WRITTEN QUESTION E-0680/01 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Council. Use of chemical weapons in Turkey and Iraq and the European Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy.
Date: 2001-03-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Iraq, Türkiye, chemical weapon, common foreign and security policy, the EU's international role

C 340 E/66

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.12.2001

A second progress report, a preliminary study on the long-term viability of pensions, based on
contributions from the Member States, was presented to the Council (Employment and Social Policy) on
6 March 2001 and submitted to the Stockholm European Council on 23/24 March 2001.

For the Gothenburg European Council in June, the Social Protection Committee is currently preparing
a more comprehensive report on the sustainability of pensions. A further report to the Council, based on
a Communication from the Commission, is envisaged for September 2001.

(2001/C 340 E/076)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0669/01

by Philip Bushill-Matthews (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Lisbon European Council and pensions sustainability

(6 March 2001)

The 2000 Lisbon European Council invited (cid:145)the Council to mandate the High Level Working Party on
Social Protection (cid:133) to support (cid:133) [social policy] cooperation and, as its first priority, to prepare, on the
basis of a Commission communication, a study on the future evolution of social protection from a long-
term point of view, giving particular attention to the sustainability of pensions systems in different time
frameworks up to 2020 and beyond, where necessary.(cid:146) Was such a progress report available by December
2000 and what timetable has been established for future work by the High Level Working Party?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(2 May 2001)

A progress report from the High-Level Working Party on Social Protection on the study on sustainable
pensions was indeed adopted by the Employment and Social Affairs Council on 27/28 November 2000
and transmitted to the Nice European Council.

Subsequently the High-Level Working Party (now Social Protection Committee) prepared a questionnaire to
the Member States as a basis for national reports. These national reports are now being analysed and will
serve as a basis for the final study to be presented to the G(cid:246)teborg European Council in June.

The Commission intends to pursue and strengthen this co-operation on sustainable pensions with a view
of proposing a communication to the Parliament and the Council.

(2001/C 340 E/077)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0680/01

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(14 March 2001)

Subject: Use of chemical weapons in Turkey and Iraq and the European Union(cid:146)s Common Foreign and

Security Policy

On Friday, 16 February American and British aircraft attacked the region of the capital of Iraq. Two people
were killed and twenty injured. According to Iraqi TV two homes were destroyed in Hafriya, a village 40
km south of Baghdad. Damage was more limited in al-Rashdiya, 20 km north of Baghdad.

The British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Robin Cook, said that the bombing was necessary to
maintain the no-fly zones required to protect the Kurdish people in the north and the Shiites in the south.
(cid:145)When Saddam was allowed to fly over the northern zone he used chemical weapons on the Kurds(cid:146), Cook
said. (cid:145)He would do it again if he had the opportunity(cid:146).

4.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 340 E/67

Cook(cid:146)s position on the use of chemicals weapons in Iraq is in stark contrast to the attitude of the EU
Member States on the use of chemical weapons in Turkey. For example, the Council has still not expressed
an opinion on the Turkish army(cid:146)s use of chemical weapons with German warheads on the Kurdish PKK
movement on 11 May 1999. Nevertheless there is a need to develop a clear view of the Kurdish question
in Iraq and Turkey in the context of the Common Foreign and Security Policy.

Will the Council take whatever action is necessary to put an end to the use of chemical weapons against
the Kurds in Turkey, to reflect Cook(cid:146)s line on the use of chemical weapons against the Kurds in Iraq? If
not, why does the Council refuse to develop a clear view of the use of chemical weapons against, on the
one hand, the Kurds in Iraq (as witness Cook(cid:146)s position) and, on the other hand, the Kurds in Turkey?

Reply

(16 July 2001)

Regarding the issue of chemical weapons in Turkey, the Honourable Member is kindly invited to refer to
the reply to the Written Question No E-0670/01 on (cid:145)German chemical weapons in Turkey(cid:146). The use of
chemical weapons against the Kurds has not been raised within the Council or Council bodies. The
Council has not therefore expressed its views on the issue.

(2001/C 340 E/078)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0682/01

by Emilia M(cid:252)ller (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(8 March 2001)

Subject: Inclusion of military areas in the sites notified by the Member States under the EU habitats and

bird protection Directive

1. Which Member States have included areas in military use in the sites notified under the EU habitats
and bird protection Directive for the purposes of a European Natura 2000 network?

2. What proportion do these military areas represent in relation to the total area which the relevant
Member State has notified to the Commission in accordance with the habitats and bird protection
Directive?

In the event of any Member State not having included military areas in its notification of sites, please

3.
indicate:

(a) Why this has not been done?

(b) What is the Commission(cid:146)s position on this?

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

(10 May 2001)

The possible military use of sites notified to the Commission under Council Directive 92/43/EEC of
21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild flora and fauna (1) and Council Directive
79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds (2) for the Natura 2000 network is amongst
the voluntary data included by the Member States at the time of notification. The type of activity, (cid:145)military
exercise,(cid:146) which may be linked to the Honourable Member(cid:146)s Question, may therefore be given voluntarily.
Out of the 14 Member States that have sent computerised data to the Commission under the habitats
Directive (all except for Germany), ten, (Belgium, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria,
Portugal, Finland, Sweden) have indicated this type of activity. As regards the sites notified under the bird
protection Directive, eight Member States,
Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal,
(Belgium, Greece,
Finland, Sweden) have indicated this type of activity.

The Commission is not in a position to provide the information requested, given the voluntary nature of
the indication of military use, therefore it is impossible to calculate the total area.