WRITTEN QUESTION E-3089/00 by Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE) to the Council. Attack on a teacher of Jewish descent by a group of neo-Nazi skinheads.
Date: 2000-10-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Jew, National Socialism, anti-discriminatory measure, antisemitism, physical aggression, religious discrimination, teacher

6.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 163 E/33

bore a heavier tax burden than identical Netherlands vehicles, which constitutes tax discrimination within
the meaning of Article 90 (ex Article 95) of the EC Treaty.

Following bilateral contacts the Netherlands authorities brought in a new and much more realistic table of
standard tax depreciation rates, and on 1 July 1999 the Commission decided to close the case.

2.
As noted above, Community law as it stands allows the Member States to levy non-harmonised
indirect taxes provided they comply with the principles set out in the EC Treaty and secondary legislation.
The no-discrimination rule as it applies to goods dispatched ((cid:145)exported(cid:146), in older texts) from one Member
State to another is based entirely on Article 91 (ex Article 96), which provides that (cid:145)repayment of internal
taxation shall not exceed the internal taxation imposed on [such goods] whether directly or indirectly(cid:146). In
this case taxation is not repayable on any vehicle in connection with its definitive removal
from
Netherlands territory, so no tax discrimination arises at this stage.

Refusal to repay tax on a vehicle permanently dispatched from Netherlands territory is therefore a political
decision and does not contravene Community law, falling with the scope of Member State sovereignty for
tax matters.

(2001/C 163 E/033)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3089/00

by Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE) to the Council

(5 October 2000)

Subject: Attack on a teacher of Jewish descent by a group of neo-Nazi skinheads

Luis Marsiglia, a Catholic teacher of Jewish descent, has been seriously injured by three neo-Nazi skinheads
in the city of Verona.

This latest in a long series of attacks has caused considerable concern throughout Italy(cid:146)s Jewish community,
particularly in Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice, Trieste, Genoa, Livorno and Turin.

The European Parliament has frequently spoken out against all forms of racism and xenophobia, stressing
the dangers of the presence in Europe of groups and movements that openly endorse violent forms of
racial intolerance.

What urgent action does the Council
European citizens of Jewish descent or members of any other minority?

intend to take to prevent outrageous attacks of this kind on

Reply

(12 February 2001)

The Council would remind the Honourable Member that it generally condemns all acts of violence of

1.
the kind mentioned in the written question.

In recent years the Council has devoted a lot of attention to the subject of racism, xenophobia and

2.
anti-semitism.

As early as 1996 the Council adopted a Joint Action concerning action to combat racism and
xenophobia (1). That instrument obliges Member States to make sure that racist and xenophobic behaviour
as described in the instrument constitutes a criminal offence. The Member States are obliged, under the
Joint Action, to ensure effective judicial cooperation in respect of the offences referred to.

C 163 E/34

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2001

In order to stress the importance of socio-educational measures, the Council and the representatives of the
Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, adopted two declarations: one on the
fight against racism, xenophobia and anti-semitism in the youth field, the other on respecting diversity and
combating racism and xenophobia (2).

These declarations emphasise that the Member States and the Commission need to adopt measures in the
framework of existing actions and programmes. They also stress the need to build upon the achievements
of the European Year against racism (1997) and to take initiatives to ensure continuity beyond that year.

in particular, a training module
Finally, as regards police cooperation,
concerning racism and xenophobia which makes it possible to ascertain, analyse and evaluate the
dimensions of
the phenomena in the specific context of each Member State and which facilitates
appropriate police responses.

the Council recommended,

The Council also draws attention to the work done on the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the

3.
European Union which was solemnly proclaimed at the Nice European Council on 7 December 2000.

(1) OJ L 185, 24.7.1996, p. 5.
(2) OJ C 368, 5.12.1997, p. 1 and OJ C 1, 3.1.1998, p. 1.

(2001/C 163 E/034)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3101/00

by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(26 September 2000)

Subject: Article B3-301

Article B3-301, which has an annual endowment of several million pounds sterling, funds (cid:145)information
outlets(cid:146).

Can the Commission inform Parliament of:

1.

2.

the nature of funding since 1997,

the type of scrutiny applied to these projects,

3. whether the Commission draws up end-of-year reports on these funds and whether they are

unclassified and open to review by Parliament,

4.

the safeguards put in place to ensure that the material is factual and does not express and individual
opinion, in other words, that it is not used to portray the European Union and its development or
politics in a particular light,

5. whether any money has ever been used in Member States to support activities of a politically

controversial nature, for instance support for one side of a referendum campaign?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(7 December 2000)

1.
Article B3-301 funding has been used to help set up and run outlets for information on Europe and
information campaigns carried out by these outlets or relays since 1997. These centres exist at various
levels. Some are set up in capital cities as a result of a partnership agreement between the Commission and
the national governments (Paris, Lisbon). They are funded by equal contributions from the two founding
members.

There are also centres at inter-regional level which are set up in regions given priority for socio-economic
or geographical reasons (Thessaloniki, Naples). The host structure signs an agreement with the Commis-
sion, which awards an annual subsidy for the centre(cid:146)s activities.