WRITTEN QUESTION P-2089/01 by Marco Pannella (TDI) to the Council. Press freedom in Laos and the funding of the magazine Le Rénovateur.
Date: 2001-07-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU policy, Laos, control of communications, freedom of the press

C 81 E/104

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.4.2002

treatment in Athens (EVDAP) at a total cost of € 125,32 million. It is currently considering a request to
amend these projects to permit additional work amounting to € 10,94 million. No project was part-
financed under the Community support framework (CSF) during the 1994-1999 programming period.

The Commission has not yet received the proposals by the Greek authorities concerning drainage projects
and projects to modernise the water distribution network and combat drought in Attica to be part-
financed by the CSF in the current programming period, 2000-2006. When they are sent
to the
Commission, these proposals will be examined on the basis of the priorities laid down in the environment
operational programme of that CSF.

(2002/C 81 E/124)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2089/01

by Marco Pannella (TDI) to the Council

(12 July 2001)

Subject: Press freedom in Laos and the funding of the magazine (cid:145)Le RØnovateur(cid:146)

The Government of the People(cid:146)s Democratic Republic of Laos has a total monopoly over the written and
audiovisual media. The laws governing the media envisage prison sentences of between five and 15 years
for any journalist who does not report events in a (cid:145)constructive(cid:146) way or reports them in a way which
(cid:145)obstructs(cid:146) the work of the Communist Party. On 8 June last the Minister for Education and Culture,
Mr Phandouangchit Vongsa, promulgated a law setting out in detail the criteria which all journalists are
now obliged to respect when reporting a piece of news, and stepping up the monitoring of information
published on the Internet. Furthermore, the weekly magazine (cid:145)Le RØnovateur(cid:146), which is published in French
and is funded by the Intergovernmental Agency for French-speaking Communities, in no way escapes the
control of the authorities and its content does not distinguish it from any other publications, since it
merely prints the official French translation of texts produced by the Ministry for Information, and its
editor is also the editor of the (cid:145)Vientiane Times(cid:146) (the English edition of one of the national newspapers
published in the Lao language).

Is the Council aware that the Member States (cid:129) in the context of their participation in the Intergovern-
mental Agency for French-speaking Communities (cid:129) are funding a publication which serves as the organ of
the only political party in the country? Does the Council not consider that funding of this kind, even if
indirect, by the Member States is in blatant contrast with the Union(cid:146)s official policy of promoting freedom
of the press? If so, does it intend to include this issue on the agenda for one of its future meetings and,
more generally, what practical and effective measures will the Council take to promote true freedom of the
press in Laos?

Reply

(27 November 2001)

The Council has not been informed about the funding of the publication (cid:145)Le RØnovateur(cid:146). It attaches
importance to freedom of the press and upholds it everywhere, whether it be in the People(cid:146)s Democratic
Republic of Laos or elsewhere. Through the procedures of the Council, the concerns of the Honourable
Member have been brought to the attention of the Member States concerned.

(2002/C 81 E/125)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2094/01

by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(13 July 2001)

Subject: EU Food and Veterinary Office

It has been decided to relocate the EU Food and Veterinary Office to Grange, County Meath in Ireland. Has
the Commission ever assessed Grange for its suitability as a location for such an institution and could the