WRITTEN QUESTION E-1563/00 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Council. Human rights in Turkey.
Date: 2000-05-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Türkiye, government violence, human rights, torture

C 81 E/54

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.3.2001

Will the Commission undertake to revise its whole attitude to the use of PPPs if it is shown that:

1. At market prices, the share accounted for by spending on housing in Portugal is not four times lower

than the corresponding figure in Germany but is probably higher;

2.

Prices for housing of equivalent quality in Portugal and Germany are not 78 % lower in Portugal but
are also likely to be higher in Portugal than in Germany?

(1) OJ C 303 E, 24.10.2000, p. 170.

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(10 July 2000)

In its reply to written question E-0276/00 (1), to which the Honourable Member refers, the Commission
did not seek to compare two methods of calculating purchasing power parities, but two methods by which
spatial comparisons of price statistics can be calculated. One of these methods, the Commission method,
produces a definition of purchasing power parities in accordance with the only methodology which is
internationally accepted and proven (in particular, by the 15 Member States).

With regard to the statement about rents ((cid:145)in the case of rents, rents, which, in 1995, represented 17,4 %
of private final consumption expenditure in Germany compared with 4,7 % in Portugal, revealed a the
price index for Portuguese Portugal was 78 % lower than that of Germany(cid:146)price index whiprice index whi),
the Commission can assure the Honourable Member that the statistics are, of course, the product of
meticulous and independent work carried out by the Instituto Nacional de Estatistica for the Portuguese
statistics and the Statistisches Bundesamt for the German statistics.

In short, in order to obtain the aforementioned statistics, the Commission used the data supplied by the
national statistical institutes of Portugal and Germany on rents.

With regard to rents as a proportion of private final consumption expenditure, the Commission used the
data transmitted by the two institutes in September 1996.

The Commission has no reason to doubt the reliability of the data supplied by the Instituto Nacional de
Estatistica and the Statistisches Bundesamt, which are the result of the sort of meticulous and independent
work called for by both the Honourable Member and the Commission.

(1) OJ C 303 E, 24.10.2000, p. 170.

(2001/C 81 E/063)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1563/00

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(24 May 2000)

Subject: Human rights in Turkey

In its answer to written question E-0028/00 (1) the Council says that it is unaware of the statements by
Mr Sklan on Turkey which I quoted. The statements in question are given verbatim in the text of E-0028/
00 and are therefore known to the Council.

Since projects carried out by the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture are cofinanced by
the Commission, I think it is right that the Council should adopt a position on this. After all, the nature of
the activities and the statements made by Mr Sklan are of importance for the common foreign and security
policy and enlargement of the European Union.

Can the Council

1.
the Medical
Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture are from Turkish Kurdistan(cid:146), as stated by the Foundation(cid:146)s
Mr Alex Sklan?

(cid:145)By far the largest group of patients of

therefore confirm that

13.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/55

Does the Council feel that the term (cid:145)torture state(cid:146) used by Mr Sklan is applicable to Turkey? If not,
2.
does the Council belief that a member of a centre, cofinanced by the Union, for victims of torture and
(military) violence is wrong to apply the term (cid:145)torture state(cid:146) to Turkey? How then does the Council explain
the statement by Mr Sklan that: (cid:145)By far the largest group of patients of the Medical Foundation for the Care
of Victims of Torture are from Turkish Kurdistan(cid:146)?

Does the Council endorse Mr Sklan(cid:146)s view that

3.
in the
enforcement of so-called law and order(cid:146) in Turkey(cid:146)? If not, why not, and how can the Council(cid:146)s position
be reconciled with the fact that, as Mr Sklan says:
(cid:145)By far the largest group of patients of the Medical
Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture are from Turkish Kurdistan(cid:146)?

(cid:145)Torture is endemic, routine,

inherent

(1) OJ C 280 E, 3.10.2000, p. 162.

Reply

(10 October 2000)

The Council confirms what it said in its answer to written question E-0028/00 about its attitude to
statements by individuals.

As to the substance of the Honourable Member(cid:146)s question, the Council remains concerned about the
human rights situation in Turkey, including the practice of torture. There are several serious reports about
torture and ill-treatment in Turkey, not only from the south-eastern part but also from other parts of the
country. In particular, detentions by the security forces have given rise to particular concern since the
detention period may be increased to 10 days in several of the south-eastern provinces with the risk that
during such extended incommunicado detention periods, often with the right of access to a lawyer being
denied, torture and ill-treatment take place.

The existence of torture has been recognised by the Turkish Government. The Turkish authorities have
taken some measures and announced plans for further action in order to put an end to the practice of
torture in Turkey. The Council will continue to monitor the situation and to encourage Turkey to take all
necessary measures to ensure that human rights are fully respected.

(2001/C 81 E/064)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1566/00

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(24 May 2000)

Subject: Tax concessions for diesel fuel

More than half the cars sold in the Belgian federation last year use diesel. This makes Belgian the second
most diesel-mad country (after Austria). There are scarcely any diesel cars in the Scandinavian countries,
the UK and the US.

Diesel emissions are not only the principal source of nitrogen oxide which is one of the key factors in
global environmental problems such as ozone pollution and acid rain. What is more harmful are emissions
of soot and particulates, or in scientific jargon PM10 (particles smaller than 10 micrometers), Soot particles
carry dangerous substances such as heavy metals and carcinogenic polycyclical aromatic hydrocarbons.

The success of diesel in the Belgian federation is due to the difference in prices. Thanks to artificially low
levels of duty, diesel is ca. BEF 10 cheaper than petrol, although it costs more to refine diesel than petrol.
The system of tax concessions for diesel means that there is little hope for cleaner technologies (such as
the lean mix petrol engine).