WRITTEN QUESTION E-2999/01 by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Council. Implementation of Regulation (EC) 2666/2000.
Date: 2001-11-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Central and Eastern Europe, action programme, aid system, higher education, report, use of aid

C 134 E/170

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2002

Bearing in mind that many European airlines were already in crisis before the attacks, can the Commission
say whether it has carried out studies to ascertain which financial repercussions are actually attributable to
the terrorist attack in September?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(7 December 2001)

It can scarcely be denied that a number of airlines were already experiencing financial difficulties before
11 September 2001 and an economic downturn was already under way in the air transport sector. The
events of 11 September should therefore be seen as speeding up and aggravating a crisis that was already
manifest.

The Commission therefore drew its first conclusions from those events by giving its backing to
compensation payments for the closure of airspace, additional safety measures and coverage of risks
associated with terrorism.

in its communication of 10 October 2001 (1), that Article 87(2)(b) (former
It considered in particular,
Article 92) of the EC Treaty could be applied on the following conditions to compensation for losses
incurred by airlines due to the closure of airspace for four days:

, compensation is paid in a non-discriminatory manner to all airlines in a given Member State;

, it is only for costs incurred during the four days from 11 to 14 September 2001;

, the amount of compensation is calculated accurately and objectively.

The Commission did not think it should modify its policy on State aid lest this delay the restructuring
necessary in the air transport sector.

The Commission is,
information provided by the Member States and the main players in the field.

incidentally, closely monitoring the situation in air transport on the basis of

(1) COM(2001) 574 final.

(2002/C 134 E/173)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2999/01

by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(5 November 2001)

Subject: Implementation of Regulation (EC) 2666/2000

Council Regulation (EC) 2666/2000 (1) provides for assistance to Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia,
Yugoslavia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

What stage has been reached in implementing this decision and, specifically, what amounts have already
been given to the above countries? In the event that the Regulation has not yet been fully implemented,
when is complete implementation envisaged?

(1) OJ L 306, 7.12.2000, p. 1.

6.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 134 E/171

Reply

(14 February 2002)

Regulation (EC) No 2666/2000 (CARDS) was adopted by the Council on 5 December 2000 and entered
into force on 7 December 2000. Under Article 7 of that Regulation, the Commission shall implement the
Community assistance, assisted by the ‘CARDS Committee’ (see Article 10 of the Regulation). Each year,
pursuant to Article 12,
‘the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council a
progress report on the Community assistance. That report shall contain information on the action financed
during the year and on the findings of monitoring work and shall give an assessment of the results
achieved in the implementation of the strategic framework, the multiannual indicative programmes and
the annual action programmes referred to in Article 3(1)’.

In conclusion: implementation of the assistance is the responsibility of the Commission. Each year the
Council and the Parliament are briefed in parallel on the activities and progress.

The first report will refer to 2001. That report has, of course, not yet come out.

(2002/C 134 E/174)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3000/01

by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Council

Subject: Statements by the Turkish Prime Minister

(5 November 2001)

Speaking on the US television network CNN on 14 October 2001, the Turkish Prime Minister, Mr Bulent
Ecevit stated that his country was also a victim of terrorism perpetrated by terrorists who find refugee in
EU countries.

In view of Turkey’s status as a candidate for accession to the EU, and the Turkish Prime Minister’s
indiscriminate accusation against all 15 Member States of the Union, will the Council seek to obtain an
explanation and specific evidence to substantiate Mr Ecevit’s claim?

Reply

(14 February 2002)

This is not the first time Turkey has claimed that persons regarded as terrorists in Turkey have found
refuge in Member States of the European Union. This is neither new nor unique to Turkey. Since the
events of 11 September, Member States have been investigating possible abuses of the right to political
asylum by persons , particularly those with connections to the Al Quaida network , who, operating
from within the territory of EU Member States, have encouraged violence and terrorism elsewhere.

The issue of EU-Turkey cooperation in combating terrorism is addressed with Turkey in the appropriate
bodies, as part of measures to implement the action plan adopted by the Ghent European Council.

(2002/C 134 E/175)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3002/01

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(29 October 2001)

Subject: Promotion procedures in the Commission

Every year, the Commission’s promotion procedures prompt a number of officials to lodge complaints and
some of them go on to bring actions before the CFI (Court of First Instance). The main reasons invoked are