WRITTEN QUESTION E-2052/00 by Jeffrey Titford (EDD) to the Council. Banning of political parties.
Date: 2000-06-27
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Union, freedom of assembly, freedom of association, intergovernmental conference (EU), political parties

13.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/133

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(15 September 2000)

In its original version, Article 6(3) of Directive 79/112/EEC (1) stipulated:
(cid:145)In the case of beverages
containing more than 1,2 % by volume of alcohol,
from the
Commission, shall, before the expiry of a period of four years following notification of this Directive,
determine the rules for labelling ingredients and, possibly, indicating the alcoholic strength.(cid:146)

the Council, acting on a proposal

The reason for this lies in the particular nature of these products, which makes it impossible to apply to
them the provisions as set out in the Directive regarding the listing of ingredients in foodstuffs in general.

The Commission consequently submitted to the Council, in October 1982, an initial proposal requiring
the labelling of alcoholic beverages to indicate the alcoholic strength and the list of ingredients. The part of
the proposal relating to the listing of ingredients failed to obtain approval. It was resurrected in a new
proposal submitted to the Council in April 1992, but once again failed to obtain a qualified majority.

A new proposal was therefore submitted by the Commission to Parliament and the Council in February
1997 (2). In the wake of Parliament(cid:146)s examination of this proposal at first reading in February 1999, the
Commission submitted an amended proposal to the Council in July 1999 (3).

The Council has not yet examined this latest proposal. The Commission shares the Honourable Member(cid:146)s
view that consumers should be more amply informed about the ingredients in alcoholic beverages.

Nevertheless, bearing in mind the difficulties of achieving harmonisation in this area, Member States may,
while adhering to the rules of the EC Treaty, adopt national measures requiring ingredients to be listed for
certain alcoholic beverages which are not subject to specific Community labelling legislation.

(1) Council Directive 79/112/EEC of 18 December 1978 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States
relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs for sale to the ultimate consumer (OJ L 33,
8.2.1979), Directive codified by Directive 2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 March
2000 (OJ L 109, 6.5.2000).

(2) OJ C 106, 4.4.1997.
(3) COM(1999) 339 final.

(2001/C 81 E/161)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2052/00

by Jeffrey Titford (EDD) to the Council

(27 June 2000)

Subject: Banning of political parties

My attention has been drawn to the draft European Charter of Fundamental Rights. Article 17 is headed
(cid:145)Freedom of Assembly and Association(cid:146), and speaks of (cid:145)the right to peaceful assembly, including the right
to form and to join trade unions or political parties(cid:146).

My Party supports all of that Article, believing that in any society there must be the strongest possible
guarantees of the right to peaceful assembly, the right to form and join trade unions, and the right to form
political parties.

Yet the European Parliament recently approved proposals to be discussed at the Inter-governmental
Conference later this year, to take powers to ban political parties, like J(cid:246)rg Haider(cid:146)s Freedom Party in
Austria. Please inform me how the European Union can consider banning any political party when to do
so would be a fundamental breach of the proposed Article 17 of the proposed European Charter?

Will the Council of Ministers now drop any proposals to ban political parties in the European Union?

C 81 E/134

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.3.2001

Reply

(10 October 2000)

The question put by the Honourable Member has never been discussed by the Council.

(2001/C 81 E/162)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2056/00

by Adriana Poli Bortone (UEN) to the Commission

Subject: Illegal immigration from the Balkans to Puglia

(27 June 2000)

For many years now, illegal immigrants (cid:129) mostly from the Balkan countries (cid:129) have been landing on the
coasts of Puglia, with all that that involves in terms of crime (arms and drugs trafficking, prostitution
rackets), security and the economy (including serious damage to the tourist industry).

The immigrants are travelling by any means available, including rubber dinghies and unsafe vessels which
endanger the lives of passengers (particularly women and children) and crew.

Can the Commission state whether it intends to expand maritime and air transport services between Puglia
and the European countries, particularly the Balkan countries, not least with a view to reducing the extent
of the traffic in illegal immigrants?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(19 September 2000)

The Commission would like to point out that, without prejudice to Article 80 (2) (ex Article 84) of the EC
Treaty, the issue of expanding maritime and air transport services between Puglia and the Balkan countries
is for the Italian authorities, and not for the Commission, to decide.

Moreover, as far as illegal immigration from the Balkans to Puglia is concerned, the Commission is of the
view that it is not because of lack of sufficient transport capacity that so many immigrants choose to use
organised criminal networks in order to be smuggled, under dangerous circumstances, to the coasts of
Puglia.

Accordingly, the Commission does not intend to suggest expanding maritime and air transport services
between Puglia and the Balkan countries.

(2001/C 81 E/163)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2060/00

by Arlindo Cunha (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(27 June 2000)

Subject: Contracts under the TACIS, PHARE, MED, FED and AL (cid:129) Asia and Latin America programmes

In view of the significance of the EU(cid:146)s development cooperation with a large number of third countries,
can the Commission provide information on the evolution of the award of contracts to undertakings by