WRITTEN QUESTION E-2564/01 by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Commission. European riot police force.
Date: 2001-09-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Eurojust, Europol, area of freedom, security and justice, database, international meeting, police, public safety, terrorism, violence

C 115 E/120

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

16.5.2002

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(9 November 2001)

Opening up the market has not noticeably changed the situation regarding electricity transport and
distribution structures in the Union which existed prior to Parliament and Council Directive 96/92/EC of
19 December 1996 concerning common rules for the internal market in electricity (1).

Interruptions in electricity supply are related to the general problem of continuity of supply, which is part
of the concept of universal service. The Commission takes the view that, even after the entry into force of
the electricity Directive,
legislation by national administrations would appear to be the best way of
ensuring continuity of supply at this stage. However, it remains alert to this type of problem and has
included in its new proposal on the completion of the internal market in electricity and gas (2) additional
provisions aimed at providing further guarantees as to security of supply.

At this stage, the Commission does not have any information that would lead it to conclude that the
interruptions in the continuity of the supply of electricity in certain regions of Spain are due to abusive
practices by one or more players on the Spanish electricity market.

(1) OJ L 27, 30.1.1997.
(2) OJ C 240 E, 28.8.2001.

(2002/C 115 E/123)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2564/01

by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(21 September 2001)

Subject: European riot police force

Following the events at the Genoa Summit, the German Interior Minister, Otto Schily, and his Italian
counterpart, Claudio Scaiola, proposed setting up a European riot police force (along the lines of the
European border police) and a database of protesters who support the use of violence. The same idea was
recently endorsed by the German Chancellor, Mr Schröder, who proposed setting up an operational force
with executive powers within Europol. These proposals have created confusion and brought forth negative
reactions in all the Member States.

On 8 June 2001, at the Europol conference held in The Hague, Commissioner Vitorino expressed the view
that Europe and the Member States should begin to think in more practical detail about the role of
Europol and Eurojust and relations between the two, since Europol has no executive powers and is not
subject to judicial control.

Does the Commission intend to take this idea on board as part of overall Community policy to combat
terrorism and crime by taking practical measures to set up a special European riot police force? Or does it
believe, on the contrary, that the measures it intends taking to develop direct operational cooperation
between the Member States’ police authorities and strengthen Europol’s powers are sufficient to fight
increasing lawlessness and violence?

In the Commission’s view, how can police action be strengthened at European level without affecting civil
rights?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(3 December 2001)

In relation to the question regarding the creation of a ‘European riot police force’, the Honourable Member
is kindly requested to refer to the response given by the Commission to Written Question E-2476/01 by
Mrs Karamanou (1).

16.5.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 115 E/121

As to the fight against terrorism, after the attacks on the United States on 11 September 2001 a special
Justice and Home Affairs (JAI) Council was held on 20 September 2001. It agreed on a comprehensive list
of concrete measures to strengthen cooperation and enhance the fight against terrorism, among them the
creation of a special counter-terrorism unit within Europol. Europol, however, does not have any
investigative powers. It may contribute to the fight against terrorism by facilitating information exchange
between Member States and providing analytical capacity.

In view of the conclusions of the JHA Council meetings of 20, 27 and 28 September 2001, as well as
those of the extraordinary European Council of 21 September 2001, the joint Ecofin-JAI Council and the
extraordinary JAI Council of 16 October 2001, and the informal meeting of Heads of State and
Government on 19 October 2001 in Gent, the Commission is optimistic that the Union will succeed in
the fight against the various forms of serious crimes we have been recently confronted with. The
Commission does not have any reason to believe that the Union’s level of civil rights will be affected.

(1) OJ C 93 E, 18.4.2002, p. 137.

(2002/C 115 E/124)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2565/01

by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: EU drugs policy and the situation in Greece

(21 September 2001)

The latest figures published by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction paint an
extremely alarming picture for the Member States as a whole and for Greece in particular. According to
the most recently published statistics and surveys, Greece is in sixth place for the number of deaths
resulting from drug use (a 25-fold increase over the last 15 years), first place for the number of drug-
related sudden deaths (a nine-fold increase over the last 15 years), second place for the number of drug-
related arrests (a 3,5-fold increase over the last 10 years) and, finally, the number of people referred to
treatment programmes in the country has doubled in recent times.

In the light of this situation, does the Commission believe it has taken satisfactory measures to devise an
effective Community policy to prevent and combat this scourge?

Will it submit new proposals and take fresh initiatives to deal more effectively with the problem on the
basis of the 2000-2004 action plan to combat drugs and the new opportunities afforded by the Treaty of
Amsterdam (particularly in regard to drug control, police and judicial cooperation, the operation of the
European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, etc.)?

Does the Commission have a satisfactory assessment of the policies pursued in Greece and what view does
it take of the deterioration in the situation there?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(24 October 2001)

The increasing trend of drug related deaths in Greece appears clearly in the Annual reports of the
European Monitoring Centre for drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). However, when making
comparisons between Member States, one should bear in mind that data from some Member States are
missing and that the presented figures are not directly comparable. Some of the increase in drug-related
deaths in Greece may be explained by the increased availability and use of opiates, in particular heroin.
Some may be due to the improved reporting practices.

It is worth noting that drug related deaths in Greece, as in the Union in general, have stabilised between
1996-1998 and there appears to be no big increase in 1999. The amount of drug-related arrests and of
people referred to treatment programmes have also risen but also here, one should be cautious on drawing