WRITTEN QUESTION E-2373/00 by Dana Scallon (PPE-DE) to the Council. Child soldiers and small arms in African conflicts.
Date: 2000-07-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: application of EU law, arms trade, child protection, competence of the Member States

22.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 151 E/3

(2001/C 151 E/003)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2373/00

by Dana Scallon (PPE-DE) to the Council

(24 July 2000)

Subject: Child soldiers and small arms in African conflicts

There are horrific stories of the devastation caused by the use of small arms and the destruction of a
generation of children through conscription into armies, both unofficial and official.

It is estimated that up to 300 000 children world wide, and 120 000 in Africa alone, are serving as
combatants in government armed forces or armed opposition groups.

Unfortunately, many of the arms used are manufactured in Europe and traded from Europe, sometimes
through by-passing the code of conduct on Arms Exports adopted in 1998.

How can the Council ensure a more stringent and binding application of the EU code in each country of
the Union?

Can the Council give more particular attention to the criteria and operative provisions at the yearly review
of this code, most of all for criteria 1, 3, 7, and operative provisions 8 and 11?

Reply

(22 December 2000)

The Council

is constantly concerned by the destabilising accumulation of small arms and light
1.
weapons and their devastating effects on child soldiers enrolled in official and unofficial armies. The Code
of Conduct on arms exports adopted on 8 June 1998 is directed towards establishing high common
standards to be regarded by all Member States as a minimum for the control of conventional arms
transfers. The Code is also aimed at strengthening the exchange of relevant information with a view to
greater transparency.

2.
Arms exportation policies and application of the Code are the responsibility of the Member States,
which take decisions authorising or refusing arms transfers on the basis of the Code. The Member States
are, however, obliged to exchange information each year, within the Council, on their arms exports. An
annual report is prepared on that basis, allowing a joint evaluation of implementation of the Code and in
particular of the application of each of the criteria contained therein.

(2001/C 151 E/004)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2377/00

by Mar(cid:237)a Valenciano Mart(cid:237)nez-Orozco (PSE) to the Commission

(13 July 2000)

Subject: Communication on the Community strategy for equality between men and women (2001-2005)

and the proposal for a directive on sexual harassment in the workplace

On 7 June 2000 the Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, Anna Diamantopoulou, announced
to the general public and to the media that the Commission had adopted a communication on a
Community strategy for equality between men and women (2000-2005) and a proposal for a directive
on sexual harassment in the workplace.

In accordance with the framework agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the
Commission, the Commission must keep Parliament fully informed of legislative or budgetary proposals
and initiatives, and may not make public any legislative initiative or any other significant initiative or
decision without having first informed Parliament.

How, then, does the Commission explain the fact that, at the time of writing, twenty days after it
announced the adoption of these proposals in a blaze of publicity, it systematically refuses Members of this
Parliament access to their content, and that none of the official documents is yet available?