WRITTEN QUESTION E-0601/01 by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Racism and xenophobia in the Union and applicant countries.
Date: 2001-03-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Cyprus, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Türkiye, accession to the European Union, racism, xenophobia

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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Can the Commission provide a list of all the cases in which it has made use of this procedure and indicate
in each specific case to which of Parliament(cid:146)s officers or bodies confidential information was provided and
what it was about.

Is the Commission aware that this procedure involving the provision of specific information to individual
officers or bodies is in breach of Parliament(cid:146)s Rules of Procedure, which stipulate that confidential
documents and information forwarded to Parliament must be examined by the parliamentary committee
responsible and must be made available to all committee members for this purpose?

Can the Commission make available on a confidential basis copies of the notes and documents forwarded
under this procedure?

Can the Commission provide a copy of the internal rules now in force for answering Written Question
pursuant to Article 197 of the EC Treaty? To what extent were these rules changed to take account of the
provisions of the framework agreement?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(24 April 2001)

The Commission does not have a centralised list of all the confidential documents or information supplied
to Parliament in response to requests under Annex III of the framework agreement of 6 July 2000. The
Commission takes the view that it is for each department to implement the framework agreement correctly
and has produced a guide to assist them in doing so. The replies to Parliament(cid:146)s requests for confidential
documents or information are, in the first instance, handled on a decentralised basis by the department
responsible for the subject in question.

The Commission does not agree with the Honourable Members(cid:146) interpretation of Annex VII, point 3, of
Parliament(cid:146)s Rules of Procedure (14th edition), to the effect that this provision requires confidential
documents to be circulated to all members of the parliamentary committee responsible. The Commission
such information to be made available to the members of
believes
a parliamentary committee, but does not stipulate this as a requirement. It does not, therefore, see any
conflict between this provision and the framework agreement.

this provision allows

that

Several other parliamentary questions have sought to obtain from the Commission the documents sent to
Parliament under the terms of the framework agreement. The Commission would therefore refer the
Honourable Members to the answers to Questions E-3240/00, P-3478/00, E 4072/00, P-203/01, E-539/01
and P-571/01 by Ms Stauner.

A copy of the internal rules on the preparation of replies to parliamentary questions will be sent directly to
the Honourable Members and to Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat. These rules were not amended following the
conclusion of the framework agreement, for the reasons explained by the Commission in its reply to
Questions P-203/01 and E-539/01 and in paragraphs 49, 50 and 51 of the Order of the President of the
Court of First Instance of 15 January 2001 in Case T-236/00 R, Gabriele Stauner and Others v. European
Parliament and Commission.

(2001/C 318 E/086)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0601/01

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 March 2001)

Subject: Racism and xenophobia in the Union and applicant countries

Europe has experienced a resurgence of racism and xenophobia in recent years.

The EU founded the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia based in Vienna, which
receives funds from the Community budget and draws up studies on racism and xenophobia in the
Member States of the Union. The Centre, however, remains unknown to the public at large, while its
practical contribution to combating these phenomena is negligible.

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Neither does the Centre have any practical impact whatever on racism in the applicant countries, such as
Turkey, where the anti-Semitic and fascist (cid:145)Grey Wolves(cid:146) organisation operates unhindered inside and
outside the country. The bludgeoning to death in August 1996 of the Cypriot citizen, A. Isaak, in the UN-
controlled buffer zone in Cyprus was a stark example of the organisation(cid:146)s (cid:145)international(cid:146) operations. The
Government of Cyprus has in fact issued international warrants for the arrest of members of this fascist
organisation on murder charges and its supporter, the (cid:145)Agriculture Minister(cid:146) of the self-styled (cid:145)state(cid:146) of
northern Cyprus, who shot and killed the unarmed Cypriot citizen, S. Solomos, also in August 1996 in the
buffer zone.

Will the Commission say what action it will take to curb racism and xenophobia in the Member States of
the EU and the applicant countries and whether it has raised the issue of the (cid:145)Grey Wolves(cid:146) hate-motivated
attacks within and outside Turkey during talks with Turkish officials in the context of the partnership with
Turkey and, if not, when it intends to do so?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(7 June 2001)

The fight against racism and xenophobia is a major concern of the Union.

Racism and xenophobia are completely contrary to the fundamental European values solemnly recognised
in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (1), pronounced in Nice on 7 December
2000. The Charter reaffirms the principle of equality between people and prohibits any discrimination
based on race, colour or racial or ethnic origin.

Several Community measures have been introduced recently, aimed at promoting the application of and
adherence to these fundamental principles in the Member States.

Further to the entry into force of the EC Treaty and of Article 13 thereof, on a proposal from the
Commission,
the Council adopted a package of measures aimed at combating discrimination. This
includes:

Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between
persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin (2) was adopted on 29 June 2000. The Directive establishes
a general principle of prohibition of any direct or indirect discrimination based on racial or ethnic origin
in a number of fields such as employment, training, social protection, education and access to goods and
services. The Member States now have until 2003 to take the necessary measures at national level to
implement the Directive.

Council Decision 2000/750/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a Community Action Programme to
combat discrimination (2001-2006) (3) puts
forms of
discrimination on different grounds, including racial or ethnic origin. The programme has three main
objectives: the improvement of the understanding of issues related to discrimination, the development of
the capacity to prevent and address discrimination effectively and the promotion and dissemination of the
including through the use of awareness-raising
values underlying the fight against discrimination,
campaigns.

into practice a strategy for combating all

Together, these measures will constitute a comprehensive basis for action to fight against discrimination
on grounds of racial or ethnic origin, providing a minimum level of legal rights, supported by practical
action to promote the effective application of those rights on the ground. It should be noted though that
these instruments do not apply outside the Community.

This work has been supplemented by the creation, in 1997, of the Monitoring Centre on Racism and
Xenophobia based in Vienna as an independent body to contribute to combating racism, xenophobia and
anti-Semitism throughout Europe. The Centre started its activities in July 1998. It has the task of reviewing
the extent and development of the racist, xenophobic and anti-Semitic phenomena in the Union and
promoting (cid:145)best practice(cid:146) among the Member States. The Centre(cid:146)s areas of activity do not cover the
applicant countries.

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On the question of racism in the Candidate Countries, the Commission recalls its Communication to the
European Council in Cologne on June 1999 on Countering Racism, Xenophobia and Anti-Semitism in the
Candidate Countries (4), which considered the actions already taken and being taken by the Union and by
the candidate countries themselves to combat racism and which made proposals for further measures.

The Commission also recalls the Joint Action adopted by the Council on 15 July 1996 concerning action
to combat racism and xenophobia (5). The main objective of the Joint Action is to facilitate effective police
and judicial co-operation between the Member States to deal with the racist crimes, by preventing the
perpetrators from taking advantage of differences in legislation within the Union in order to escape justice.
The Joint Action is part of the (cid:145)acquis communautaire(cid:146) and candidate countries will need to implement it
in the same way as for other Union legislative measures. Furthermore, the Commission will present this
year a proposal transforming the joint action in a framework decision including possible improvements to
this instrument.

The implementation of appropriate measures to ensure the respect for human rights and to combat racist
violence are being considered as part of the preparations for accession.

The Commission has not raised specific incidents or the existence of specific organisations in this context.

(1) OJ C 364, 18.12.2000.
(2) OJ L 180, 19.7.2000.
(3) OJ L 303, 2.12.2000.
(4) COM(1999) 256 final.
(5) OJ L 185, 24.7.1996.

(2001/C 318 E/087)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0602/01

by Struan Stevenson (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 March 2001)

Subject: Cat and dog fur in the EU

With regard to the Commission proposals laying down strict health rules concerning animal by-products
not intended for human consumption and, in particular, the special conditions for the placing on the
is the Commission aware that dog chews are being
market,
manufactured from animal hides from cats and dogs slaughtered for their pelts in China and other parts of
Asia?

trade and importance of dog chews,

Is it aware that the EU may become a dumping ground for such products now that the US has imposed
a blanket ban on imports?

What steps is it taking to prevent such products from entering the EU?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(30 May 2001)

The import of petfood into the Community is subject to strict Community animal health and certification
rules. In particular, import of dog chews is allowed only if they are made from skins of ungulates.

The Commission has no data or information concerning the manufacturing or marketing of dog chews
from animal hides of cats and dogs. It would ask the Honourable Member to transmit any evidence he has
regarding such practices.