WRITTEN QUESTION E-2865/01 by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Attack by a Member of the Commission on the UN Conference in Durban, Islam, the Third World poor and asylum-seekers.
Date: 2001-10-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commissioner, freedom of expression, freedom of opinion, racism, xenophobia

C 93 E/208

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2002

(2002/C 93 E/246)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2865/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 October 2001)

Subject: Attack by a Member of the Commission on the UN Conference in Durban, Islam, the Third World

poor and asylum-seekers

Is the Commission aware of the opinions expressed by Commissioner Bolkestein on 29 September
1.
2001 in the Dutch newspaper ‘de Volkskrant’, arguing that the apologies made for slavery at the UN
Conference against Racism in Durban will only lead to unproductive victimisation, that Muslims are intent
on vanquishing their rich and powerful enemies, that the West must protect itself against an evil and
jealous outside world, that privacy in Europe must make way for the fight against terrorism and that the
Geneva Convention on refugees is no longer tenable, so that adjustments must be made to it?

2.
Does the Commission agree that these private views of Mr Bolkestein are very much at variance with
the views expressed elsewhere on its behalf and conflict with the widely supported objections to the
comments about Islam recently made by Mr Berlusconi, Prime Minister of Italy, and the position adopted
by the Commission on 2 October 2001 during the European Parliament debate on the common asylum
procedure?

Does the Commission agree that

3.
the aforementioned comments by Commissioner Bolkestein
jeopardise relations between the various population groups in the Member States of the European Union
and international efforts to eliminate the basis for despair and to deprive terrorism of a breeding ground
by promoting good relations between different cultures and religions worldwide?

Does the Commission consider Mr Bolkestein’s actions to be compatible with maintaining its current
4.
responsibilities, which are not those of a political streetfighter who, if required, can arouse and play on
primitive sentiments for expected political gain?

How does the Commission intend to publicly distance itself from Mr Bolkestein’s views and make it

5.
clear which values it wishes to defend against primitive feelings of aversion for the outside world?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(13 December 2001)

The Commission considers it important that its members express their point of view on issues of political
relevance. As the Commission had the opportunity to recall in reply to oral and written questions by
Members of Parliament, its members exercise a political function and, while honouring the obligations
imposed by the function, remain free to express their political opinions quite independently and under
their own responsibility.

(2002/C 93 E/247)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2872/01

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 October 2001)

Subject: Border checks

Last July, a Portuguese citizen who has emigrated to Switzerland, João Paula Teixeira de Moura, set out on
his holiday trip to Portugal. Having been unable to obtain a direct Zurich-Porto flight, he had to make a
stopover in Madrid. On arriving at Barajas airport on 16 July at 4.20 p.m., he went through passport
control, where the Spanish police said his passport was invalid since, they claimed, the bearer was not a
Portuguese citizen. Although other documents were immediately produced (driving licence, identity card,
tax payer’s card), the Spanish police arrested Mr Teixeira, and at 5.10 p.m. the following day, sent him
back to Zurich.