/C 46 E/111)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1019/00

by Lucio Manisco (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(6 April 2000)

Subject: Five cases of torture and violation of human rights in Turkey

In the past week, several newspapers, non-governmental organisations and sources from the International
Red Cross and the UN have brought to Parliament(cid:146)s attention the serious case of five Turkish professionals,
engineers and entrepreneurs (cid:129) Halil Muftuoglu, Emre Nil, Ferhat Terkoglu, Hasan Basri Guner and Timur
Ayan (cid:129) who, after prolonged and excruciating torture, were forced to sign false confessions to crimes
against the state. According to the victims(cid:146) declarations and evidence gathered from several sources, but
not reported by the Turkish press, the torture comprised electric shocks to the testicles, jets of freezing
water and beatings with clubs wrapped in towels to avoid bruising. The torture was inflicted by officers
and officials of the Istanbul directorate for organised crime, a body which is part of
the Turkish
government(cid:146)s criminal investigation department. All five are now being detained in Bayrampasa prison
while awaiting trial.

Does the Council not consider that these continuing grave violations of human rights provide a
1.
startling contradiction to the statements made by the Prime Minister, Mr Ecevit, and the entire Turkish
government to the effect that the reform of the judicial system, which should facilitate Turkey(cid:146)s accession
to the EU, is already under way?

2.
Does the Council not consider that the essentially positive opinion expressed by the Commissioner
for enlargement, Mr Verheugen, after his recent visit to Istanbul, on the progress achieved by Turkey in
this regard is largely unjustifiable, or at the very least, premature?

3.
Should the Council not ask the Turkish government to provide immediate explanations for the
inhuman treatment of the five aforementioned prisoners before starting negotiations on the accession of
Turkey to the European Union?

Reply

(10 July 2000)

The European Union has raised, and will continue to do so, the issue of human rights with the Turkish
Government, most recently in connection with the EC-Turkey Association Council on 11 April 2000. The
EU is concerned about reports of human rights violations and will continue to closely monitor the human
rights situation in Turkey and, if necessary, raise individual cases with Turkish authorities.

Turkey has embarked on a process of reform in this area. The EU welcomes Turkey(cid:146)s intention to improve
the human rights situation and will continue to support and encourage the Turkish efforts in this regard.
The EU looks forward to further progress in this area.

In this context, the EU recalls that compliance with the Copenhagen political criteria, which include
guaranteeing human rights, is a prerequisite for the opening of accession negotiations. Consequently, no
such negotiations have yet started with Turkey.

(2001/C 46 E/112)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1023/00

by Niels Busk (ELDR) to the Commission

(29 March 2000)

Subject: Payment of co-responsibility levy

Council Regulation (EC) 603/95 (1) on the common organisation of the market in dried fodder introduced
an EU quota system for the dried fodder industry which sets a production quota for each Member State. If

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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the production quota is exceeded at EU level, all Member States are liable to pay a common co-
responsibility levy of up to 5 %.

Any Member State which has not exceeded its quota (or has not even used it up) is, therefore, financially
penalised for other Member States(cid:146) overruns.

In the Commission(cid:146)s view, is this co-responsibility levy appropriate?

Will the Commission take measures to amend the common organisation of the market in dried fodder?

(1) OJ L 63, 21.3.1995, p. 1.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(27 April 2000)

On the occasion of the market reform Member States accepted a compromise whereby one of the
fundamental changes was a general reduction in aid in the event of overrun of the maximum guaranteed
quantity. The other changes were national guaranteed quantities (NGQs),
fixed aid per tonne and
application of the integrated administration and control system (IACs).

Under the provision in question the aid rate reduction if the MGQ is exceeded by up to 5 % applies equally
in all Member States. This was freely accepted by all Member States as an integral part of the compromise
package. In this context the Commission considers it an appropriate provision.

It has been applied only once, at the end of the 1998/1999 marketing year, and a proposal to withdraw it
would mean reopening discussion among Member States on the other features of the reformed scheme:
NGQs, aid rate, control rules etc. in the absence of any valid reason for major readjustment of the sector to
meet the wishes of a majority of Member States the Commission has no plans at present for proposing
modification of the market organisation to the Council.

(2001/C 46 E/113)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1031/00

by Ulla Sandb(cid:230)k (EDD) to the Commission

(4 April 2000)

Subject: Petrol and MTBE

With reference to the use of MTBE as an additive in petrol to raise the octane after removal of aromatics,
benzene and lead, is the Commission aware of the problems created by MTBE in the USA through seepage
into ground water?

Will the Commission take steps to investigate alternatives to MTBE, such as bioethanol extracted from
sugar cane?

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(31 May 2000)

The Commission is well aware of the political and public concern about the contamination of water
supplies in the United States and recent statements by the American Environment Protection Agency (EPA)
and will keep abreast of developments.