WRITTEN QUESTION E-4030/00 by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE) to the Commission. The killings at Racak.
Date: 2000-12-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, International Criminal Tribunal, Kosovo, access to information

C 174 E/218

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

19.6.2001

The Commission was unable to meet the funding request because the available budget had been used up
so quickly. The fact is that town-twinning sponsorship proved so successful that demand outstripped the
Commission(cid:146)s capacity to provide financial support. In order to be able to handle grant applications with
the budget available, the Commission found itself obliged to set a closing date of 15 September for funding
applications for the year 2000 (1).

Anxious to improve the quality of the service provided, the Commission revised the grant application
procedure for the year 2001 (2).

The towns that organise the Wertheim International Youth Festival may submit their grant application for
2001 using this new procedure. In due course the Commission will verify the eligibility of the application.

The Commission has no specific statistics on the funding of international festivals.

Similarly, it does not allocate a specific portion of the budget to such activitiese, which are normally
covered by various programmes.

(1) Notice on town-twinning grants, OJ C 238, 22.8.2000.
(2) Call for proposals DG EAC No 75/00, OJ C 320, 9.11.2000.

(2001/C 174 E/232)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4027/00

by Freddy Blak (PSE) to the Commission

(21 December 2000)

Subject: Lorry drivers

Increasing numbers of Danish lorry drivers are being robbed of their money when they pull up in parking
areas. How can the Commission ensure that European workers, in this case Danish drivers, are not robbed
in car parks? The problem is increasing all the time, so how is the Commission going to tackle it? Are any
proposals in preparation and if so, what are they?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(6 February 2001)

The described risk that Danish professional drivers run when they stop their vehicles, must be considered
as a question regarding the maintenance of law and order and the safeguarding of internal security of the
Member States. The Commission can not intervene in this specific matter, as it is the Member States,
which, pursuant to Article 33 of the Treaty on European Union, are responsible for what action should be
taken to maintain law and order and to safeguard their internal security. The specific question regarding
the Danish professional drivers is therefore not a question of police or judicial cooperation in criminal
matters within the framework of the EU Treaty.

(2001/C 174 E/233)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4030/00

by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(21 December 2000)

Subject: The killings at Racak

Has the Commission seen a copy of the Finnish autopsy report on the killings which took place in RaŁak,
Yugoslavia, in January of last year? Will it, at all events, press for the official report to be made public?

19.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 174 E/219

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(30 January 2001)

The Commission has received documents prepared by a team of Union forensic experts, under Joint Action
CFSP/98/736.

The full report has been delivered to the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY), in
the Hague. It will not be made public, in order not to interfere with the ICTY(cid:146)s ongoing investigations.

(2001/C 174 E/234)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-4041/00

by Michael Cashman (PSE) to the Commission

(20 December 2000)

Subject: Charter of Fundamental Rights/Electromagnetic fields

Bearing in mind the (cid:145)precautionary principle(cid:146) and Article 24 of the Draft Charter of Fundamental Rights,
which reads:

1. Children shall have the right to such protection and care as is necessary for their well being.

2.

In all actions relating to children, whether taken by public authorities or private institutions, the
child(cid:146)s best interest must be a primary consideration.

Can the Commission indicate whether there are any plans to halt the Europe-wide construction of mobile
telephone masts, since it remains unclear to what extent the proximity of mobile telephone masts causes
serious health risks, especially for children?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(5 February 2001)

The Council adopted on the 12 July 1999 Recommendation 1999/519/EC limiting the exposure of the
general public to electromagnetic fields (from 0 Hz to 300 GHz) (1).

Based on the best available scientific data, the text provides in its technical annex, specific requirements for
emissions levels of devices emitting non-ionising radiation to prevent the public from being exposed to
health effects.

The implementation of the Recommendation falls under the responsibility of Member States. This includes
rules of location for transmitter masts.

Further studies are being conducted under the fifth Research and Technological Development Framework
programme to fill existing gaps in the scientific knowledge. The scientific steering committee of the
Commission will deliver by July 2001 an update on its previous opinion published in 1998 to establish
whether or not the scientific basis used for the Council Recommendation needs to be reviewed in the
context of the development of mobile telecommunications technology. Taking into account Article 24 of
the Charter of Fundamental Rights to which the Honourable Member refers, the Commission will react to
any new scientific evidence endorsed by the scientific steering committee not yet taken into account.

(1) OJ L 199, 30.7.1999.