WRITTEN QUESTION E-2243/01 by Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. The Apache people of San Carlos, Arizona, USA.
Date: 2001-07-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: United States, astronomy, countryside conservation, ethnic group, heritage protection, scientific research

C 40 E/226

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.2.2002

This will be published during the autumn of 2001 and used, if necessary, to elaborate new Community
legislative proposals in the field.

(1) Directive 1999/5/EC of

the Parliament and of

the Council of 9 March 1999 on radio equipment and

telecommunications terminal equipment and the mutual recognition of their conformity (OJ L 91, 7.4.1999).

(2) 1999/519/EC (OJ L 199, 30.7.1999).
(3) OJ C 208, 26.7.2001.

(2002/C 40 E/244)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2235/01

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(26 July 2001)

Subject: Social security legislation

Would the Commission indicate whether equivalent provision is made for workers in Member States, other
than the UK, to receive benefit if they are capable of working, if they are available for work and if they are
actively seeking work?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(6 September 2001)

Unemployment benefits exist
the Member States, although the qualifying criteria vary.
A comprehensive description of the criteria used in each Member State is published in chapter 10 of the
Commission(cid:146)s Missoc (Mutual Information System on Social Protection) (1).

in all

The first two criteria of eligibility mentioned by the Honourable Member, i.e. to be capable of working and
to be available for work, are applied in almost all the Member States. However, the third criterion
mentioned, i.e. to actively seek work, may be implemented in different ways (for example in Ireland the
formulation is (cid:145)genuinely seeking work(cid:146) whereas in other Member States such as Belgium the person must
be registered for employment).

(1) http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/missoc2000/index_chapitre10_en.htm.

(2002/C 40 E/245)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2243/01

by Armando Cossutta (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: The Apache people of San Carlos, Arizona, USA

(26 July 2001)

For years now the San Carlos Apaches in Arizona have been waging an energetic campaign against the
plans to build an astronomical observatory on the summit of a mountain sacred to them, Mount Graham.

Influential institutions in the United States, such as the Smithsonian Institute, have refused to take part in
the project out of respect for the culture and religion of the indigenous population of North America.

Those taking part in building the observatory include the Vatican Observatory, the Arcetri Observatory of
Florence and the Max Planck Institut in Germany.

Does the Commission know about any Community funding being received by the three above-

1.
mentioned institutes;

14.2.2002

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 40 E/227

2.

If so, how does it justify funding these bodies;

Does not the Commission consider that Community funds should not be used to finance institutions

3.
which does not respect other cultures and religions?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(6 September 2001)

1.
The Commission is not involved in the project to construct an astronomical observatory in Arizona
(United States) and does not provide funding for this project via the three European Astronomy Research
Institutes mentioned by the Honourable Member.

Out of these three institutes only the Max Planck Institute f(cid:252)r Astronomie in Heidelberg is a partner in a
thematic network on astronomy, which is funded under the specific Community Research Programme on
improving the human research potential and the socio-economic knowledge base.

2.
It is not up to the Commission to take position on a research infrastructure project that does not
meet the requirements of Community interest and is undertaken outside the Community co-operation
framework.

3.
The Commission provides Community Research funding to research projects which result from calls
for proposals and which must not only fulfil the conditions of scientific excellence and Community-added
value but which must also comply with fundamental ethical principles in conformity with Community law
and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

(2002/C 40 E/246)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2250/01

by Richard Balfe (PSE) to the Commission

(19 July 2001)

Subject: The return of the Aksum Obelisk to Ethiopia

As Article 37 of the Italian Peace Treaty, which became effective in September 1947, specified that Italy
should return within 18 months all loot taken from Ethiopia; and as the Italo-Ethiopian Agreement of
1997 laid down that the Aksum obelisk, looted on Mussolini(cid:146)s personal orders in 1937 and erected in
the
Rome to commemorate the (cid:145)March on Rome(cid:146), would be returned within the year 1997, will
Commission raise with the Italian Foreign Ministry the matter of the return of the obelisk and ask them to
announce when the promised return can in fact be expected?

Could the Commission also ask the Ministry to make a statement on the return of other articles looted
from Ethiopia, and in particular when the Ethiopian pre-war national archives, currently incorporated in
the Italian State archives, and the pre-war Ethiopian aeroplane (cid:145)Tsehai(cid:146), currently held in the Italian
Aviation Museum, will be returned?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(5 September 2001)

The matter in question does not fall within the Commission(cid:146)s competences and the Commission is
therefore unable to supply the information requested.