WRITTEN QUESTION E-3192/00 by James Nicholson (PPE-DE) to the Council. Religious minorities in India and Pakistan.
Date: 2000-10-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: India, Pakistan, foreign policy, human rights, protection of minorities, religious group

6.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 163 E/57

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(14 December 2000)

The Commission regularly evaluates developments in the agriculture sector, including the horticul-

1.
ture sector.

2. and 3.
Differences in tax systems may result in different competitive positions for undertakings
located in different Member States. According to Article 93 (ex Article 99) of the EC Treaty it is for the
Council to decide (cid:129) unanimously (cid:129) on tax issues. A Commission proposal for a Council directive
restructuring the Community framework for the taxation of energy products (1) is under examination in
the Council.

If taxation fulfils the conditions of Article 87(1) (ex Article 92) of the EC Treaty, that means in particular if
it is selective (for example, a special rate for certain undertakings or productions) it falls under state aid
control by the Commission.

If energy suppliers were to come to an agreement on prices or market shares in a certain region, this could
be an infringement of Article 81 (ex Article 85) of the EC Treaty. Should the Honourable Member have
information indicating such an agreement exists, she is invited to forward this information to the
Commission so that it can be examined.

4.
The Commission has no knowledge of state aids related to energy costs in the agriculture sector apart
from the current exemption from the German ecotax which also benefits large glasshouses (approved as
state aid N 575/99) and the current exemption from the Dutch carbon dioxide (CO2) tax (approved as state
aid N 589/B/98). As far as the Commission knows, the Dutch horticulture sector enjoys no preferential
treatment on the energy market.

As far as VAT is concerned, under current Community legislation, the standard rate applies to
5.
energy. The level of the standard rate is 16 % in Germany, and 17,5 % in the Netherlands. Moreover,
taxable businesses can recover the VAT charged on energy costs.
In the context of the new VAT
strategy (2), a review and rationalisation of the rules and derogations applying to VAT rates will be
considered in the medium term.

(1) OJ C 139, 6.5.1997.
(2) COM(2000) 348 final.

(2001/C 163 E/055)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3192/00

by James Nicholson (PPE-DE) to the Council

(16 October 2000)

Subject: Religious minorities in India and Pakistan

Would the Council indicate the nature of the continuing representations being made to the governments
of
the
India and Pakistan regarding the protection of religious minorities, and is it satisfied that
Government of Pakistan has honoured earlier undertakings and that the Indian Government has paid due
attention to the European Parliament(cid:146)s resolution of 11 February 2000?

Reply

(12 February 2001)

At their political dialogue meetings with the Indian authorities, including recent meetings at senior official
and Ministerial level (in December 1999 in Helsinki, in May 2000 in New Delhi and in June 2000 in
Lisbon), the Troikas have raised the Union(cid:146)s concerns about respect for human rights and particularly
about repeated attacks on religious minorities in India. The Troika of senior officials also raised this
question at its recent meeting with the Indian side in Paris on 6 November 2000. The Union(cid:146)s diplomatic
representatives in Delhi have previously raised this subject with their Indian interlocutors on several
occasions, and will continue their efforts as long as the situation in India is not considered to be
satisfactory.

C 163 E/58

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2001

As regards Pakistan, regular political dialogue meetings between the Union and Pakistan were suspended
following the military coup last year. However, the subject of the protection of religious minorities was
raised with senior interlocutors in the administration and the Pakistani Government during the Troika(cid:146)s ad
hoc visit in November 1999. The next ad hoc Troika, due to take place at the end of November 2000, will
resume this discussion. Heads of Mission in Islamabad will also continue to raise these issues with the
appropriate interlocutors.

(2001/C 163 E/056)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3194/00

by Philip Bradbourn (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 October 2000)

Subject: Association of Citizens for the Promotion of European Currency

Could the Commission please indicate the annual cost to the European Union budget of the Association of
Citizens for the Promotion of European Currency and how many individual members by Member State the
group actually comprises?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(6 December 2000)

The Association of citizens for the promotion of European currency (Promeuro) received € 10 000 on the
1998 budget (B3-306) and nothing on the 1999 and 2000 budgets.

According to Promeuro it has about 120 active members of which 77 pay subscriptions (Belgium 21,
Denmark 2, Germany 6, Spain 5, France 15, Italy 10, Luxembourg 9, Austria 1, Finland 1, United
Kingdom 5 and third country 2).

(2001/C 163 E/057)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3198/00

by Vitaliano Gemelli (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 October 2000)

Subject: Violence in Colombia and continual oppression of its rural and indigenous communities

The serious, ten-year internal conflict in Colombia between drug traffickers and the military, with the
occasional backing of the paramilitary, has, over time led to a depopulation of the areas concerned by the
fighting on account of the repeated threats, air attacks, murders and massacres to which the local and
indigenous communities are being subjected. The areas most directly involved are those which,
for
economic and political reasons, are of greater strategic importance and which the combatants have an
interest in owning or controlling.

Furthermore, forced displacement is on the increase: in 1999, 288 000 people were forced to flee their
homes and from 1985 to 1999 over 1 700 000 people were forcibly evacuated.

Can the Commission say whether any aid is being granted to the Colombian Government to tackle

1.
and overcome this grave social instability?

2. What proposals for social stability is the European Union putting forward in Colombia and which
NGOs is it using to do so?

3. What is the Commission(cid:146)s view of the (cid:145)returning communities(cid:146) that are attempting to return people
to their homelands?

4. What is the EU(cid:146)s relationship with the (cid:145)Peace Communities(cid:146) in Colombia and to which projects does
the Commission plan to give financial support in order to promote development and solidarity and protect
communities at risk of displacement?