WRITTEN QUESTION E-1767/00 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Abduction of child, an EU national, by his Lebanese father.
Date: 2000-05-31
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Greece, Lebanon, child, common foreign and security policy, custody, illegal restraint

20.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 53 E/187

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(17 July 2000)

The comparative figures presented by the Honorary Member are not complete as they disregard the
number of officials working in the horizontal services linked with the development of new energies and
demand management. Their work includes the following activities: financial management and control,
environment, technological development and dissemination and utilisation of the results of programmes
and technologies.

The delays in payments are not connected with the merger. For instance, the backlog of Altener contracts
and payments dates back to July 1999, therefore predating the reorganisation.

Quite the contrary, the merger of the Energy and Transport directorates-general has made it possible to
remedy this situation. A detailed list of payments was compiled, showing that at the end of February 2000
there were nearly 1200 financial transactions pending, relating to various Energy programmes including
for renewable energy. A task force was set up early March 2000 to catch up. To date, more than
750 transactions have been settled and 200 transactions are in abeyance pending additional information
from the contractor; evaluation of the balance will be completed shortly. In the coming weeks, work will
continue to regularise the situation so as to eliminate any remaining delays as soon as possible;

In order to prevent such situations arising in the future, new financial procedures have been put in place
within the directorate-general. They are based in particular on decentralisation of
the expenditure
authorisation process at directorate level, making it possible to shorten the administrative circuit and
strengthen the central function of financial control.

(2001/C 53 E/242)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1767/00

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Abduction of child, an EU national, by his Lebanese father

(31 May 2000)

the
The Greek Foreign Ministry and the Greek public have been deeply concerned recently about
abduction of the son of Mrs Alexandra Tzana, a Greek national, by his Lebanese father, Zak Serafim, and
the illegal detention of the child somewhere in Lebanon. The child(cid:146)s mother has appealed to the Foreign
Ministry to have her son, Emiliano Serafim, returned. Mrs Tzana has sole custody of her child by virtue of
judgment No 1231/1999 of the Athens Court of First Instance, which became final on 2 February 2000.
However, despite the fact that the child is a Greek national and the detention of the child in Lebanon by
his father is totally illegal, the father consistently refuses to return him to his mother.

Does the Commission believe it can assist in any way, on the basis of Community legislation or specific
agreements with Lebanon (e.g. by making representations to the Lebanese authorities or by taking other
measures through its departments), to ensure that the child is returned immediately to his legal guardian,
his mother? Is so, in what way can it assist and what does it propose to do in practical terms?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(24 July 2000)

The Commission is aware of cases such as that cited by the Honourable Member occuring in several
countries in the region, in which a child is taken by one parent against the wishes of the other parent, and
in defiance of court orders. There are now other similar cases in Lebanon affecting Member States(cid:146)
nationals.

C 53 E/188

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.2.2001

Relations between Lebanon and the Community are governed by the 1975 co-operation agreement, which
essentially sets out trade and economic arrangements between the partners. It does not cover such issues as
human rights,
legal obligations of a civil nature, or humanitarian issues. The Euro-Med association
agreement which would normally cover those issues, is still under negotiation.

These cases are normally taken up on a bilateral basis between the Member State authorities and the
Lebanese authorites. The case cited by the Honourable Member is also of a bilateral nature and therefore it
should be pursued through the usual diplomatic and legal channels between the two states concerned.

(2001/C 53 E/243)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1790/00

by Mauro Nobilia (UEN) to the Commission

(8 June 2000)

Subject: Mutual recognition by building societies

Article 37 of Italian Law No 109/94 provided that (cid:145)the social partners concerned(cid:146) were to enter into an
appropriate agreement by 5 March 1995 to encourage workers(cid:146) mobility through mutual recognition of
the payments made by workers to the various building societies.

The above article provided that in the absence of such an agreement
the building societies would
automatically mutually recognise all (cid:145)rights, payments, allowances and benefits to which workers have
become entitled with the institutions of which they are members(cid:146).

Pursuant to Law No 415/98, the deadline laid down in the previous law for concluding the mutual
recognition agreement was extended to 16 May 1999.

In the interval between the two above-mentioned laws, the Sardinian and Sicilian Confederations of Craft
Industries and Trades set up with the trade union confederation UGL (Unione Generale di Lavoro (cid:129)
General Workers(cid:146) Union) two regional building societies for the craft industries giving workers who were
members of them exactly the same rights as those of the other building societies in strict application of all
the provisions laid down by the national collective bargaining agreement for that sector.

On 18 December 1998, at the instigation of the Ministry of Labour, the ANCE (Associazione Nazionale
Costruttori Edili (cid:129) National association of building contractors), the craft industries confederations and the
CGIL (Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro (cid:129) Italian general workers(cid:146) confederation), the Interna-
tional Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the UIL (Unione Italiana del Lavoro (cid:129) Italian workers(cid:146)
union) signed the agreement originally provided for by Law 109/94 excluding the UGL and the above-
mentioned regional confederations of craft industries and trades.

In July 1999 Under-Secretary Viviani called another meeting of
the above-mentioned parties and
confirmed the exclusion of the UGL and the Sardinian and Sicilian Confederations of Craft Industries and
Trades.

On 9 September 1999, at the end of the above meeting, another agreement was entered into in which the
Ministry of Labour (cid:145)takes note of the resulting obligation on the part of the organisations which have not
signed the protocol of 18 December 1998 to complete by means of similar provisions the implementation
of the mutual recognition agreements between the respective joint bodies by 30 September 1999(cid:146).

Up to now, neither the UGL nor the Sardinian and Sicilian Confederations of Craft Industries and Trades
have been called to a meeting.