WRITTEN QUESTION E-2458/01 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Council. Mass immigration across the straits of Gilbraltar: corpses washed up every day on southern Spanish beaches.
Date: 2001-09-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU migration policy, Gibraltar, Spain, action programme, illegal migration, migration control

4.4.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/177

prisoners, who were employed as slave labour in German factories, were not covered by the Geneva
Convention, has apparently prompted Germany to exclude them from compensation schemes. This
discrimination is extremely serious, not least because the rights of former Italian military internees were
certainly included in the protection referred to in the European Parliament(cid:146)s resolution B2-1475/85 on
compensation for persons formerly employed as slave labour in German industry.

What urgent measures does the Council intend to take to remedy this situation?

Reply

(6 December 2001)

The Honourable Member is invited to refer to the reply to Question E-2155/01 on compensation from
Germany for former Italian military internees.

(2002/C 81 E/208)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2442/01

by Caroline Lucas (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(11 September 2001)

Subject: Low Frequency Active Sonar

There is considerable evidence that the US Navy(cid:146)s use of Low Frequency Active Sonar is having major
adverse effects on marine life, in particular Cuvier(cid:146)s beaked whales. It is strongly suspected that resonance
phenomena in the whales(cid:146) cranial airspaces, caused by LFAS, have been responsible for mass strandings in
Greece and the Bahamas in recent years.

Does the Commission have a position on the use of LFAS, and is it doing anything to try and persuade the
US to stop using it?

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(24 October 2001)

As the Honourable Member is no doubt aware, cetacean species are strictly protected under Council
Directive 92/43/CEE (1), which obliges Member States to take the requisite measures to avoid, inter alia, the
deliberate disturbance of these species.

Low Frequency Active Sonar (LFAS) consists of loud and low frequency sonic pulses. There is certain
evidence that this kind of noise may disturb cetaceans. For this reason, the duties established by the above
mentioned Directive should be honoured by Member States.

As far as the use of LFAS by the American Navy is concerned, the Commission has no competence and
has not raised the matter with the United States.

(1) Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora
(OJ L 206, 22.7.1992), as amended by the Accession Act of Austria, Finland and Sweden (OJ L 1, 1.1.1995).

(2002/C 81 E/209)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2458/01

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

(11 September 2001)

Subject: Mass immigration across the straits of Gilbraltar: corpses washed up every day on southern

Spanish beaches

The last two months have seen no let-up in the flood of immigrants trying to reach Spain in fragile, small
vessels ((cid:146)pateras(cid:146)) in their flight from poverty and their search for the jobs which their own countries

C 81 E/178

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.4.2002

cannot provide. The attempt frequently results in death by drowning. Spanish newspaper headlines amply
illustrate the scale of the tragedy. 16 July: (cid:145)Nine deaths amongst the 333 immigrants who risk their lives
on the Straits of Gibraltar(cid:146); 19 July: (cid:145)At least 1561 illegal immigrants intercepted in the Straits this month,
at a rate of 87 a day (cid:129) 146 immigrants intercepted on the coast only yesterday(cid:146); 1 August:
(cid:145)Search
continues for vessels adrift with 30 passengers, 800 immigrants try to enter Ceuta(cid:146); 9 August: (cid:145)11 of 30
occupants of a drifting boat unaccounted for(cid:146); 19 August: (cid:145)567 immigrants detained in the greatest wave of
(cid:147)pateras(cid:148) in history (cid:129) body of African without papers recovered from sea at Formentera(cid:146); 20 August: (cid:145)The
flood of (cid:147)pateras(cid:148) causes reception centre breakdown (cid:129) over 800 immigrants detained in weekend search
of Straits and off Canaries(cid:146); 20 August: (cid:145)Over 10 000 immigrants arrested this year in Andalucia, Canaries
(cid:145)Another four
and Ceuta(cid:146); 22 August:
immigrants die in Straits(cid:146); 24 August: (cid:145)Nine immigrants drown at Forteventura(cid:146); 25 August: (cid:145)Three (cid:147)pateras(cid:148)
intercepted, with 77 immigrants, in Granada and Malaga(cid:146).

(cid:145)Immigrant(cid:146)s body found at Forteventura in Canaries(cid:146); 23 August:

The facts of the situation demonstrate that however much the Spanish and EU institutions bury their head
in the sand so as not to see the problem, it remains a fundamental European problem, and a strategy for
tackling it is required. Immediate measures are called for to prevent the tragedies suffered by thousands of
Africans on the southern Spanish coast, and the frontier with Africa. Over and above fine words born of a
desire to get out of the impasse, what political actions is the Council intending to take to solve this serious
humanitarian problem?

(2002/C 81 E/210)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2578/01

by Mario Borghezio (TDI) to the Council

(27 September 2001)

Subject: Immigration from Morocco

The Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has complained (Le Figaro 6.9.2001) that (cid:145)illegal
immigrants are coming from the Moroccan coastline. That is where action needs to be taken(cid:146).

Illegal immigration networks which enable immigrants to travel via Gibraltar to Spain, and from there to
other parts of Europe, are the same networks which smuggle in hashish, with the collusion of Moroccan
customs officers. The Moroccan authorities themselves complain that they do not have the means to
control illegal immigration flows.

What urgent preventive measures does the Council intend to take with respect to this dangerous situation,
which is becoming worse every year owing to the Moroccan Government(cid:146)s inability (which the
government itself has acknowledged) to control the flow of illegal immigrants to Europe?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2458/01 and E-2578/01

(6 December 2001)

The Council has already replied several times to questions from members of the European Parliament
concerning the disappearance of immigrants trying to reach the Union via the Straits of Gibraltar.

Far from burying its head in the sand, the Council, which deplores this continuing human drama, has
entered into active dialogue with the Moroccan authorities on migration issues. The Council would point
to the existence, since the end of 1998, of a High-Level Working Group on Asylum and Migration, set up
to draft action plans for the countries and regions of origin of illegal immigrants and/or asylum seekers, in
accordance with an integrated, cross-pillar approach. These action plans aim to analyse the root causes of
migration from selected countries, of which Morocco, as a country of origin and transit of immigrants, is
one. Contacts have been made with the Moroccan authorities with a view to establishing a partnership to
implement the measures in the action plan.