WRITTEN QUESTION E-1995/00 by Cecilia Malmström (ELDR) to the Council. Coptic minority in Egypt.
Date: 2000-06-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Egypt, Union for the Mediterranean, democratisation, human rights, religious discrimination, religious group, the EU's international role

18.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 113 E/55

If so, what measures will the Council take on the basis of this information? If not, what will the

4.
Council do to investigate these events?

5. What is the Council doing to facilitate, press for and speed up the implementation of the Nairobi
Peace Accord, signed in December between Uganda and Sudan, and of the Amnesty Bill, passed by the
Ugandan Parliament in December but suffering from serious delays?

6.
Is the Council aware of the presence in some Member States of (cid:145)representatives(cid:146) of the LRA, guilty of
the most serious abuses against children anywhere in the world, who seem to be travelling unhindered
within and outside the European Union? If so, what concrete actions is the Council going to take to stop
these people from operating and mobilising support in these Member States?

Reply

(20 November 2000)

The Council is aware of the serious human rights violations being perpetrated in Northern Uganda and
Southern Sudan and remains particularly attentive to the fate of the children kidnapped by the Lord(cid:146)s
Resistance Army (LRA).

The Council holds that the only solution to this human tragedy is to be found in a long-term improvement
in relations between the States of the region and a lasting solution to the conflict in the North of Uganda.
The European Union accordingly issued a statement on 31 January 2000 in which it urged the Sudanese
and Ugandan authorities to abide by the provisions of the agreement signed on 8 December 1999. It called
on both parties to renounce any military action, to cease military or logistical support to any rebel groups
in each other(cid:146)s territories and to end the climate of hostility that has caused immense suffering to the
civilian population.

In addition, the Union has reopened political dialogue with Sudan, in which framework it continues to
urge the Sudanese authorities to work towards the normalisation of relations with Sudan(cid:146)s neighbours and
to respect international human rights law. Initial results in this area have been positive.

As regards the possibility that (cid:145)representatives(cid:146) of the LRA may be present in certain Member States, the
Council regrets that it is unable to confirm or deny the Honourable Members(cid:146) assertion.

(2001/C 113 E/051)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1995/00

by Cecilia Malmstr(cid:246)m (ELDR) to the Council

(21 June 2000)

Subject: Coptic minority in Egypt

Egypt(cid:146)s Christian minority continues to suffer from societal discrimination as well as occasional outbreaks
of violent persecution. Some forms of discrimination are enshrined in unjust legal provisions, such as the
outmoded Hamayouni Decree which still requires Christian congregations to submit petitions for the
building of new churches to the President. Others are merely the result of government practice, for
example the omission of the Coptic era of Egyptian history from the school curriculum and the inadequate
representation of Copts at senior levels of government.

Is the Council aware of the suffering of Egypt(cid:146)s Coptic minority and of the denial of genuine religious
freedom in that country? What representations does it intend to make to the Egyptian authorities on this
subject as part of the Euro-Mediterranean process?

C 113 E/56

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2001

Reply

(20 November 2000)

1.
The outbreak of sectarian violence and murder suffered by the Coptic community in Upper Egypt,
especially in El-Khosheh, has been discussed several times by Council bodies, which are continuing to
monitor the situation closely. The Council is aware of the fact that, as is the case for all other religious
communities, under Law No 40 of 1977, Copts are denied the right to form their own political parties.
Moreover, the Council is aware of the 1980 amendment to the Egyptian Constitution and have taken note
of the fact that the 1981 Emergency Law is often invoked in arrests.

2.
As one of the 27 signatories to the Barcelona declaration, Egypt has committed itself to observing a
number of principles in the area of human rights, most notably the following: to act in accordance with
the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as other obligations
under international law; to develop the rule of law and democracy in its political system; to respect human
rights and fundamental freedoms and guarantee the effective,
legitimate exercise of such rights and
freedoms, including freedom of expression, freedom of association for peaceful purposes and freedom of
thought, conscience and religion, both individually and together with other members of the same group,
without any discrimination on grounds of race, nationality, language, religion or sex, and to respect and
ensure respect for diversity and pluralism in its society, and promote tolerance between different groups in
society. The Euro-Mediterranean Charter on Peace and Stability, which is still being drafter, could include
if adopted at the fourth Ministerial Euro-Mediterranean Conference in
some of these principles and,
Marseilles in November, would further emphasise the importance of respect
for human rights and
democracy.

The other main framework for discussion on progress of human rights and democracy is that formed
3.
by the Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreements. These provide that respect for democratic principles
and fundamental human rights constitutes (cid:145)an essential element(cid:146) of the agreements. Negotiations on a
Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement with Egypt were concluded last year, and the Agreement is
expected to be signed in the very near future. Once in force, the Agreement should institutionalise political
dialogue between the European Union and Egypt, especially on the subject of human rights. Article2 of the
future Agreement stipulates that the relations between the parties, as well as all the provisions of the
Agreement itself, shall be based on respect of democratic principles and fundamental human rights, as set
out in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, which guides their internal and international policy.
Even before the Association Agreement with Egypt is in force, the EU will continue to take every
opportunity at different levels to remind Egypt of its concern about the human rights situation and of
the need to respect fundamental freedoms. Most recently, the Union has voiced serious concern to the
Egyptian authorities regarding the arrest of Dr Saadeddin Ibrahim.

(2001/C 113 E/052)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2017/00

by Jan-Kees Wiebenga (ELDR) to the Council

(22 June 2000)

Subject: Unintentional legalisation of trafficking in PMK and XTC

In the Dutch version of Annex I to Commission Directive 93/46/EEC (1) of 22 June 1993 replacing and
modifying the Annexes to Council Directive 92/109/EEC (2) on the manufacture and placing on the market
of certain substances used in the illicit manufacture of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, the
word (cid:145)3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl propan-2-one(cid:146) is replaced with the word (cid:145)3,4- (methylenedioxy) phenyl-
propane(cid:146). 3,4 methylenedioxyphenyl propan-2-one and 3,4 (methylenedioxy) phenylpropane are not one
and the same substance. 3,4 methylenedioxyphenyl propan-2-one, also known as PMK, is the base material
for the hard drug XTC. Details are given on pages 1 068-1 069 of the Nederlands Juristen Blad of 26 May
2000, and in an article in De Telegraaf of 29 May 2000.