WRITTEN QUESTION E-2372/01 by Olivier Dupuis (TDI) to the Council. Extraordinary operation to receive Chechen refugees living in inhuman conditions in both Chechnya and Ingushetia.
Date: 2001-08-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, EU migration policy, Russia, aid to refugees, political asylum, political refugee

C 81 E/164

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.4.2002

(2002/C 81 E/191)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2372/01

by Olivier Dupuis (TDI) to the Council

(28 August 2001)

Subject: Extraordinary operation to receive Chechen refugees living in inhuman conditions in both

Chechnya and Ingushetia

In the wake of a recent decision by the German authorities on Chechen refugees requesting political
asylum in Germany, all refugees who have been refused asylum-seeker status are to be deported to their
country of origin. That decision follows a statement by the German Minister for the Interior considering
fears of reprisals by Russian military and paramilitary forces against deportees to be unfounded.
Consequently, the repatriation of people seeking political asylum is no longer to be deemed an anti-
humanitarian act.

Nevertheless, numerous reports from Chechnya point to an extremely worrying humanitarian situation
with a growing shortage of supplies and drugs, a lack of hospitals and outbreaks of epidemics. Even more
seriously, a number of reports by the media and by NGOs speak of systematic and extremely severe acts of
violence committed by Russian occupation forces, both military and paramilitary, and in particular the
constant harassment of civilians living in the area, a large number of summary executions, widespread use
of torture and abduction of civilians, including for purposes of extortion.

Can the Council provide information on the number of Chechens granted refugee status in each of the 15
EU member countries? Does the Council not believe that, in the face of the tragic humanitarian situation
in Chechnya, the Union should launch an extraordinary operation (cid:129) along the lines of the action taken for
Bosnia (cid:129) to receive all Chechen refugees living in inhuman conditions in both Chechnya and Ingushetia,
who would be distributed fairly among the 15 Member States?

Reply

(29 November 2001)

The Council has no information concerning the number of Chechens benefiting from refugee status in the
Member States. It should be said that no distinction is made between asylum applicants according to their
ethnic origin. Thus, it is the Russian Federation which would have to be considered as the country of
origin of the applicants.

In the case in point, an extraordinary operation to receive refugees has not been initiated as neither the
Member States nor the Commission have considered it necessary. It should be noted that no international
organisation has called for it.

In this connection, it should be noted that on 20 July 2001 the Council adopted Directive 2001/55/EC on
minimum standards for giving temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons and
on measures promoting a balance of efforts between Member States in receiving such persons and bearing
the consequences thereof (1). The Member States will have to bring into force the provisions necessary to
comply with this Directive by 31 December 2002 at the latest. It stipulates that the existence of such a
mass influx is to be established by a Council Decision adopted on a proposal from the Commission, which
will also examine any request by a Member State that it submits a proposal to the Council.

(1) OJ L 212, 7.8.2001, p. 12.

(2002/C 81 E/192)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2378/01

by Elspeth Attwooll (ELDR) to the Commission

(8 August 2001)

Subject: Purification of fish products

Following the speech by Commissioner Byrne to the Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament on
10 July, could the Commission outline precisely what possibilities exist for purifying fish meal and fish oil
with the aim of reducing dioxin levels? Furthermore, is the Commission able to offer any indication of the
likely costs involved in employing such methods?