WRITTEN QUESTION E-3184/01 by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Council. Cover-ups in respect of the Islamic Cultural Institute in Milan.
Date: 2001-11-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European security, Europol, Islam, Italy, public safety, religious institution, terrorism

6.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 134 E/209

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(8 January 2002)

The import quota with the serial number 09.4003 provides for the import at substantially reduced duties
of 53 000 tonnes of frozen beef each year. Annual implementing rules are adopted by the Commission
after consultations with Member States through the Management Committee.

Due to the high commercial value of the quota, some operators have systematically participated in the
quota allocation in a way which can be characterised as speculative. In order to avoid such speculation
which in particular is to the disadvantage of small and medium-sized enterprises, the Commission is
regularly obliged to modify the rules in an appropriate way e.g. by limiting quota access to operators
having a quantitative turnover which indicates a real and independent trade in beef. This is the reason why
a minimum import or export quantity is required to be eligible to participate in the quota. The quantities
were fixed bearing all the above considerations in mind.

With regard to any future rules for the implementation of the quota concerned the Commission will
obviously continue to seek a fair and correct distribution of the import rights between genuine importers
of beef.

(2002/C 134 E/219)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3184/01

by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Council

(23 November 2001)

Subject: Cover-ups in respect of the Islamic Cultural Institute in Milan

Following President Bush’s denunciation of the Islamic Cultural Institute in Milan as a recognised terrorist
cell and the epicentre of the active terrorist networks in Europe, the US weekly magazine Newsweek
(5.10.2001) condemns the delays and omissions in the investigations into that centre, which had been
known to the Italian authorities for many years and from which, it has now been established, terrorist
attacks in Europe using chemical weapons were planned and organised.

That article quotes a statement made by an Italian official to the Washington Post according to which
before September 11 there was no understanding of the extent and complexity of the problem.

Does the Council not believe that these delays and omissions have seriously damaged European security?

Does the Council not believe, in addition, that it is necessary to identify the persons responsible for those
delays, at whatever level they may be, and for any political cover-ups in that respect?

Does it not also believe that it is necessary to check, perhaps through Europol, whether other similar
centres currently operating in Europe are carrying out activities like those of the Islamic Cultural Institute
in Milan, particularly in London, where heated propaganda in favour of Bin Laden is still being spread in
many important mosques, and if this is the case, does it not believe that it would be advisable immediately
to close those centres of support for terrorism?

Reply

(18 February 2002)

The Council would like to underline that it has no competence to investigate into the operations of the law
enforcement or judicial authorities in the Member States.

C 134 E/210

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2002

The Council would furthermore like to remind the Honourable Member of the European Parliament that in
its Conclusions adopted on 20 September 2001, the Council explicitly stated that:

The Council has decided to set up within Europol, for a renewable period of six months, a team of
counter-terrorist specialists for which the Member States are invited to appoint liaison officers from
police and intelligence services specialising in the fight against terrorism, without prejudice to the
legislation by which they are governed.

Its remit will include the following tasks:

> to collect in a timely manner all relevant information and intelligence concerning the current

threat;

> to analyse the collected information and undertake the necessary operational and strategic

analysis;

> to draft a threat assessment document based on information received. This study will in particular
list targets, damage, potential modi operandi and consequences for the security of the Member
States (description of possible situations) and identify those areas in which preventive measures
must be taken (air traffic, official buildings, VIP protection, etc.).

(2002/C 134 E/220)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3189/01

by Willi Rothley (PSE) to the Commission

(13 November 2001)

Subject: Languages in the EU

On 27 September 2001 the German weekly ‘Die Zeit’ reported that in notices of vacancy the Commission
was requiring ‘native English’ for jobs in technical support offices, ranging from the Socrates student
programme to the TACIS/PHARE aid programme for Eastern Europe.

Any such discrimination against persons not having English as their mother tongue would be a flagrant
breach of the Treaties.

Is this report true?

If it is, will the Commission put a stop to this practice?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(10 December 2001)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to the joint reply it gave to written questions
E-2901/01 and E-2944/01 by Mr Staes (1).

(1) See page 141.

(2002/C 134 E/221)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3190/01

by Christel Fiebiger (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(20 November 2001)

Subject: Biogeographical meeting on the Continental region (Natura 2000)

On 28 March 2001, at the time when complaint procedure 1998/5119 was dropped, the Commission’s
Environment DG (Directorate D) informed the Verein zum Schutz der Kahlen Schmücke (association for
the protection of the Kahle Schmücke, Thuringia) that the biogeographical meeting on the Continental