WRITTEN QUESTION E-2183/01 by Baroness Sarah Ludford (ELDR) to the Commission. Bonded labour and the International Labour Organisation.
Date: 2001-07-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: International Labour Organisation, South Asia, labour law, labour standard, slavery, technical cooperation

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(2002/C 40 E/225)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2181/01

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Arbitrary decisions by the Greek administration

(23 July 2001)

On 6 July 2001 the Greek press published the news that one million Greek identity cards will have to be
destroyed following the ruling by the Council of State that the (cid:145)Personal Data Protection Authority(cid:146) had
been wrong to order the deletion of the reference to nationality from the new identity cards. It should be
pointed out that 300 000 new identity cards containing no reference to nationality have already been
issued to Greek citizens, despite the EU(cid:146)s position that this decision by the Greek authorities was illegal.
According to Greek police officers, the new identity cards (which do not mention religion either) will be
withdrawn and the 700 000 identity cards already printed will have to be destroyed.

How does the Commission view the decision by the Greek authorities (cid:129) an illegal decision, as it turns out
(cid:129) to omit any reference to nationality in the new identity cards? Is any provision made for sanctions
against countries violating Community legislation in defiance of warnings by the EU which pointed out in
good time that the deletion of the reference to nationality was illegal? If so, what sanctions? What would
be the consequences of a hypothetical future ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Communities
that the compulsory deletion of the reference to religion was also contrary to Community legislation?
Would the optional entry of religion be in breach of this legislation?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(27 September 2001)

By letter dated 4 December 2000, the Commission drew the attention of the Greek authorities to the fact
that the omission of nationality on the new Greek identity cards was contrary to Community law. Its
position was confirmed by the Greek Council of State and accepted by the Greek authorities.

Community law does not make provision for penalties to be imposed on Member States which fail to fulfil
their obligations arising from it other than those laid down in Article 228 (former Article 171) of the EC
Treaty, under which the Court of Justice,
if it finds that a Member State does not comply with its
judgment, may, in accordance with the procedure laid down in that Article, impose a lump sum or penalty
payment.

With regard to the optional reference to religion on Greek identity cards, the Commission would refer the
Honourable Member to its answer to Written Question H-0456/00 by Mr Alvanos (1). Moreover, it should
be recalled that, on this point, the Greek Council of State has ruled that the optional reference to religion
on identity cards is contrary to the Greek Constitution.

(1) Written answer of 13.6.2000.

(2002/C 40 E/226)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2183/01

by Baroness Sarah Ludford (ELDR) to the Commission

Subject: Bonded labour and the International Labour Organisation

(23 July 2001)

What action is the EU taking to outlaw bonded labour in southern Asia? In particular, what did the EU
achieve at the ILO Conference in June?

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Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(6 September 2001)

The Commission(cid:146)s efforts at contributing to the effective abolition of forced labour throughout the world,
including bonded labour in Southern Asia, focus both on strengthening international mechanisms for
promoting core labour standards (which include the prohibition of forced labour) and on alleviating the
pervasive poverty in which practices such as bonded labour are generally rooted.

With regard to the promotion of core labour standards in general, the Commission wishes to draw the
Honourable Member(cid:146)s attention to the Communication adopted by the Commission on 18 July 2001 on
(cid:145)Promoting core labour standards and improving social governance in the context of globalisation(cid:146) (1). The
Communication proposes an Union strategy for promoting core labour standards and social governance,
including both measures to be taken by the Union (in the context of its development policy and through
such instruments as the Generalized System of Preferences) and ways of reinforcing international
mechanisms for promoting core labour standards, notably in the context of the International Labour
Organisation (ILO). In the ILO, this would include discussion of steps to reinforce the effectiveness of the
increased
supervisory mechanism,
contributions to ILO technical assistance. It would also include discussion of a new voluntary system of
reciprocal commitments to respect core labour standards.

including better publicity and more effective follow-up, as well

The Commission also seeks to promote the eradication of bonded labour in Southern Asia through its
technical assistance to the countries of the region. The Commission(cid:146)s strategy for development cooperation
aims first and foremost at reducing the incidence of poverty and thereby paving the way for socially and
economically empowering the groups that are most likely to fall prey to practices such as bonded labour.

In the case of Sri Lanka, in the framework of the Community co-operation strategy (2002-2006), a strong
poverty alleviation focus directed at those rural areas with the most evident levels of poverty, has been
introduced. In Bangladesh, two of the Commission(cid:146)s most important areas of co-operation are non-formal
primary education and social mobilisation, which are both essential elements in fighting child and
bounded labour.
the Community is currently funding a (cid:145)Human Rights multiannual
programme for Bangladesh (2000-2003)(cid:146), mainly focused on promotion of the rights of vulnerable groups
(women and children). In Pakistan, the Commission is collaborating with ILO by funding a programme
that aims directly at combating the practice of abusive child and bonded labour through measures of
prevention, withdrawal and rehabilitation.

In addition,

Regarding India, the Commission has committed around € 2 billion in poverty-alleviation targeted co-
operation since 1976. Currently the priority sectors are primary education (€150 million agreed in 1994,
and € 200 million have been approved by Member States end 2000), primary health (€ 200 million agreed
in 1996), and environment. Over 150 non governmental organisations (NGOs) projects are currently
financed in India, many of which focus on rural development
focusing in particular on the most
marginalised layers of population. Nepal receives a yearly average of € 15 million in support of poverty
alleviation programmes and projects, such as rural development, social services and education.

This year(cid:146)s International Labour Conference,
to which the Honourable Member also refers, saw a
particularly useful discussion of the trends worldwide with regard to forced labour, on the occasion of the
presentation of
this year(cid:146)s (cid:145)Global Report(cid:146) under the follow-up to the ILO(cid:146)s 1998 Declaration on
Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. The discussion also focussed on possible further efforts to
combat forced labour, and it appears that the question of how the ILO can further extend its technical
assistance programmes to combat forced labour may be taken up in greater detail at the November session
of the ILO(cid:146)s Governing Body. The Honourable Member enquires what the Union achieved in this context.

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On certain subjects, the Presidency intervenes on behalf of the Union in the ILO (of which the Union is
not a member). At this year(cid:146)s International Labour Conference, the Union thus intervened on a number of
subjects, including the issue of ILO action against forced labour in Burma/Myanmar, and discussion of a
new Convention on safety and health in agriculture, but not in the discussion on the Global Report on
forced labour.

(1) COM(2001) 416 final.

(2002/C 40 E/227)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2190/01

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

Subject: Fisheries agreement with Morocco

(23 July 2001)

What scope is there for re-opening the negotiations on a new fisheries agreement with Morocco, now that
representatives of the fisheries sector in Galicia have stated that they are prepared to accept one of the four
offers made by Morocco (and are even willing to land their catch in Moroccan ports), and bearing in mind
the fact that Morocco has an objective interest in maintaining a social and economic link of this nature
with the European Union?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(12 September 2001)

During its meeting of 25 April 2001 and following a report by the Commission, the Council concluded
that under existing circumstances it had not been possible to arrive at a mutually beneficial Fisheries
Agreement between the Community and Morocco.

Since that date the Commission has not received any formal offers from Morocco concerning the relations
in the fisheries area. Should such an offer be forthcoming, the Commission would examine its merits
thoroughly and swiftly.

(2002/C 40 E/228)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2191/01

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

(23 July 2001)

Subject: Principle of relative stability as regards fishing in Community waters

Is the Commission intending to propose a review of the principle of relative stability as regards fishing in
Community waters (the introduction of which was agreed at the beginning of the 1980s, before the
current resources policy was devised), since that principle no longer reflects the current state of the sector
or the relative importance of the various EU fishing grounds following the accession of new Member
States? What action is the Commission going to take in order to counter the unfair discrimination suffered
by regions such as Galicia, which for that reason (and contrary to the principles upon which the EU is
based) are unable to secure access on an equal footing to the fisheries resources to be found in Community
waters?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(5 September 2001)

Council Regulation (EEC) No 3760/92 of 20 December 1992 establishing a Community system for
fisheries and aquaculture (1) stipulates that the Council is to distribute the fishing opportunities between
Member States in such a way as to assure each Member State relative stability of fishing activities for each
of the stocks concerned. The factors taken into account when distributing resources on the basis of the
relative stability principle have been, in particular, traditional fishing activities in the areas covered by the
distribution and the specific needs of the regions heavily dependent on fisheries. The reference to relative
stability in Article 8 of Regulation (EEC) No 3760/92 means that each annual distribution should maintain