WRITTEN QUESTION E-0604/01 by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Council. Community police officers whose nationality is not that of the Member State in which they serve.
Date: 2001-03-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU national, EU police cooperation, neighbourhood police

18.9.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 261 E/157

(2001/C 261 E/181)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0598/01

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(2 March 2001)

Subject: Referendum on independence for the Faeroe Isles

The Danish Government is threatening to suspend the subsidy it pays to the Faeroe Isles with immediate
effect if the Faeroese people support their government(cid:146)s plan for independence. The Danish Government is
uttering this threat in order to thwart the Faeroese Government(cid:146)s plan to achieve independence in 2012 or
thereabouts.

On Saturday, 26 May 2001, the Kallsberg Government will be submitting its plan to the Faeroese people
in a referendum. The proposal seeks a gradual transition towards independence, together with a systematic
reduction in the Danish subsidy. A final decision would be taken in 2012 on whether or not the Faeroe
Isles should become independent after 600 years of Danish rule.

1. What is the Council(cid:146)s view of the Danish Government(cid:146)s threat to suspend the subsidy it pays to the
Faeroe Isles with immediate effect if the Faeroese people support their government(cid:146)s plan for indepen-
dence?

2.
Does the Council feel that this threat is consistent with the principles of good governance? If so,
what arguments can the Council advance in order to reconcile this threat with the principles of good
governance?

Reply

(30 May 2001)

The Council would inform the Honourable Member that it has no competence to reply to questions
concerning the domestic policy of a Member State of the European Union.

(2001/C 261 E/182)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0604/01

by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Council

(2 March 2001)

Subject: Community police officers whose nationality is not that of the Member State in which they serve

Among the innovations introduced in recent times by various Member States in the area of policing, the
concept of community police officers stands out as one which has resulted in increased security for the
public notably in the urban periphery.

For a variety of reasons, certain urban areas have a large foreign community made up of EU citizens.

Does the Council consider that in the interest of the approachability and empathy which community
police officers should maintain vis-(cid:224)-vis the community they are supposed to protect, police cooperation
programmes should be initiated between the police forces of different Member States to enable police
officers from the Member States concerned to assist in local community policing in areas with a large
foreign community of EU citizens?

Reply

(30 May 2001)

1.
The European Police Chiefs Operational Task Force, at its meeting in Paris on 14 and 15 September
2000, highlighted similarities in approach between the various community policing methods which exist

C 261 E/158

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.9.2001

in Europe. All the police forces in the Member States share a willingness to learn from each other for
community policing.

It was considered appropriate to:

(cid:129) develop study missions on the principles and practicalities of community policing;

(cid:129) create a documentary base in order to capitalise on experience and practice;

(cid:129) hold meetings on topics central to community policing.

In its Decision of 22 December 2000 establishing a European Police College (1) the Council assigned

2.
to this College responsibility for disseminating best practice and research findings [Article 7(e)].

During 2001 France will organise an exchange and training session on community policing for

3.
police officers in the field.

(1) OJ L 336, 30.12.2000, p. 1.

(2001/C 261 E/183)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0606/01

by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 March 2001)

Subject: European Union campaign to combat child deaths caused by accidents

Accidents are the main cause of child deaths in the developed countries and a UNICEF report has
estimated that 20 000 children will die as a result of accidents by the end of this year. Injuries caused by
accidents are responsible for 40 % of deaths among children aged from one to 14 in the OECD countries.

The most frequent causes of fatal
poisoning.

injuries to children are road accidents, drowning, burns, falls and

In view of these alarming figures and bearing in mind the campaigns conducted by the EU against other
scourges affecting our society, such as cancer or tobacco, does the Commission not think it should launch
a forceful Community-wide campaign to raise public awareness of the risks to children, so as to bring
about a sharp reduction in the alarming number of accidents of this kind?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(23 April 2001)

The Commission shares the concern of the Honourable Member about the very high number of children
aged one to fourteen who are killed in accidents, particularly in road accidents. Under the Community
Action Programme on Injury Prevention the development of a Community policy is on the way. In setting
up such a policy the Commission,
the
fundamental aspects of the prevention of accidents an awareness building strategy with a view to reducing
fatal accidents involving children.

together with the Member States, will develop as one of

Furthermore, the protection of children and other (cid:145)vulnerable road users(cid:146) has been a feature of the
Commission(cid:146)s road safety policy since the early 1990(cid:146)s. The Commission is currently preparing its 3rd
Road Safety Action Plan which will cover the period 2002-2010. Protection of children against accidents
and education to prevent accidents will be addressed in this document.