WRITTEN QUESTION E-2374/01 by Olivier Dupuis (TDI) to the Commission. China.
Date: 2001-08-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: China, Internet, dissemination of information, human rights, imprisonment, the EU's international role

18.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 93 E/123

The yearly amounts allocated were as follows:

(cid:19) 1994: EUR 10 678 000 (EUR 6.3 million for sectoral development; EUR 4.2 million for research;

EUR 0.15 million for policy and administrative management support);

(cid:19) 1995: EUR 13 518 000 (EUR 12.4 million for sectoral development; EUR 1.1 million for policy and

administrative management support);

(cid:19) 1996: EUR 5 000 0000 (research);

(cid:19) 1997: EUR 20 200 (policy and administrative management support);

(cid:19) 1998: EUR 447 000 (EUR 347 000 for development; EUR 100 000 for policy and administrative

management support);

(cid:19) 1999: EUR 3 112 000 (policy and administrative management support);

(cid:19) 2000: EUR 14 866 000 (EUR 6.07 million for policy and administrative management support;

EUR 8.7 million for fisheries development; EUR 0 042 million for services);

(cid:19) August 2001: EUR 877 000 (policy and administrative management support).

The amount of EDF funds that will be allocated to fisheries cooperation for the period 2002-2007 is not
yet known, as programming is still being carried out for this period. The Commission will be able to reply
to this question once programming has been completed.

(2002/C 93 E/145)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2374/01

by Olivier Dupuis (TDI) to the Commission

(8 August 2001)

Subject: China

Mr Huang Qi, a Chinese citizen and creator of the website www.6-4tianwang.com’ has been held in
detention without trial since 3 June 2000 for disseminating ‘subversive information’ on the Internet.
Mr Huang Qi has been accused of publishing information on the Tiananmen massacre in June 1989 on his
website, as well as articles by Chinese dissidents.

Mr Huang Qi’s trial, which began in February 2001 and had already been postponed indefinitely on one
occasion owing to his precarious state of health (his wife and his lawyer have claimed that he has been
beaten during his detention), was to have taken place on 27 June 2001. However, the official in charge of
the Chengdu court (Sichuan province) announced that the trial had again been postponed indefinitely
owing to celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of the creation of the Chinese Communist Party.

Does the Commission have any information on Mr Huang Qi’s state of health? Does it know what new
date has been set for the trial? Will it send a member of the Beijing delegation to the trial? Does the
Commission have any information on other Chinese citizens imprisoned for similar reasons? More
generally, will the Commission point out to the Beijing authorities that the proceedings against Mr Huang
Qi violate the spirit and the letter of international conventions signed by the People’s Republic of China?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(1 October 2001)

The Commission is committed to strengthening respect for human rights everywhere in the world. They
represent a central issue in the Union’s relations with third countries. The Commission is following the
human rights situation in China very closely.

A bilateral dialogue on human rights was established between the Union and China in 1996 and in this
framework, freedom of expression and detention conditions are important issues which are raised firmly
and regularly.

C 93 E/124

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2002

The case of Mr Huang Qi has been the subject of considerable international concern. His trial appears to
have been held mid-August 2001 in secret. No verdict has been announced. The Union has raised the case
with Chinese authorities in the last Union/China Human Rights dialogue on 22-23 February 2001. The
Commission does not have information about his current state of health or confirmation of dates for his
trial. The Commission has so far not been in a position to send representatives from the Commission
Delegation in Beijing to attend trials of individuals.

The Honourable Member can be assured that the Commission will follow developments concerning the
situation of Mr Huang Qi and that it will continue to raise the issue of freedom of expression in its
dealings with China.

(2002/C 93 E/146)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2377/01

by Hugues Martin (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(2 August 2001)

Subject: Delays in VAT refunds in Member States

Professionals from the business tourism sector recently approached me about the recovery of VAT in the
Member States.

In addition to the problems arising from the disparities between VAT rates for the same service in the
different Member States, which still apply under the present transitional arrangements for the common
VAT system, this sector is particularly affected by the sometimes excessively long delays in carrying out
reimbursements.

Will the Commission clarify its position on this matter? Does it intend to put forward an amendment to
the existing legislation specifically with regard to harmonising time limits for reimbursements in the
Member States and reducing the maximum time, e.g. to three months?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(19 September 2001)

At present traders wishing to recover the VAT on expenditure incurred in a Member State where they are
not established must lodge an application for reimbursement in that Member State, in accordance with the
procedure laid down by the eighth Council Directive 79/1072/EEC of 6 December 1979 on the
harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to turnover taxes (cid:19) Arrangements for the refund
of value added tax to taxable persons not established in the territory of the country (1).

Traders have been complaining for a number of years about this procedure, and in particular the
cumbersome nature of the administrative formalities and the time taken for payment.

In June 1998 the Commission presented a proposal for a directive (2) to replace this procedure by the right
for taxable persons to recover the VAT direct in the periodic return which they make to their Member
State of establishment. That Member State would then recover the sums from the Member States where the
tax was due by a system for offsetting debts among Member States.

It is obvious that this proposal represents a substantial simplification for traders, who could recover the
VAT paid in another Member State in the same way as national VAT.

Despite the total support from traders, and the favourable opinion of Parliament and the Economic and
Social Committee, it has not yet proved possible to reach unanimous agreement within the Council on this
proposal.

(1) OJ L 331, 27.12.1979.
(2) OJ C 219, 15.7.1998.