WRITTEN QUESTION E-3401/00 by Nicole Thomas-Mauro (UEN) to the Commission. Status of spouses of self-employed workers.
Date: 2000-11-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European social policy, assisting spouse, self-employed person

C 151 E/158

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

22.5.2001

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(7 December 2000)

The Commission produced the (cid:145)Hello Europe(cid:146) CD-ROM in order to provide information for young
Europeans on all aspects of the Union which might interest them. An introduction to the various Member
States provides general information to enable the users of the CD-ROM to familiarise themselves with the
different Member States making up the Union.

This introduction includes firstly the official language(s) spoken in each Member State, usually laid down in
their constitutions. For example, Spain(cid:146)s official
the Spanish
Constitution, which includes the languages of the Autonomous Communities as official languages. Italy(cid:146)s
official language is Italian.

languages are set out

in Article 3 of

Incidentally, linguistic diversity in Italy is described in the (cid:145)population(cid:146) section of the CD-ROM in question.

(2001/C 151 E/180)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3401/00

by Nicole Thomas-Mauro (UEN) to the Commission

(7 November 2000)

Subject: Status of spouses of self-employed workers

In 1997 the European Parliament adopted the report by Mrs Astrid Lulling (A4-0005/97) (1) on
(cid:145)the situation of spouses assisting self-employed workers(cid:146),
in which, while giving due regard to the
subsidiarity principle, it proposed the adoption of some useful measures aimed at improving the situation
of women working with their husbands in agriculture, crafts, commerce and the professions.

The report proposed remedies for the inadequacies of the 1986 Directive, which had fallen far short of its
declared objective of (cid:145)giving assisting spouses a clearly defined professional status and establishing their
social security entitlements(cid:146).

The French association that represents spouses of self-employed workers estimates the number of people
concerned at 8,2 million in the whole of the European Union. The Commission(cid:146)s estimate in 1995 was 3,3
million.

Does the Commission have recent studies on the social situation of spouses of self-employed workers in
the European Union?

Does it envisage recommending to the Member States that they adopt the measures, particularly those of a
fiscal nature, needed to give spouses of self-employed workers a stable social status?

(1) OJ C 85, 17.3.1997, p. 186.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(14 December 2000)

The Commission does not have any statistical information or recent studies on the social situation of
spouses of self-employed workers and is not currently planning to make any specific proposals of a fiscal
nature relating to the situation of spouses of self-employed workers.

However, the situation of this category of people could be tackled as part of the more general debate
which has started at European level on the modernisation and improvement of social protection in Europe.

22.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 151 E/159

Questions of a fiscal nature relating to the situation of spouses of self-employed workers will also be
examined as part of a study on the individualisation of rights in the areas of tax and social security.

In the agricultural sector, the spouses of farmers (who represent 22 % of workers in this sector) have had
their status defined in some Member States which has improved their situation. But the situation varies
from one Member State to another. This is also the case for training opportunities and facilities and
services available, as shown by a recent publication (1).

(1) Women active in rural development, EEC, 2000 (cid:129) the text of the brochure can be found on the Europa web site:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg06/publi/women/broch_en.pdf.

(2001/C 151 E/181)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3404/00

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) and Gianfranco Fini (UEN) to the Commission

Subject: Combating racism and xenophobia in Germany

(7 November 2000)

Together with combating racism, exclusion,
intolerance and xenophobia, safeguarding human rights
represents the European Union(cid:146)s highest-priority task. At present, however, the protection of human rights
is at odds with the treatment suffered by Italian citizens who have emigrated to Germany and whose rights
are being violated, particularly in the southern L(cid:228)nder, by State authorities, who are continuing to interpret
Community legislation in a distorted manner, ordering multiple deportations and even refusing to
recognise the right of residence.

In view, in particular, of the infringement proceedings the Commission has begun against Germany for
serious violations in implementing the right of residence and of movement, how does the Commission
intend to act to ensure that the rights of Italian citizens living and working in Germany are respected?

(2001/C 151 E/182)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3405/00

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) and Gianfranco Fini (UEN) to the Commission

(7 November 2000)

Subject: Unemployed Sicilian family deported by the Federal Republic of Germany

The troubles of a Sicilian family who had emigrated to Germany have been highlighted by Councillor
Zoratto (of the General Council of Italians Abroad) and taken up by an Italian newspaper in Stuttgart,
Nuovo Oltreconfine. The newspaper reports that the head of the family, having first been dismissed
because of an accident, was then, notwithstanding the fact that he was duly registered at the Stuttgart
employment office after having found another job, taken at five in the morning by the German police,
together with his entire family (wife and four children). After they had been stripped and searched, they
were taken to Stuttgart airport to be deported to Italy. In view of the above, we ask the Commission:

(cid:129) to intervene urgently to safeguard the human rights of the emigrant family, which have been seriously

violated by the German police;

(cid:129) to guarantee Italian citizens who have immigrated to Germany the right to exercise their European

citizenship;

(cid:129) to examine what recourse is available to ensure that the Sicilian family which has been so seriously

wronged can obtain justice.