WRITTEN QUESTION E-2397/00 by Lucio Manisco (GUE/NGL), Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE), Elena Paciotti (PSE) and Giovanni Fava (PSE) to the Commission. Trade in human organs removed from persons sentenced to death in the People's Republic of China.
Date: 2000-07-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: China, EU relations, death penalty, human rights, prisoner, trade in organs

C 113 E/88

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2001

(cid:129) What are the time limits for the Commission to take a decision on this case?

(cid:129) What other counter measures against the Murcian region and to protect the site is the Commission

considering next?

(cid:129) Is the Commission aware of planting projects in the Saladres de Guadalent(cid:237)n wetlands, which are also
included in the LIFE project, leading to destruction of the natural vegetation, which in Directive 92/
43/EEC on habitats (3) is said to be of priority interest? What measures does the Commission intend to
take to ensure that the site is restored and the damage neutralised, seeing that the Spanish authorities
have proposed it as a site of Community importance?

(1) OJ C 303 E, 24.10.2000, p. 147.
(2) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(3 October 2000)

The Murcia region has received funding under this Life-Nature project but has not answered the letters
requesting further information. The Commission thus feels that it must ask that the Life-Nature funding
provided for that site, and also that for Saladares de Guadalentin, also mentioned by the Honourable
Member, be refunded.

Under Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds, the Commission
has decided to bring an action against Spain before the Court of Justice as a result of poor implementation
in the Murcia region.

Conversely it is not incumbent upon the Commission to investigate (cid:145)the silences of a regional administra-
tion(cid:146),
(cid:145)shortcomings in the procedures taking place(cid:146) on a specific site or concerning compensation for
damage. The Honourable Member is invited to contact the national authorities responsible for implement-
ing the (cid:145)Nature(cid:146) Directives within their Member States.

The Commission has asked the Spanish authorities concerned for selecting projects and managing
European funding whether the project mentioned by the Honourable Member has been co-financed
under the Structural Funds.

(2001/C 113 E/087)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2397/00

by Lucio Manisco (GUE/NGL), Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE),
Elena Paciotti (PSE) and Giovanni Fava (PSE) to the Commission

(18 July 2000)

Subject: Trade in human organs removed from persons sentenced to death in the People(cid:146)s Republic of

China

In a report from Malaysia published on 15 June 2000 in the International Herald Tribune, the respected
journalist Thomas Fuller describes how in the People(cid:146)s Republic of China trade in organs removed from
young persons sentenced to death and summarily executed is continuing under the most inhuman
conditions and in Malaysia alone more than a thousand patients have travelled to Chinese state clinics
and obtained kidney transplants at prices ranging from USD 10 000 to 12 000. According to Fuller, the
methods used for the executions (cid:129) a pistol shot to the back of the neck (cid:129) makes these transplants
particularly desirable as the organs removed are not damaged. These barbaric practices, which apparently
include choosing the victim and date of an execution to meet the (cid:145)demand(cid:146) for organs, have previously
been documented and condemned by Human Rights Watch, humanitarian organisations and international
bodies. These appalling practices, of which rich European patients have apparently also taken advantage,
were condemned in a European Parliament resolution of 14 May 1998 (Resolution B4-0496/98) (1), which
called on the Commission and Council to make representations to the People(cid:146)s Republic of China with a
view to ending the trade in human organs.

18.4.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 113 E/89

As a supporter of China(cid:146)s entry into the World Trade Organisation, albeit subject to the human
1.
rights clause, does the Commission not think that the sense of horror generated throughout the world by
these inhuman practices is a serious obstacle to any further normalisation of relations with the People(cid:146)s
Republic of China?

2. Will the Commission specify what measures it has taken or intends to take vis-(cid:224)-vis the authorities of
the People(cid:146)s Republic of China, the United Nations and the World Trade Organisation to end the trade in
human organs removed from persons sentenced to death?

3. Will the Commission inform the European Parliament what has been done to implement the
measures called for in its resolution of 14 May 1998 and with what results?

(1) OJ C 167, 1.6.1998, p. 224.

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(12 September 2000)

The Commission shares the concerns of the Honourable Members over the trade in human organs.
Unfortunately, this is a global problem not restricted to China. There are numerous alleged incidents
reported every year, but it is extremely difficult to establish facts about any individual cases.

The Honourable Members will recall that on 25 May 1998, the Chinese Ambassador to the Communities
wrote to the President of the Parliament, following the Parliament(cid:146)s adoption, on 14 May 1998, of two
resolutions that, inter alia, concerned China(cid:146)s alleged involvement in trading in human organs. In his letter,
the Chinese Ambassador stated (cid:145)Any form of trade in human organs is in direct violation of Chinese Law
and is strictly prohibited by the Chinese Government(cid:146).

In view of the Chinese Ambassador(cid:146)s unequivocal statement about the Chinese Government(cid:146)s position on
this issue, and without any hard evidence to the contrary, the Commission has not yet raised the issue with
the Chinese authorities.

In the
Should any hard evidence come to light, the Commission will certainly take up the matter.
meantime, the Commission is continuing to study what actions the United Nations and the international
community can take to ban this inhuman trade.

The Commission continues to pursue its human rights dialogue with China in order to obtain tangible
improvements to the human rights situation in China. The Chinese Prime Minister re-affirmed the
importance of this dialogue to China, when he visited the Commission on 11 July this year.

(2001/C 113 E/088)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2399/00

by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Council

(24 July 2000)

Subject: Delay in the replacement of the former Mayor of Terni by the Mayor of Asti on the Committee of

the Regions

In February 2000 Mr Luigi Florio, who is currently a Member of the European Parliament and Mayor of
Asti, was appointed by the ANCI national leadership to the European Union(cid:146)s Committee of the Regions to
replace the former Mayor of Terni, Professor Gianfranco Ciaurro.

However, Mr Florio has not yet received any formal notice of his appointment as a member of the
Committee of the Regions.