WRITTEN QUESTION E-3229/00 by Olivier Duhamel (PSE) to the Commission. Sanctions in Austria.
Date: 2000-10-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Austria, President of the Commission, democracy, extreme right, interinstitutional relations, international sanctions

22.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 151 E/107

(2001/C 151 E/120)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3229/00

by Olivier Duhamel (PSE) to the Commission

(17 October 2000)

Subject: Sanctions in Austria

Paragraph 115 of the report by Mr Martti Ahtisaari, Mr Jochen Frontin and Mr Marcelino Oreja on the
situation in Austria emphasises that the measures implemented by the 14 EU Member States have
strengthened awareness of the importance of shared European values. In addition, there is no doubt that
in the case of Austria the measures taken by the 14 Member States have encouraged the Austrian
Government to step up its efforts. Moreover, they have also prompted civil society to defend these values.

On 16 September, the press reported a statement made by the President of the Commission in which he
seemed to regret the measures implemented between January and December 2000, and considered that in
future cases of a similar nature such decisions should be avoided. Through these remarks, is Mr Prodi
seeking to question the assessment of the EU(cid:146)s actions drawn up by the Three Wise Men?

Is Mr Prodi implying that the measures taken against the Austrian Government following the inclusion of
an extreme right-wing party in the ruling coalition should not only have been rescinded once their main
objectives had been reached, but should never have been taken in the first place?

If so, what grounds does the Commission President have for disputing the Wise Men(cid:146)s assessment?

If not, how does he justify his swingeing condemnation of the commitments to democracy made by the 14
Member States?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(5 December 2000)

The Commission, which took good note of the conclusions of Three Wise Men(cid:146)s report, welcomes the
outcome of this procedure, re-establishing, as it has, the traditional ties of friendship between the Member
States. The Commission would stress the importance of action by the Member States in helping to
promote shared values, including in the context of the specific problems and developments in Austria. It
would also reiterate its commitment
for fundamental rights and democratic principles,
to respect
particularly within the Member States of the Union.

The Honourable Member(cid:146)s attention is, nonetheless, drawn to the context in which the situation arose,
namely outside the scope of the Treaties, which lay down the conditions and procedures for the Union to
take action regarding compliance with fundamental rights and democratic principles. These conditions and
procedures were not called on in the situation under discussion.

(2001/C 151 E/121)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3232/00

by Stefano Zappal(cid:224) (PPE-DE), Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE),
Guido Viceconte (PPE-DE), Generoso Andria (PPE-DE), Amalia Sartori (PPE-DE),
Giorgio Lisi (PPE-DE) and Mario Mantovani (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(17 October 2000)

Subject: Female circumcision in the European Union

Given that female circumcision:

(cid:129) is performed on children between the ages of 4 and 12 in around 20 African countries, ten south-east

Asian countries and also in Europe;