WRITTEN QUESTION E-2399/00 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Council. Delay in the replacement of the former Mayor of Terni by the Mayor of Asti on the Committee of the Regions.
Date: 2000-07-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Committee of the Regions, appointment of staff, local government

18.4.2001

EN

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.

C 113 E/90

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2001

Can the Council explain the reasons for this serious and culpable delay?

Will it say what obstacles are preventing the appointment from being made official?

Will it say when Mr Florio is likely to be able to take up his duties at the Committee?

Reply

(16 November 2000)

Under Article 263 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, the members of the Committee of
the Regions are appointed by the Council, acting on a proposal from the Member State concerned. The
General Secretariat received Italy(cid:146)s proposal to appoint Mr Florio in place of Mr Ciaurro by letter dated
2 June 2000. On 26 June 2000 the Council appointed Mr Florio a member of the Committee of the
Regions (1). By letter dated 27 June 2000 the General Secretariat of the Council informed the Chairman of
the Committee of the Regions of Mr Florio(cid:146)s appointment.

(1) Council Decision published in OJ L 164, 5.7.2000, p. 17.

(2001/C 113 E/089)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2400/00

by Mauro Nobilia (UEN) to the Commission

(18 July 2000)

Subject: Telecom Italia SpA

Considering that:

(cid:129) in March 2000 the company Telecom Italia SpA opened the procedure for using the income support

fund ((cid:145)cassa integrazione(cid:146)) to lay off and redeploy 7500 of its employees;

(cid:129) these social support payments are made by a public welfare body, and thus by the state;

(cid:129) Telecom Italia SpA is a private company in which the Italian state has a major shareholding;

(cid:129) until recently the company has benefited from funding from the ERDF (European Regional Develop-
ment Fund) which has been used for the preparation and construction of numerous infrastructures
including network modernisation and cabling;

(cid:129) it has also received funding from the ESF (European Social Fund) to set up various vocational training

centres.

Will the Commission say:

(cid:129) whether the above information is true?

(cid:129) will it ascertain whether the opening of this procedure, which is shortly to be implemented, is in
breach of the rules and principles governing the use of Community structural funds in that the latter
are designed to create jobs or at least maintain employment?

(cid:129) will it take steps, if necessary, to ensure that when considering future requests for Community funds
from Telecom Italia SpA, due account is taken of the fact that the company seems to have paid no
heed whatsoever to the goals of increasing and maintaining employment.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(9 October 2000)

On a general level, the Commission regrets that the restructuring of Telecom Italia S.p.A. has resulted in
such a large number of workers being laid off, affecting not just the 7 500 workers themselves, but also