WRITTEN QUESTION E-2930/00 by Marco Cappato (TDI) to the Commission. Cuban authorities' attempts to keep an Italo-Cuban couple apart and prevent them from emigrating.
Date: 2000-09-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Cuba, authoritarian regime, government violence, human rights

8.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 136 E/133

(2001/C 136 E/153)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2928/00

by Mario Mauro (PPE-DE) and Giorgio Lisi (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Cloning of human embryos

(19 September 2000)

Human life begins when the being that is procreated starts to develop autonomously. The cloning of a
human embryo, in whatever shape or form, always involves the destruction of the cloned embryo and the
by-products of cloning.

What measures does the Commission therefore intend to take to safeguard the fundamental right to life
and to halt this dangerous race without rules?

Does the Commission not consider that human rights and respect for human dignity from the moment of
conception should underpin the framing of policy and legislation?

Has the Commission convened the European Group on Ethics in Sciences and New Technologies to ask for
its opinion on the matter?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(24 October 2000)

Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is written into the Treaty of the European Union
(Article 6), and forms one of the Union(cid:146)s basic principles.

The European Group on Ethics (EGE) is currently preparing an opinion on the ethical aspects of research
into human stem cells and its applications, which will be made public on 15 November 2000.

(2001/C 136 E/154)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2930/00

by Marco Cappato (TDI) to the Commission

(19 September 2000)

Subject: Cuban authorities(cid:146) attempts to keep an Italo-Cuban couple apart and prevent

them from

emigrating

In 1999, an Italian national, Enrico Orlandini, married a Cuban national, Yaima Prado Gattorno. When the
latter applied to the Cuban authorities for a passport with a view to emigrating with her husband, the
authorities decided to enforce a sentence for (cid:145)association with a foreigner(cid:146), which had previously been
passed but had until then been suspended. Meanwhile, the husband has been refused all contact with his
wife under the threat of a still harsher punishment should he attempt to contact her.

Will the Commission intervene in this specific case and, more generally, will
abolishing the offence of (cid:145)association with a foreigner(cid:146)
Government?

it raise the question of
in the context of its relations with the Cuban

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(13 October 2000)

The Commission follows closely the human rights situation in the country by participating (through its
delegation in Mexico) in the human rights working group in Havana. This group, created upon request of
the Council and made up of representatives of the Member States, monitors the human rights situation and
meets the Cuban authorities and human rights groups in the island.

The Commission is not aware of the specific situation of the person mentioned by the Honourable
Member, but will present this case to the human rights working group at the first opportunity.