WRITTEN QUESTION P-3375/00 by Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE) to the Council. Anti-Semite violence in Europe; fire in the Trappes synagogue in France.
Date: 2000-10-25
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: France, anti-discriminatory measure, antisemitism, religious discrimination

8.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 136 E/227

(2001/C 136 E/267)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3375/00

by Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE) to the Council

(25 October 2000)

Subject: Anti-Semite violence in Europe; fire in the Trappes synagogue in France

The wave of anti-Semitism sweeping through France, where the synagogue in Trappes, near Paris, was set
on fire, is extremely worrying. This attack, and the aggression displayed towards a group of children, are
the most alarming in a series of acts of violence perpetrated on European citizens of the Jewish faith.

In other European Union countries too,
Jewish communities continue to be the target of attacks
endangering the safety of their members. To make the atmosphere even more tense, there are statements
such as those by former Italian Council premier, Massimo D(cid:146)Alema, who in speaking of the (cid:145)ferocity(cid:146) of
Israeli citizens helps to stoke anti-Semite feeling within the EU.

What initiatives does the Council
phenomenon?

intend to take to combat these crimes and to check this ominous

Does the Council not consider that it should condemn all anti-Jewish statements by politicians in the
Member States?

Reply

(20/21 December 2000)

1.

The Council condemns the acts of violence mentioned in the written question.

The Council draws the Honourable Member(cid:146)s attention to the reply given to Written Question

2.
E-3089/00 concerning an attack on a Jewish teacher by a group of neo-Nazi skinheads.

(2001/C 136 E/268)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3377/00

by Paul R(cid:252)big (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(3 November 2000)

Subject: Timber industry trade obstacles to supplying the Netherlands

A KOMO certificate is required for the export of finger-joint wooden window sills to the Netherlands.
The provisions of the certificate depart to some extent from the Austrian, German and Swiss provisions.

Verification of these provisions for KOMO certification in particular involves considerable financial outlay.
Four inspections a year are mandatory in the Netherlands, whereas all other European countries require no
more than two inspections in respect of quality provisions.

Although the Holzforschung Austria 3 facility has been able to carry out this verification for some time,
the main inspection is still carried out by an institute in the Netherlands in an extremely bureaucratic
fashion.

In this instance, it is the detailed aspects which are most problematic.

There are European standards for the classification and testing of adhesives; those standards are also
applied by the Netherlands. Testing and certification of an adhesive or similar product by a renowned
European research institute is not recognised for KOMO certification purposes, however. The same test
must be repeated by an institute in the Netherlands.

To resolve these problems, an attempt is being made in cooperation with the research and inspection
institutes in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Austria to standardise the existing provisions for
window sills and bring them into line with European standards, but the Netherlands withdrew after the
initial discussions and are no longer collaborating.