WRITTEN QUESTION E-3524/00 by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL), Bob van den Bos (ELDR), Theodorus Bouwman (Verts/ALE), Ria Oomen-Ruijten (PPE-DE) and Toine Manders (ELDR) to the Commission. Shortage of manpower for cross-border policing in and around the Dutch province of South Limbourg.
Date: 2000-11-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU police cooperation, Limburg, cross-border transport, drug traffic, organised crime, police checks

6.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 163 E/151

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(5 December 2000)

The Commission has noted the measures reportedly taken by the Tunisian authorities against Mr Marzouki
and has asked its delegate in Tunisia to monitor the affair carefully, in close coordination with the Member
State heads of mission in Tunis.

Broadly speaking the Commission continues to subscribe to the approach set out by the member
responsible for external relations at the plenary session on 14 June, which calls for the enhancement of
the EU(cid:146)s dialogue with the Tunisian authorities at all levels and the development of positive measures to
promote human rights, including freedom of expression and association.

(2001/C 163 E/169)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3524/00

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL), Bob van den Bos (ELDR),
Theodorus Bouwman (Verts/ALE), Ria Oomen-Ruijten (PPE-DE)
and Toine Manders (ELDR) to the Commission

(13 November 2000)

Subject: Shortage of manpower for cross-border policing in and around the Dutch province of South

Limbourg

Is the Commission aware of the Dutch government(cid:146)s proposal to redistribute the manpower of the
1.
police forces over the 25 Dutch police regions, whereby the number of residents of
(cid:145)non-Western
immigrant origin(cid:146) and the degree of urbanisation will play a much greater role in determining how
police strength is allocated, with the result that the Limbourg South regional constabulary risks losing
370 officers?

2.
Is the Commission aware that the Dutch province of South Limbourg which includes the cities of
Maastricht and Heerlen is almost entirely surrounded by Belgian and German territory containing the cities
of Aachen, LiŁge and Hasselt, which has an impact on the way in which crime is organised, so that a case
can be made for not simply using domestic criteria for allocating police strength?

3.
Can the Commission confirm that the Limbourg-South constabulary is increasingly obliged to
apprehend or monitor cross-border drug transports and that, because of the many efforts to produce the
drug XTC in this frontier region, this means a relatively high workload with, in addition, many requests
from the German and Belgian police for help in fighting cross-border crime?

Can the Commission indicate whether, in its opinion, the Dutch initiative will result in future in a
4.
substantially lower police presence in this densely populated frontier region than if the Dutch province of
South Limbourg, the Belgian provinces of Limbourg and LiŁge and the neighbouring administrative
districts (Kreise) of the German Land of North Rhine-Westphalia were jointly assessed on the basis of a
single allocation system, whether Dutch, Belgian or German?

Does the Commission feel

5.
that consultations with the national, regional and local authorities
responsible for police matters would be a way of developing an objective standard for the requisite level
of policing in this and other frontier regions within the European Union?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(17 January 2001)

The Dutch authorities have not officially informed the Commission on this proposal. As the
the distribution of the budget and the

1.
Honourable Members know the allocation of police forces,
indicators used to decide on the distribution are the responsibility of the Member States.

C 163 E/152

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2001

It is up to the governments of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands to determine how to fight
2.
cross-border criminality in these regions.
In this context the Commission would like to recall that
Article 29 of the Treaty on European Union calls for closer co-operation between Member States(cid:146) police
and customs services to improve the fight against crime.

3.
The Commission is aware that cross-border drug trafficking is a problem in this border region. It
would therefore be important for the Member States concerned to assure an effective co-operation also in
this area. In the Netherlands, in the police region of south-east Brabant, a special multidisciplinary unit
(Synthetic Drugs Unit) has been established to address the subject of synthetic drugs (e.g. ecstasy).

4.

The Commission does not dispose of information which would enable it to answer this question.

5.
The Commission is of the opinion that neighbouring Member States should co-operate closely on
police matters, in particular in border regions. One working example that can be mentioned in this respect
is the recent co-operation between the police and customs services of Germany and France in the French-
German border region between Luxembourg and Switzerland. The Commission would also like to draw
the attention to the Community programme for police and customs co-operation ((cid:145)OISIN(cid:146)) which provides
financial support to concrete co-operation projects between Member States, and thereby can contribute to
a structural improvement of police co-operation in border areas throughout the Union.

(2001/C 163 E/170)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3525/00

by Hanja Maij-Weggen (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(13 November 2000)

Subject: US law banning the importing, selling and processing of cat and dog fur

Is the Commission aware that in the US and in Europe there is a growing trade in cat and dog fur which is
processed into furskin?

Is the Commission aware that more and more cat and dog fur is being processed into fur jackets made
from other animals and that the cat and dog fur is processed in such a way that it is barely distinguishable
from other types of fur?

Is the Commission aware that these furs originate not only in Asia but that there is increasing evidence of
illegal hunting of stray cats and dogs in the US and in Europe?

Is the Commission aware that the American Senate has recently adopted a bill (11.R 4868 and HR 4868)
outlawing importing, exporting and selling of cat and dog fur in the US?

Does the Commission not agree that the EU should take similar action because otherwise this trade and
these practices will shift to Europe? When can the European Parliament expect a proposal for a directive
on this question?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(5 January 2001)

The Community(cid:146)s responsibilities towards animal protection have increased under the recent amendment
of the Treaty on European Union, which includes a Protocol requiring the Community and Member States
to pay full regard to the welfare of animals when drawing up agriculture, transport, single market and
research policies.

Therefore Community policies tend to further the objective of improving protection and respect for the
welfare of animals as sentient beings, having regard to the above mentioned Protocol.