WRITTEN QUESTION E-1628/01 by Christos Zacharakis (PPE-DE) to the Council. Condemnation of Turkey by the European Court of Human Rights.
Date: 2001-06-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Cyprus, Türkiye, accession criteria, accession negotiations, accession to the European Union, human rights, penalty

C 81 E/42

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.4.2002

Reply

(21 November 2001)

It is recalled that according to Article 290 of the EC Treaty, the rules governing the languages of the
institutions of the Community shall be determined by the Council acting unanimously. These rules are laid
down in Regulation No 1 of the Council of 15 April 1958, last amended when new Member States joined
the Community in 1995, which enumerates the official languages of the EU. The question of Maltese as a
future official
language of the Union has not yet been addressed in the framework of the ongoing
accession negotiations with Malta. As for all the candidate countries with which negotiations have been
started, the negotiating chapter (cid:145)Institutions(cid:146) still remains to be opened.

(2002/C 81 E/052)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1624/01

by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 June 2001)

Subject: Proposal on the promotion of the use of biomass fuels

The Commission has repeatedly announced its intention to encourage greater use of renewable raw
materials. Oilseeds actually constitute an important source of biomass fuels. If production thereof were
stepped up, the benefits would be many and varied: the use of (cid:145)clean energy(cid:146) and the availability of protein-
rich grist as a by-product from the manufacture of biomass diesel fuel from oilseeds, and it would also
have a positive impact on current world oilseed prices which might be used at international level as an
instrument for achieving market balance.

Can the Commission indicate why it has not, to date, adopted a specific proposal on the promotion of the
use of biomass fuels?

Answer given by Ms de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(19 October 2001)

The Commission maintains its intention to promote the use of biofuels in transport.

A communication is being prepared on a medium- and long-term strategy for alternative fuels, together
with two proposals for Directives, one on a minimum level of biofuels in the total in the total volume of
fuels sold on the European market, and the other on the possibility of a tax reduction for biofuels.

According to its work programme for 2001, the communication should be adopted by the Commission by
the end of October 2001.

(2002/C 81 E/053)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1628/01

by Christos Zacharakis (PPE-DE) to the Council

(12 June 2001)

Subject: Condemnation of Turkey by the European Court of Human Rights

In its judgment of 10 May 2001 the European Court of Human Rights condemned Turkey for continuing
large-scale violations of human rights in Cyprus since 1974 and ruled in favour of the application by the
Republic of Cyprus.

As the Turkish Government hastened to announce that it would ignore this judgment of the European
Court of Human Rights, whose jurisdiction it has by the way formally recognised since 1990, and as in the

4.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/43

past it ignored a similar judgment by the same court condemning it in the Loizidou case of 1996, can the
Council say:

1. What direct action it intends to take to ensure respect for the judgments of the European Court of

Human Rights by Turkey?

2. What will be the consequences of Turkey(cid:146)s behaviour in violating its commitments to the European
institutions in respect of its prospects of accession to the European Union, and what specific form will
these consequences take in the European Union(cid:146)s political and economic relations with Turkey?

Reply

(29 November 2001)

The EU has no authority to take direct action to enforce judgements by the European Court of Human
Rights. But it does take every opportunity, not least in its enhanced political dialogue with Turkey, to press
on it the need to respect all its international commitments, not least on human rights, including decisions
by the European Court of Human Rights.

Turkey is well aware that compliance with the Copenhagen political criteria is a prerequisite for the
opening of accession negotiations and that membership of the Union requires compliance with all the
Copenhagen criteria. The EU has set out its priorities in this regard in the Accession Partnership for
Turkey (1), which includes the guaranteeing of rights and freedoms laid down in the European Convention
for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and ensuring their implementation, as an
integral part of the acquis communautaire.

The Accession Partnership has also a conditionality clause on the basis of which Community assistance for
financing projects through the pre-accession instruments for Turkey is conditional on respect by Turkey of
its commitments under the Association Agreement, customs union and related decisions of the EC-Turkey
Association Council, for example on the trade regime for agricultural products. At this stage, further steps
towards satisfying the Copenhagen criteria and in particular progress in meeting the specific priorities of
this Accession Partnership in 2001 need to be taken.

(1) OJ L 85, 24.3.2001.

(2002/C 81 E/054)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1636/01

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

(12 June 2001)

Subject: Single market in mortgages

The standardisation of rules on mortgages which will take place when the new European code of conduct
on loans is adopted will significantly alter the European market in mortgages.

This code, already endorsed by financial institutions and consumers, is now awaiting adoption by the
Fifteen, who may submit their comments or amendments.

Can the Commission explain the present state of play on the matter and state whether Member States will
be expected to give their approval by a given date, so that we can finally have a single market in
mortgages despite the excessive protectionism concerning internal markets being exhibited by some
Member States?