WRITTEN QUESTION E-1468/01 by Guido Podestà (PPE-DE) to the Council. Women and society in Afghanistan.
Date: 2001-05-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Afghanistan, human rights, humanitarian aid, position of women, religious fundamentalism, sexual discrimination

4.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/27

What steps does it intend to take to stem this religious fanaticism?

What steps will it take to strengthen dialogue with the local authorities?

What cooperation measures does it intend to launch internationally, especially with countries such as
Pakistan, the Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which have recognised the Taleban government, in order to
try to find scope for agreement?

Reply

(20 November 2001)

1. When the Taliban regime announced its intention to destroy cultural artefacts in Afghanistan, the
Council immediately reacted and tried to prevent the destruction of the rich cultural heritage. Several
demarches were carried out, including with the Taliban (cid:145)Foreign Minister(cid:146) Mutawakil, in Pakistan, in Saudi
Arabia and in Abu Dhabi. The Council also firmly condemned the ordered destruction in its declaration of
1 March 2001. Unfortunately, the Taliban, once again, turned out to be completely insensitive to the
combined international pressure and unanimous condemnation, including by other Islamic countries, of
their barbaric acts.

2.
The Council will obviously keep up efforts to prevent any further deterioration of the situation,
without, however, having unrealistic expectations as to the chances to influence the Taliban(cid:146)s unacceptable
behaviour. As set out in the Common Position of January 2001, the Council will also continue to promote
an end to the fighting in Afghanistan and a negotiated political settlement between the warring factions.
To this end, the Council will continue to raise the issue of Afghanistan during the regular political dialogue
meetings with neighbouring countries, inviting them to use whatever influence they have to bring about a
change in the country.

As to the other problems raised in the question, the Council has already repeatedly and extensively
3.
informed the European Parliament of
the situation in
Afghanistan. In the absence of particular new developments, the Council therefore invites the Honourable
MEP to revert to the replies given to questions O-0032/2001, O-0052/2001, H-0170/2001, H-0481/2001
and E-0088/2001.

its position concerning various aspects of

(2002/C 81 E/034)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1468/01

by Guido Podest(cid:224) (PPE-DE) to the Council

(21 May 2001)

Subject: Women and society in Afghanistan

In Afghanistan the Taleban introduced an ultra-fundamentalist regime based on religious fundamentalism
and sex discrimination.

The civil war, which has been raging in the country for years, has created more than 5 million refugees,
more than one million disabled people and widespread poverty.

Women are in a majority in a country which has more than 700 000 widows. Their families live in abject
poverty made worse by the edicts of the Taleban forbidding women to work outside the home.

The ban on even elementary education for women is aggravating the already high incidence of illiteracy
and subjugation.

Whilst women are certainly those most affected by restrictions which are tantamount to a continual
violation of human rights, the general state of civil society is also extremely bad.

C 81 E/28

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.4.2002

What steps will the Council take to offer support to the population oppressed by the present regime?

What steps will it take at international level to ensure respect for civil and human rights?

What steps has it taken in the context of international relations to prevent the supply of arms to and the
training of the fundamentalists from being supplied with arms and trained?

Reply

(20 November 2001)

In reply to various oral and written questions over the past weeks and months, the Council has repeatedly
and extensively informed the European Parliament of its position concerning various aspects of the Afghan
problems, and in particular of action taken in respect to the humanitarian crisis and regarding the
alleviation of suffering of Afghan women. In the absence of particular new developments, the Council
therefore invites the Honourable MEP to revert to the replies given to questions O-0032/2001, O-0052/
2001, H-0170/2001, H-0481/2001 and E-0088/2001.

(2002/C 81 E/035)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1473/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(18 May 2001)

Subject: Suppression of

information about compliance with EU rules and subsidy conditions as a

consequence of national, regional and local confidentiality rules

1.
Is the Commission aware that the Netherlands province of Friesland has introduced (cid:145)confidentiality(cid:146)
rules stipulating that politicians and officials will be liable to penalties if they help to bring confidential
information to the attention of third parties, and that such third parties also include the Commission (see
press report in Spits for Friday 20 April 2001)?

Is the Commission also aware that it was financial assistance granted to the SCI computer company,
2.
which has since led the Commission to demand repayment of € 1,5 million and caused a local politician to
be blamed for the repayment demand because he had passed on confidential
information to the
Commission, that provided the impetus for the rules referred to in paragraph 1?

3.
Is the Commission aware of other cases where local, regional or national authorities in Member
States use confidentiality provisions to protect themselves from investigations into the misappropriation of
EU financial assistance or infringements of European rules? In what Member States other than the
Netherlands do such provisions also apply?

4.
Are provisions that prohibit politicians and officials from passing on information to third parties
obstructing the Commission in its efforts to obtain the information it needs to monitor for misappropri-
ations of EU financial assistance and investigate violations of European rules, thus preventing it from
carrying out the checks for which such information is necessary?

Does the Commission consider the fact that local, regional and national governments have the right
5.
to use national
legislation to protect themselves against the leaking of information to third parties,
including the Commission, as grounds for simplifying or reviewing the rules on providing EU subsidies
and complying with EU commitments?

6.
If the answer to question 5 is in the negative, how will the Commission prevent situations from
arising again and again where lack of information will cause it make wrong decisions or be forced to
abandon any attempt to demand repayment?