WRITTEN QUESTION E-4151/00 by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Council. Women's rights in Saudi Arabia.
Date: 2001-01-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: GCC countries, Saudi Arabia, free-trade agreement, international cooperation, international meeting, labour law, women's rights

C 187 E/148

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.7.2001

What is the thinking behind the decision to split the financial mechanism (Life) from the other tools for
administering the implementation of the Natura 2000 directives?

What reasons can be put forward for posting elsewhere two important, very competent and valued
members of a unit against their will?

Does the Commission bear political responsibility for this current restructuring?

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(27 February 2001)

The mission statement of the Commission in the field of environmental policy has five main objectives:
a high level of environmental protection; continuous improvement in the quality of life; the preservation
increased
of
environmental efficiency and finally ensuring equitable use of our common environmental resources.

future generations to a viable environment (cid:129) sustainable development;

the rights of

All actions and activities taken by the Commission in the field of environment serve to develop and further
these objectives.

The working blueprint for the next decade will be the 6th Environmental Action Programme, which is
transmitted to the Parliament on 29 January 2001 (1). Other guidelines which steer Commission decisions,
include the (cid:145)Strategic Objectives of the Commission 2001-2005(cid:146) and the organisational consequences of
the White Paper on Administrative Reform of the Commission (2).

the services must always reflect and facilitate the achievement of

The organisation of
the mission
statement. The core activities of the services will focus on: sustainable development; environmental quality
of natural resources; environment and health; implementation and Enforcement (which will regroup all
three parts of the LIFE programme into one unit for coherence and economies of scale); global and
international affairs.

The objective is to regroup tasks and functions to reflect core concerns and allow the services to
implement legislation, develop policies and execute programmes in the most efficient and effective way
possible, taking account of the evaluations carried out and using to the full the talents of the highly
dedicated and flexible workforce.

(1) COM(2001) 31.
(2) COM(2000) 200 final.

(2001/C 187 E/158)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4151/00

by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(16 January 2001)

Subject: Women(cid:146)s rights in Saudi Arabia

At the 56th session of the UN Commission of Human Rights, the EU voiced grave concern about
(cid:145)the serious violations of human rights of women in Saudi Arabia(cid:146) and called again for (cid:145)the improvement
of human rights of women in law and in practice(cid:146).

What new initiatives has the Council promoted to improve the human rights situation of women in Saudi
Arabia since this statement was made at the 56th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights?

3.7.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 187 E/149

The EU is currently strengthening relations with the countries of the Gulf. How is the Council using this
opportunity to work for the protection of human rights in Saudi Arabia? Is it encouraging the training of
law enforcement officers providing for the protection of women under interrogation and in detention, as
well as for women reporting abuses, in accordance with international human rights standards?

What pressure is the Council exerting on Saudi Arabia to ensure that its draft law on female labour will
comply with ILO Conventions 100 and 111 which they have ratified?

Reply

(24 April 2001)

for example at

The European Union raises the issue of human rights, including the rights of women, at all appropriate
occasions to do so,
the 10th Joint Council and Ministerial meeting with the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) on 22 May 2000 and at an EU Troika meeting at Ministerial level with the
GCC in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly. Saudi Arabia had the Presidency in the GCC
during the year 2000. At the meeting on 22 May 2000, the European Union proposed the establishment
of a human rights dialogue. The EU will, in the framework of the EC-GCC Cooperation Agreement (1) and
the political dialogue, continue to press on the members of the GCC the need to improve the human rights
situation in their countries and to cooperate with the UN and international human rights organisations. It
will also pursue the question of an enhanced dialogue on human rights.

The EU and the GCC are currently negotiating a Free Trade Agreement. In accordance with the EU(cid:146)s policy
on human rights in its agreements with third countries, respect for human rights would constitute an
essential element in any such agreement.

(1) OJ L 54, 25.2.1989, p. 1.

(2001/C 187 E/159)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4155/00

by Brigitte Langenhagen (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(16 January 2001)

Subject: Marketing of smelt, implementation of EU hygiene regulation

Under the EU hygiene regulation, smelt more than 15 cm in length may only be sold gutted. This has
caused sales of this small relative of salmon to come to a virtual standstill, as prices for gutted smelt are so
high because of the labour costs involved that the product is virtually unsaleable on the market.

Is the Commission aware that smelt is a national dish on the coast and that basically everyone

1.
therefore knows that the fish have to be gutted and salted before being eaten?

2.
Is the Commission aware of the fact that in German ports, as a result of the strict interpretation of
the provisions, smelt have become virtually unsaleable and the livelihoods of specialised fishermen are
consequently threatened?

Is the Commission aware of the fact that the regulation is being implemented less strictly in other

3.
European ports? What is its view of the resulting distortion of competition?

Are there proposals to preserve the livelihoods of the fishing businesses and downstream distribution

4.
chains affected?

Are there proposals to compensate the fishing businesses and downstream distribution chains

5.
affected?