WRITTEN QUESTION E-0105/01 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Council. The Swedish Government's statements on its Presidency objectives: the problem of unemployment.
Date: 2001-02-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Employment Strategy, Sweden, employment policy, fight against unemployment, job creation, unemployment

C 340 E/12

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.12.2001

It should also be stressed that the Italian administration plans to check the expenditure of all the projects
when the programme is closed. This check is carried out by the inspectors of the Ministry of Labour.
Although the Edunet project has come to an end, it is not yet considered to be closed by the national
administration because it has not been subjected to the final checks.

The Commission reserves its right, depending on the answers given by the Ministry, to send the case to the
control services.

(2001/C 340 E/012)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0105/01

by Camilo Nogueira RomÆn (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(1 February 2001)

Subject: The Swedish Government(cid:146)s statements on its Presidency objectives: the problem of unemployment

The Swedish Government has just stated that
its Presidency will be enlargement,
environmental protection and job creation. The Presidency cannot be unaware that in the European Union,
employment is mostly linked with wealth, and that the richest parts of the Union have the lowest
unemployment rate, and vice versa.

the priorities of

This means that regional development policy, essentially funded by the Structural Funds and above all the
ERDF, needs to be backed by a European job-creation policy whose main area of application will, logically,
be in those countries and regions which benefit from the Structural Funds. Such a European job-creation
policy requires specific budgetary funding.

What measures does the Swedish Presidency intend to take in order to achieve its own stated priority of
tackling unemployment?

Does the Swedish Presidency intend to promote a European employment policy which will complement
the regional development policy, with its own specific budgetary funding?

Reply

(16 July 2001)

As the Honourable Member has indicated, one of the primary aims of the Swedish Presidency is to
continue to advance cooperation on employment. The European strategy in this area is based on the
Treaty of Amsterdam and has been developed since the Luxembourg European Council meeting in 1997.
This strategy, also known as the Luxembourg process, which draws on a procedure based on guidelines
together with evaluation and surveillance mechanisms, national action plans and recommendations for
Member States, has proved effective and has promoted cooperation in the employment field.

In the spring of 2001 cooperation of this kind was continued on the basis of the wide-ranging initiative
adopted in March 2000 by the Heads of State or Government at the Lisbon Summit. The strategic
objectives then laid down on employment, economic reforms and social cohesion were followed up at the
European Council meeting held in Stockholm on 23 and 24 March 2001, the first annual Spring summit
devoted to economic and social questions.

The Stockholm European Council focussed on how to modernise the European model and attain the
strategic goal for the next decade decided at Lisbon: to become the most competitive and dynamic
knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better
jobs and greater social cohesion. There was full agreement that economic reform, employment and social
policies are mutually reinforcing.

4.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 340 E/13

The Stockholm European Council discussed how to create more and better jobs, accelerate economic
reform, modernise the European social model and harness new technologies.

With regard to the second question, the Council draws the Honourable Member(cid:146)s attention to the fact that,
in the context of the new Structural Funds programmes for the period 2000-2006, the European Union
will be providing Member States with a considerable amount of financial support for the development and
implementation of their employment policies.

In the context of the European employment strategy, the European Union will set aside almost € 60 billion
for the European Social Fund over the next seven years in order to:

(cid:129) promote greater economic and social cohesion within the European Union;

(cid:129) promote job creation and competitiveness in the European Union by investing in skills development;

(cid:129) support

the specific needs of
development is lagging behind;

the labour market

in those regions of

the Community where

(cid:129) back up the commitments undertaken, at
a dynamic, knowledge-based economy;

the Lisbon European Council meeting,

to promote

(cid:129) proceed with the necessary investment in human resources and training infrastructure to accompany

the development and introduction of new technologies;

(cid:129) enable everyone to enjoy the fruits of economic growth;

(cid:129) eliminate the gender gap in employment.

Community action (cid:129) notably under the Swedish Presidency (cid:129) is therefore addressing the concerns
expressed by the Honourable Member.

(2001/C 340 E/013)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0121/01

by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Council

Subject: Kidnapping and illegal detention of Mr Tsiakourmas

(24 January 2001)

On 13 December 2000, Mr Panikos Tsiakourmas, a Greek-Cypriot building contractor, was kidnapped
from a British base on the outskirts of the village of Pergamos. Since then he has been held by the Turkish-
Cypriot authorities on the patently trumped-up charge of possession of drugs.

Mr Tsiakourmas has no previous criminal record and there has never been any indication that he was
involved in drugs in any shape or form.

Mr Tsiakourmas, moreover, suffers from diabetes. The Hungarian diabetes specialist sent by the UN to
examine him a few days ago described his condition as serious; Mr Tsiakourmas had a blood sugar count
of 349 as opposed to the norm of 100, he was exhausted and no longer capable of walking.

What immediate measures will the Council take in response to this flagrant violation of human rights,
which is tantamount to a premeditated attempt on the victim(cid:146)s life?

Reply

(10 July 2001)

The Council has been informed by the British authorities of the kidnapping of Mr Tsiakourmas from
a British base. British authorities consider that there is strong circumstantial evidence that Mr Tsiakourmas
was arrested illegally and taken away from their Eastern Sovereign Base Area. The matter has been pursued