WRITTEN QUESTION E-2137/01 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. African immigrants arriving on Spain's Costa del Sol.
Date: 2001-07-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Africa, EU migration policy, Spain, cooperation policy, death, illegal migration, trafficking in human beings

18.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 93 E/67

In many EU countries domestic violence, including sexual violence against wives or female partners, is
punished, with sanctions including banning a husband or partner guilty of such an offence from the family
home. Despite this legislation in the present Member States the scale of violence against women continues
to be alarming and substantial.

Can the Commission say:

1. how cases of violence against women and minors in the family are regulated and sanctioned in the

candidate countries;

2. whether, in these pre-accession years, checks are being carried out on the laws protecting women and
combating the violence to which they are subjected in all sectors of social life, including the world of
work;

3. whether it intends to ask the governments of the candidate countries to bring their legislation on the

subject into line with standards in the existing Member States;

4. whether it does not consider it appropriate to ascertain, as a prerequisite for accession, the existence

of such laws to protect women and combat domestic violence?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(10 September 2001)

The Commission would point out that the matters raised by the Honourable Member are dealt with by the
Commission in the regular reports which it presents every year to Parliament and the Council on the
progress made towards accession by the candidate countries. The next regular reports will be presented in
November.

In the last reports, presented in November last year:

1. and 4.

the Commission pointed out the problems encountered and the measures taken (including those
concerning the ratification of certain agreements) and shortcomings in the legislation, particularly as
regards Cyprus, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Turkey;

2.

the candidate countries the Commission analysed the existing situation regarding equal
for all
the
opportunities for men and women. The analysis covered the chapter on observance of
Copenhagen political criteria, and in particular respect for human rights, of a social, economic and
cultural nature, and also the application of the social chapter of the Community acquis.

3. The Commission would point out to the Honourable Member that application of the Community
acquis formed part of the conditions laid down for accession by the Copenhagen European Council in
1993 (21 and 22 June 1993). In the Commission’s regular reports, under the association agreements
concluded between the Community and its Member States on the one hand and each of the candidate
countries on the other, and also as part of the accession negotiations,
it therefore reminds the
candidate countries of this obligation, stressing that the social acquis is essential in this area and that
they must comply with it.

(2002/C 93 E/084)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2137/01

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: African immigrants arriving on Spain’s Costa del Sol

(17 July 2001)

Recently, there has been an increase in the numbers of African immigrants arriving on Spain’s Costa del
Sol, after crossing the Strait of Gibraltar at night in small, unsafe vessels, and dead bodies continue to be
washed up on to Spanish beaches. During the nights of 26 and 27 June, over 1000 people arrived in
dozens of vessels; 500 of them were arrested and of the 62 people travelling in one of the vessels, one was
found to be dead and 20 to be injured. What new action is the Commission planning to take in response
to this tragedy?

C 93 E/68

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2002

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(18 September 2001)

The arrival of vessels of all kinds and sizes with illegal immigrants at the Mediterranean coasts of the
Union is an issue of major concern for the Commission. As recently also mentioned in the reply to the
written question P-2079/01 by Mr. Musumeci
irregular migrants face various dangers including being
smuggled by ruthless criminal networks and other dangers of unsafe passage.

Consequently it is important to develop policies at Union level to deal with the prevention of and the fight
against illegal immigration and in particular also against irregular maritime arrivals. The Council adopted
in June 2001 a Directive defining the facilitation of unauthorised entry, movement and stay and a
accompanying Framework Decision on the strengthening of
the
facilitation of unauthorised entry and residence, which sets a frame for the prosecution of facilitators.
Moreover the Council also adopted a Directive supplementing the provisions of Art. 26 of the Convention
implementing the Schengen Agreement in order to further define the obligations of carriers. In December
2000,
the Commission adopted a Communication on combating trafficking in human beings and
combating the sexual exploitation of children and child pornography, which includes a proposal for a
Council framework decision on combating trafficking in human beings.

framework to prevent

the penal

As already indicated in the reply to the Honourable Member’s written question E-0086/01,
the
Commission intends to initiate an in-depth discussions in the framework of a future Communication on
the common endeavour preventing and fighting against illegal immigration, which will be tabled in the
inter alia, outline the future co-operation with
course of the next weeks. This Communication will,
countries of origin and transit, which could include measures targeted at the infrastructure of irregular
migration flows, among others preventing the use of unsafe modes of transportation.

(2002/C 93 E/085)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2142/01

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(17 July 2001)

Subject: Shipbuilding aid

Is it the case that the EU has come to an amicable agreement with South Korea in the shipbuilding sector,
pursuant to which the EU will not report that country to the WTO provided that it bans ‘dumping’
practices in the shipbuilding industry? If such an agreement has not been concluded, will the Commission
continue to provide aid for shipbuilding in the EU and extend it to oil tankers, merchant ships, container
ships and vessels used to transport chemicals?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(4 October 2001)

Despite a series of intensive negotiations, it has not been possible to reach an amicable settlement of the
shipbuilding dispute with South Korea. The Commission therefore intends to implement the strategy it
agreed on 8 May 2001. This involves a package with two components: the World Trade Organisation
(WTO) dispute settlement procedure and a proposal for a temporary support mechanism.

This mechanism would allow aid to be granted to those market segments where the Commission has
concluded that the Community industry has been considerably injured by unfair Korean trade practices D
namely container ships and product and chemical tankers. The Commission will review the eligibility of
market segments in the light of new evidence clearly proving that a specific market segment within the
Community has been directly injured by unfair Korean trade practices.

The Commission will initiate the dispute settlement proceedings against Korea as soon as the Council
expresses its favourable opinion on the temporary defensive mechanism.