WRITTEN QUESTION E-1889/01 by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Accession of new countries to the Union.
Date: 2001-06-27
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Russia, Türkiye, accession to the European Union, economic survey, external border of the EU, political geography

C 364 E/220

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.12.2001

to restore order. A number of arrests (initially stated to be 20) were made. These events were reported by
the official Vietnam News Agency. However, foreign correspondents were not permitted to visit the two
provinces.

Observers in Vietnam have attributed the protests to a complex set of circumstances. The provinces have
been relatively sparsely populated for many years before the Government encouraged settlement in the
area to increase the use of agricultural
land hitherto little exploited by the local people. In particular,
plantations were developed for the production of coffee, which has become an important export product
for Vietnam. Many of the new inhabitants, however, were from the Kinh and Viet ethnic groups (the two
predominant ethnic groups in Vietnam). There were also reports of land confiscation and corruption
among local officials during the settlement process.

It has also been suggested that the ethnic minorities resent the efforts of the Government of Vietnam to
reconcile with the Catholic and the official Protestant Churches. Many of the Montagnards are reportedly
associated with a clandestine protestant evangelical church, which is not recognised by the Vietnamese
authorities.

it has been recalled that,

Finally,
fought against, and then
collaborated with the French army. Some of them had later taken up arms together with the American
forces against the Communists in the Vietnam war.

the Montagnards had first

in the past,

The Commission continues, so far as is possible in the present circumstances of restricted access, to
monitor developments in the area.

(2001/C 364 E/240)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1889/01

by Ioannis Mar(cid:237)nos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Accession of new countries to the Union

(27 June 2001)

According to Facts about Turkey, a sleek publication produced by the Turkish News Agency and
distributed for some time to all MEPs, 97 % of Turkish territory is in Asia and 3 % in Europe (Eastern
Thrace). Russia is in a similar situation, albeit that its European part accounts for much more than 3 % of
its territory and stretches as far as the Urals. Since December 1999, Turkey has been a (cid:145)candidate State(cid:146) for
accession, despite the fact that a very small part of its territory is in Europe. Russia, a country with a vast
market and inexhaustible natural resources, has not yet acquired that status as it has not submitted an
application for membership.

Would a possible Russian application for accession in the distant future mean that the Union would extend
its geographical frontiers to the shores of the Far East and border on countries such as China and Japan?
Would it be possible (provided the Copenhagen criteria are met) to consider a (cid:145)pilot(cid:146) accession to the
Union for regions such as European Russia or Eastern Thrace (European Turkey), which clearly are in
Europe and have a significantly higher level of economic development than the other regions of the
countries to which they belong?

To what extent does the Commission consider it appropriate to draw up a study on such a possible
development, which might result in the incorporation of some areas of those countries into the structure
of Europe, and the avoidance of an adverse situation in which the EU would shoulder the burden of the
economic convergence of underdeveloped, remote areas which,
furthermore, belong to geographical
regions which are not in Europe?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(31 July 2001)

Turkey(cid:146)s eligibility as a European state which could become a member of the Community is established in
Article 28 of the Association Agreement between the Community and Turkey, which was signed on
12 September 1963 and entered into force on 1 December 1964 after ratification by all the signatories in
keeping with their respective constitutional procedures.

20.12.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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it wishes to apply for EU membership. EU-
The Russian Federation has given no indication that
Russia relations are based on the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement which entered into force on
1 December 1997. One of
its objectives is to provide an appropriate framework for the gradual
integration of Russia and a wider area of cooperation in Europe.

The Treaties do not envisage the possibility of EU membership for regions forming part of sovereign third
countries. For that reason, the Commission does not intend carrying out a study into this possibility.

(2001/C 364 E/241)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1910/01

by Marialiese Flemming (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(21 June 2001)

Subject: Discrimination

Is the Commission willing to abolish all age limits on Union territory which constitute discrimination on
the grounds of age and are contrary to Article 13 of the EC Treaty?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(26 July 2001)

that

The Commission recalls
the Council adopted on 27 November 2000 Directive 2000/78/EC
establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation (1). This Directive
prohibits discrimination on grounds of, inter alia, age,
including the use of age limits which are not
objectively and reasonably justified by a legitimate aim, including legitimate employment policy, labour
market and vocational training objectives, and if the means of achieving that aim are not appropriate and
necessary.

The Member States have until 2 December 2003 to transpose the requirements of the Directive into
national law. In order to take account of particular conditions, Member States may, if necessary, have an
additional period of three years from 2 December 2003 to implement the provisions of the Directive on
age and disability discrimination. Any Member State which chooses to use this option shall inform the
Commission forthwith and shall report annually to the Commission on the steps it is taking to tackle age
and disability discrimination and on the progress it is making towards implementation.

As regards age limits for competitions for recruitment to the Commission, the Commission would refer the
Honourable Member to its answer to Written Question E-1512/01 by Mrs Raschhofer (2).

(1) OJ L 303, 2.12.2000.
(2) See p. 132.

(2001/C 364 E/242)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1913/01

by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Joint fisheries undertakings in Tunisian fishing-grounds

(28 June 2001)

Following the meeting in Madrid between the Tunisian ambassador to Spain and the mayor of Algeciras
(Andalusia),
it emerges that Tunisia is willing to consider all proposals for cooperation between
undertakings which will enable Spanish vessels to fish in its waters.

The facilities offered by the Tunisian government to Spanish vessel-owners and fishermen for the creation
of joint undertakings include: full tax exemption for the first ten years of activity; state subsidies going up