WRITTEN QUESTION E-0702/01 by John Cushnahan (PPE-DE) to the Council. The Serbian government's commitment to human rights and accountability.
Date: 2001-03-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Serbia, democratisation, human rights, the EU's international role

C 340 E/72

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.12.2001

is currently under
This proposal, on which the European Parliament
examination at the Council. It would therefore be premature for the Council to state its position on the
matters raised by the Honourable Member.

to deliver its opinion,

is yet

The Council will in any case take account of the opinion of the European Parliament before acting on the
proposal.

(2001/C 340 E/084)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0699/01

by Eurig Wyn (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(14 March 2001)

Subject: UK involvement in the bombing of Baghdad

Will the Council be supporting UK involvement in the bombing of Baghdad?

Would the Council not agree that the citizens of Iraq have already suffered enough following the economic
embargo, and that further air attacks by the USA and Britain will only add to their suffering, and that in
the name of democracy and human rights these attacks should be condemned?

Reply

(13 July 2001)

The Council has no common position on the issue of the (cid:145)no-fly zones(cid:146) in Iraq, including the bombings
referred to in the question.

The Council considers it important to prevent the Iraqi Government from again acquiring weapons of
mass destruction and recalls its full support for the relevant UN Security Council resolutions on Iraq,
including resolution 1284/99. The Council agrees, however, that there is a need to alleviate the suffering
of the Iraqi people resulting from the implementation of these sanctions. The (cid:145)oil-for-food(cid:146) program is of
crucial importance in this context and the Council hopes that the implementation of the program could be
streamlined in accordance with the recommendations by the UN Secretary-General. Within the framework
of the UNSC resolutions, the Council is examining possibilities for further EU action in the humanitarian
and cultural fields.

The Council also notes that the full cooperation of the Iraqi Government with the UN would lead to
a suspension and eventual lifting of sanctions in accordance with the provisions of UNSC resolution 1284.
The Council hopes that the recent contacts between the UN Secretary-General and representatives of the
Iraqi Government will promote such cooperation in the future.

The Council has also noted with interest the discussions in the UN Security Council about improving the
effectiveness of
including better targeting, and thereby avoiding unnecessary human
suffering.

the sanctions,

(2001/C 340 E/085)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0702/01

by John Cushnahan (PPE-DE) to the Council

(14 March 2001)

Subject: The Serbian government(cid:146)s commitment to human rights and accountability

In view of the appointment of Colonel Sreten Lukic as Chief of Public Security and Deputy Interior
Minister, is the Council aware that this raises concerns regarding the Serbian government(cid:146)s commitment to
human rights and accountability?

4.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 340 E/73

What action does the Council intend to take to ensure that Serbia honours its obligations in this regard?

Reply

(16 July 2001)

The Council stresses continuously to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia authorities that full respect for
human rights and democracy is a necessary precondition for a rapprochement of this country to the
mainstream of Europe.

On their side, the Belgrade authorities (cid:129) and President Kostunica personally at the Zagreb Summit, last
November (cid:129) have on numerous occasions restated their commitment to respect fully these fundamental
principles and have taken positive steps to this end.

Much remains to be done (cid:129) including on full cooperation with ICTY and the release of all wrongly
imprisoned ethnic Albanian political prisoners (cid:129) but in the Council(cid:146)s view the democratic government of
the FRY has made good progress in overcoming the unhappy situation in the human rights field
bequeathed to it by the Milosevic regime.

(2001/C 340 E/086)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0703/01

by John Cushnahan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(8 March 2001)

Subject: The plight of defendants in Palestine

Defendants in Palestine are regularly subjected to execution following military trials, having been denied
access to lawyers and the right to appeal. What action has the EU Commission taken to end this
unacceptable procedure?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(2 May 2001)

The Commission is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances and is committed to campaign for
the universal abolition of the death penalty. That stance is rooted in the Commission(cid:146)s belief in the
inherent dignity of all human beings and the inviolability of the human person.

In this context, the Commission has fully supported the Union Presidency Declaration of 15 January 2001
deeply regretting the latest executions that have taken place in West Bank and Gaza in January 2001 and
requesting President Arafat to respect its commitment with the Union as regards a moratorium on death
penalty. This declaration also appealed to President Arafat to commute the death sentences against Ali al-
Hatib and Husa al-Din Musa in Bethlehem. The Palestinian Authority has for the moment suspended those
executions.

(2001/C 340 E/087)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0704/01

by John Cushnahan (PPE-DE) to the Council

(14 March 2001)

Subject: Human rights abuses in Pakistan

What steps does the Council intend to take to ensure that the human rights abuses which are taking place
in Pakistan in the name of political reform are discontinued? Since Pakistan(cid:146)s transition from constitutional
to military rule, the Musharraf government has detained opponents and former officials without charge,