WRITTEN QUESTION E-3708/00 by John Cushnahan (PPE-DE) to the Commission. The plight of the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan.
Date: 2000-11-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Pakistan, death penalty, human rights, religious discrimination, religious group

6.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 163 E/199

(2001/C 163 E/231)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3704/00

by Theresa Villiers (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 November 2000)

Subject: Draft Charter of Fundamental Rights

Protocol 9 to the Treaty of Amsterdam (which relates to the role of national parliaments) requires that a
full economic impact statement should be provided wherever new legislation is contemplated. Since the
draft Charter of Fundamental Rights clearly proposes new initiatives which could impact on a national
level (e.g. national works councils) why has Protocol 9 not been complied with?

Europe purports to be competing with trading blocks such as Japan and the US, but in reality will such
initiatives not run counter to the spirit of Lisbon? Will they not effectively fetter the competitiveness of EU
undertakings on world markets, by adopting social practices which can only be adversely reflected in the
price and competitiveness of our goods abroad?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(1 February 2001)

In the Commission(cid:146)s opinion, Protocol 9 on the role of national parliaments, to which the Honourable
Member refers, does not contain any provision requiring an economic impact statement to be drawn up
wherever new legislation is contemplated. This applies to the Charter of Fundamental Rights in particular.

As regards the substantive issue, the Commission is convinced that the visibility which the Charter confers
on fundamental rights, far from being an obstacle to the Union(cid:146)s economic development, is in fact entirely
favourable to such development, in line with the conclusions of the Lisbon European Council to which the
Honourable Member refers.

This approach was reaffirmed by the Nice European Council, which approved the European Social Agenda
for the next five years. According to the conclusions reached at Nice, this Agenda is an important step
towards reinforcing and modernising the European social model, a key feature of which is the indissoluble
link between economic performance and social progress.

(2001/C 163 E/232)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3708/00

by John Cushnahan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: The plight of the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan

(29 November 2000)

Is the Commission aware of the infringements of the Ahmadiyya community(cid:146)s human rights in Pakistan?
A number of laws passed in 1974 made it a criminal offence for Ahmadis to profess, practise and preach
their faith. Several members of the community have been charged with blasphemy under Section 295C,
which carries the mandatory death penalty. Recent religiously motivated murders committed by orthodox
Muslims against the Ahmadis have not been investigated. What does the Comission intend to do to protect
the fundamental rights of the Ahmadiyya community?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(5 January 2001)

The Commission is aware that the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan has repeatedly been the target of
extremist violence. The Commission is further aware that religious minorities in Pakistan (Christians,
Hindus, Ahmadis and Shias) are affected by discriminatory legislation.

C 163 E/200

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2001

The situation of religious minorities in Pakistan was raised during recent ad hoc Tro(cid:239)ka political talks in
Islamabad (20-21 November 2000). With regard to blasphemy charges, the Pakistani authorities acknowl-
edged that these cases had created anxiety and promised renewed reform efforts. The Commission intends
to continue raising the question of religious minorities with the Pakistani authorities on all relevant future
occasions.

(2001/C 163 E/233)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3724/00

by Giovanni Pittella (PSE) to the Commission

(23 November 2000)

Subject: Single Programming Document for the Italian Region of Abruzzo

Given that:

(cid:129) The Region of Abruzzo drew up a Single Programming Document which it submitted to the European

Commission a few days ago.

(cid:129) That document is the result of the work of the previous Regional Council which drafted and examined

it together with all the economic and social interest groups of the region.

(cid:129) The Regional Council(cid:146)s approach was to promote the democratic involvement of local communities.
it established guidelines for the drawing-up of integrated

By Decision No 617 of 6 April 2000,
regional programmes.

(cid:129) The decision to concentrate on integrated regional programmes is in accordance with the principles of
subsidiarity and consultation on which the European Union(cid:146)s programme for the period 2000 to
2006 is based.

(cid:129) For some unknown reason the new Regional Council revoked the above-mentioned decision by

a measure of 21 June 2000.

(cid:129) That measure does not accord in terms of policy with the decisions taken by the other regions or with
the objective of decentralised development with full utilisation of local resources and makes far-
reaching changes to the very principles of the SPD,
in view of the fact that integrated regional
programmes are an essential instrument of the SPD itself.

What action does the Commission intend to take in order to reinstate the original decisions?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(21 December 2000)

The proposal for a Single Programming Document (SPD) for areas of the Italian Abruzzi region eligible
under Objective 2 for the period 2000-2006 was officially forwarded to the Commission on 3 November
2000 and declared admissible on 17 November 2000.

The Commission is currently considering this proposal for purposes of preparing the negotiating mandate.
This is sent to the Member State to begin negotiations in order to gain Commission approval of the SPD as
soon as possible. In this connection, the Commission will also examine the implementation conditions of
the SPD, including the possible use of integrated regional projects.