WRITTEN QUESTION P-2161/00 by Marco Cappato (TDI) to the Council. Religious freedom in Greece.
Date: 2000-06-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Buddhism, Greece, application of EU law, religious discrimination

20.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 89 E/155

(2001/C 89 E/172)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2154/00

by Ioannis Mar(cid:237)nos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Community funding in northern Cyprus

(22 June 2000)

Could the Commission state whether its departments have looked at
Community funding directly to municipalities,
located in the northern sector of Cyprus, illegally occupied by the Turkish army?

the possibility of providing
local authorities and non-governmental organisations

In the Commission(cid:146)s view, would it be possible for such a practice to be adopted without
the
internationally recognised government of the Republic of Cyprus being asked for its opinion and giving
its consent?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(20 July 2000)

Since 1974, Cyprus has suffered from a de facto division. This has meant, it has been impossible for the
Commission to finance directly organisations such as those mentioned by the Honourable Member.
However, the Commission has been constantly aware of the need to do all
it can to bring the two
communities closer together and (supported by the Parliament) in its annual budgetary allocations, a
proportion of the financial assistance to Cyprus has regularly been earmarked for bi-communal activities.

The political tension on the island in the period between the Luxembourg and Helsinki European Council
meetings made it very difficult to implement bi-communal schemes under the fourth financial protocol.
Despite this, however two successful conferences were organised outside the island between trade unionists
and womens(cid:146) groups coming from the two communities.

Since the signing of the new financial protocol
in March 2000, € 3 million will be devoted to bi-
communal projects. The money will be used this year to restore part of the architectural and historic
centre of Nicosia on both sides of the (cid:145)green line(cid:146). The money will be channelled through the United
Nations project known as the (cid:145)Nicosia Master Plan(cid:146), which has been running for some years and
has involved the active participation of the Mayor of Nicosia and his counterpart in the northern section
of the city.

(2001/C 89 E/173)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2161/00

by Marco Cappato (TDI) to the Council

(22 June 2000)

Subject: Religious freedom in Greece

Ms Chara Kalomiri, a Greek citizen, is at the centre of a legal saga which raises disturbing doubts as to
whether freedom of religion is being respected in Greece. She was reported by the Mount Athos
authorities for having led, from September 1994 to March 1995, a (cid:145)centre for practical psychological
philosophy(cid:146) in the Chalkidiki peninsula. She was sentenced by a Greek lower court in 1997; this sentence
was quashed by the Supreme Court, but a retrial led to her being sentenced over again. The judges justified
their verdict on the grounds that the (cid:145)place of Buddhist worship devoted to meditation(cid:146) had not received
the mandatory authorisation of the Ministry for Education and Religion, which is granted after the
Orthodox hierarchy has given its opinion.

Does the Council not consider that, given that respect for religious freedom is a fundamental right of the
individual and a principle common to all the Member States, action should be taken under Articles 6 and
7 of the TEU or Article 13 of the EC Treaty, as a matter of urgency, to put an end to all violations of
human rights and fundamental freedoms and all forms of discrimination related to religious freedom, with
particular attention being paid to Greece?

C 89 E/156

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.3.2001

Reply

(23 October 2000)

The question raised by the Honourable Member, which concerns facts, decisions and judgements which are
purely domestic in nature, does not fall within the competence of the European Union.

The right of freedom of religion or belief, which is embodied in the European Convention for the
Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and as results from the constitutional traditions
common to the Member States, does form part of the general principles of Community Law (Article 6 of
the TEU) (1). However, this provision of the Treaty applies only in situations covered by Community or
Union law.

(1)

Judgement of 27 October 1976, Case 130/75, Prais, ECR 1976 p. 1589.

(2001/C 89 E/174)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2177/00

by Jaime Valdivielso de CuØ (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(7 July 2000)

Subject: Fisheries

The Commission has adopted a technical procedure for the purpose of setting a final figure for anchovy
catches in the Bay of Biscay.

Although the figure set for the 1999 season was 33 000 tonnes, the Commission proposed reducing it to
5 000 tonnes for the year 2000 in order to allow anchovy stocks in the area to recover.

Finally, the Commission increased the quantity of anchovy which could be caught during the current
season to 16 000 tonnes, with the possibility of a further increase (to 33 000 tonnes) to be decided upon
at the forthcoming Fisheries Council meeting on 16 June if the quantity of anchovies of breeding age
exceeds 36 000 tonnes.

What scientific data have been obtained as regards the population of adult anchovies in the Bay of Biscay?
Will the increase go ahead in the light of those data?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(28 July 2000)

A subgroup of the Commission(cid:146)s scientific, technical and economic committee for fisheries has completed
an analysis including new information from two research vessel surveys in the Bay of Biscay during spring
of this year. The analysis revealed that the abundance of spawning anchovy is higher than had previously
been expected and is close to 50 000 tons. For this reason, the Fisheries Council of 16 June 2000 agreed to
increase the total allowable catch (TAC) for anchovy to 33000 tons which is the same as the TACs of
recent years.

(2001/C 89 E/175)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2178/00

by Jaime Valdivielso de CuØ (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(7 July 2000)

Subject: Fisheries

On 16 May 2000 the Commission sent France a second (cid:145)reasoned opinion(cid:146). The first had been sent out in
1996 on account of France(cid:146)s failure to monitor the size of its fishing catches, particularly of hake.