WRITTEN QUESTION P-2420/00 by Jeffrey Titford (EDD) to the Council. Europol and European Union Police force.
Date: 2000-07-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU national, EU police cooperation, Europol, common foreign and security policy, exchange of information, staff regulations (EU)

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(2001/C 113 E/091)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2406/00

by Helena Torres Marques (PSE) to the Commission

(7 July 2000)

Subject: Enlargement: Poland(cid:146)s position on women(cid:146)s rights and equal opportunities

At the UN(cid:146)s Special Session held from 5 to 9 June 2000 under the title (cid:145)Women 2000: Gender Equality,
Development and Peace for the Twenty-first Century(cid:146), the Portuguese Minister for Equality, representing
the EU(cid:146)s Presidency-in-Office, spoke on behalf, not only of the fifteen existing Member States, but also of
all the applicant countries, with the one exception of Poland.

On the initiative of Parliament(cid:146)s Committee on Women(cid:146)s Rights and Equal Opportunities, meetings were
held in New York, with the support of the Council and Commission, bringing together the women MEPs
present as well as national parliamentarians from the fifteen Member States and the applicant countries,
with the aim of reaching an understanding of circumstances in Poland and reminding the Poles of the need
to accept the acquis communautaire in its entirety, including those parts of it that relate to equality and
women(cid:146)s rights. The replies received were highly negative and disturbing.

Can the Commission state whether the enlargement talks with Poland have included discussion of the
acquis communautaire in relation to women(cid:146)s rights or of the prospects opened up by the Treaty of
Amsterdam? Can it also state what positions Poland has adopted in the course of these negotiations with
the Commission?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(28 July 2000)

The Commission confirms that the acquis in relation to women(cid:146)s rights and equal opportunities is
discussed in the context of accession negotiations with the candidate countries, including Poland. Equality
of treatment for men and women is indeed an important area covered by negotiations under chapter 13,
social policy and employment. Poland accepts the acquis and has not requested any transitional periods in
this area. Consequently, Poland is expected to be able to meet its declared objective to implement the
related acquis by 31 December 2002. The Commission has not received any information from Poland
indicating changes in this respect.

As a matter of principle in the negotiations, the Community underlines the importance of the social
dimension as reinforced under the Amsterdam Treaty, and emphasises that from the date of accession,
timely and complete transposition and implementation of the social policy and employment acquis will be
it should be noted, that as regards equality of treatment for women and men,
required. In addition,
particular attention is given to practical aspects of actual enforcement of these rights, such as effective
access to information on existing legal rights and number of discrimination cases going to the Court of
Justice.

The Commission continues to follow progress in transposition and implementation of the acquis in this
area, as well as the development and strengthening of related institutions. This monitoring will continue
throughout the whole negotiating process.

(2001/C 113 E/092)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2420/00

by Jeffrey Titford (EDD) to the Council

(11 July 2000)

Subject: Europol and European Union Police force

Can the Council answer the following questions:

1. What is the current number of police officers employed by Europol?

2. How many of those Europol officers are British subjects?

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3. What is the annual salary of:

(a)

the head of Europol?

(b)

the officers?

4. How many support staff does Europol have (i.e. non-police officers)?

5. What are all the powers available to Europol officers?

6. What are the full details of their immunity from prosecution?

7. Are Europol officers able to murder people whilst on duty and be immune from subsequent

prosecution?

8. What are the full details of the proposed number of officers, and support staff, involved in the planned

Police Rapid Reaction Unit of the European Union?

9. What is the purpose of the Rapid Reaction Unit?

10. Will this new European Union police force have any authority to intervene in any matter within the

European Union?

11. Who does the head of this new European Union police force report to?

12. What control does the United Kingdom government have over the deployment of this police force?

Reply

(30 November 2000)

The Council(cid:146)s reply to the Honourable Member(cid:146)s questions is as follows:

(a)

It should from the outset be underlined that Europol has no operational powers. Article 3 of the
Europol Convention clearly limits the tasks of Europol to supporting the Member States by providing
intelligence and technical support. Europol and its employees therefore do not have the power to take
operational action in the Member States (such as arresting suspects).

In general terms, the principal task of Europol may be described as follows: through the national units
set up by the Member States, it receives information from the Member States and analyses it. The
results of such analysis are notified to the Member States. Europol does not have the power to take
any operational action for information gathering purposes, nor can it take operational action on the
basis of the data it receives.

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

In answer to questions 1, 2 and 4 the Council wishes to inform the Honourable Member that, given
the tasks of Europol as described above, Europol employees are not police officers. All staff employed
by Europol have a support function for the police forces in the Member States. Europol(cid:146)s total staff
complement in 2001 will be 230. Article 30 of the Europol Convention clearly provides that all the
staff members of Europol shall be guided in their actions by the objectives and tasks of Europol and
shall neither seek nor accept orders from any government, authority, organisation or person outside
Europol.

In answer to questions 5, 6 and 7 the Council would refer the Honourable Member to the points
made in a) above. It should be added that any action by Europol employees outside the scope of
Europol(cid:146)s competence is not covered by the Protocol on the privileges and immunities of Europol, the
members of its organs, the deputy directors and employees (1).

In answer to question 3 the Council would inform the Honourable Member that the Staff Regulations
applicable to all Europol employees (including the Director) have been published (2).

In answer to questions 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 the Council would point out to the Honourable Member
that, at its meeting on 19/20 June 2000 in Santa Maria da Feira, the European Council welcomed the
identification of priority areas for targets in civilian aspects of crisis management and of specific
targets for civilian police capabilities with respect to potential external action by the Union in
the context of the common European security and defence policy. In particular, Member States,

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cooperating voluntarily, have undertaken that by 2003 they will be able to provide up to 5 000 police
officers for international missions across the range of conflict prevention and crisis management
operations. Member States have also undertaken to be able to identify and deploy up to 1 000 police
officers within 30 days. The participation of
the Member States in crisis
management operations conducted by the Union must not in present circumstances be confused
with the proposal, submitted by the Commission and now under scrutiny by the Council, for a (cid:145)rapid
reaction facility(cid:146). The European Council invited the French Presidency, together with the Secretary
General/High Representative, to carry work forward within the General Affairs Council on this subject,
and to submit an overall Presidency report to the European Council
in Nice in December 2000,
including information on the development and implementation of EU capabilities in civilian aspects of
crisis management.

the police forces of

(1) OJ C 221, 19.7.1997, p. 1.
(2) OJ C 26, 30.1.1999, p. 23.

(2001/C 113 E/093)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2431/00

by Gorka Kn(cid:246)rr Borr(cid:224)s (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(18 July 2000)

Subject: Peoples

What is the Commission(cid:146)s interpretation of (cid:145)peoples(cid:146), within the meaning of Articles 151, 189 and 190 of
the EC Treaty? In the case of the Spanish State, does it correspond to that which the Spanish Constitution
recognises as (cid:145)nationalities(cid:146)?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(29 September 2000)

In the provisions referred to by the Honourable Member, as in other provisions (see in particular the first
recital of the Preamble to the EC Treaty), the term (cid:145)European peoples(cid:146) or (cid:145)peoples of the Member States(cid:146) is
general and refers to the population of the Member States making up the Community.

The Commission considers that the authors of the Treaties used the word (cid:145)peoples(cid:146) throughout to refer to
the people holding the nationality of a Member State, namely the citizens of the Union.

(2001/C 113 E/094)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2435/00

by Giorgio Celli (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(19 July 2000)

Subject: Death of dolphins at Gardaland

There have been reports of a number of deaths among the bottle-nosed dolphins (Tursiops truncata) kept
at the dolphinarium at the Gardaland amusement park (Verona, Italy).

These dolphins apparently take part in a show designed for public entertainment that is repeated five times
each day, which may have put their lives at risk.

It should be remembered that these animals are protected under the Convention of Washington of 3 March
1973 (CITES), which has been incorporated into its law by the European Union (Council Regulation EC/
3626/82 (1) and Commission Regulation EC/3418/83 (2). The EU has also adopted Council Regulation EC/
338/97 (3) of 9 December 1996 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade
therein. Subsequently, on 26 May 1997, the EU adopted Commission Regulation (EC) 939/97 (4) laying
down detailed rules concerning the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) 338/97.