WRITTEN QUESTION E-3356/01 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Aid to Greece from the European Refugee Fund.
Date: 2001-12-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU programme, Greece, aid to refugees, co-financing, fund (EU), use of aid

20.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 147 E/159

Leading newspapers are now describing as imminent and inevitable a military attack by the USA on Iraq, a
country already hard hit by the embargo and the previous conflict in the Gulf region, in the course of
which shortages of food and medicines resulted in thousands of children dying every day.

Our resolute condemnation of all forms of terrorism goes hand in hand with the acknowledgement that
this battle must be fought to the bitter end in order to eradicate blind, barbaric fanaticism. However, a
military response on its own is inadequate if not combined with diplomatic and intelligence measures.

Can the Council state:

$ what practical measures it

the conflict spreading to Iraq and what
countermeasures it plans to adopt in order to ensure that defenceless population groups are not the
only victims of the fight against terrorism;

intends to take to prevent

$ whether it sees a need to launch a determined, bold diplomatic campaign so that the embargo, which
no longer applies to Pakistan and India, can also be lifted in the case of Iraq in return for appropriate
concessions in connection with the fight against terrorism.

Reply

(18 March 2002)

The European Council of Ghent confirmed the EU’s support for the military operations in Afghanistan
which began on 7 October 2001 and which are legitimate under the terms of the United Nations Charter
and of Resolution 1368 of the United Nations Security Council. To date, there is no evidence of a direct
link between the attacks of 11 September and the Iraqi authorities.

The European Council of Laeken on 14-15 December 2001 confirmed the EU’s commitment to the efforts
of the international community with a view to restoring stability in Afghanistan on the basis of the
outcome of the Bonn Conference and the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council. With regard to
the situation of civilian populations, the European Council also confirmed that the urgent needs of the
Afghan people mean that humanitarian aid continues to be an absolute priority. The EU and the Member
States will make available, along with other donors, all the humanitarian aid necessary to cover the needs
of the Afghan population and Afghan refugees. The EU will also help the Afghan people and its new
leaders rebuild the country and encourage as swift a return to democracy as possible.

With regard to sanctions on Iraq, the EU remains committed to the full implementation of all UN Security
Council Resolutions pertaining to Iraq.
In particular, the EU calls for the implementation of all the
provisions of Resolutions 687 and 1 284, which specify the obligations of Iraq in several areas including
weapons of mass destruction, and the way to suspension and lifting of the prohibitions imposed by the
Council.

There can be no doubt that the key to suspension and lifting of sanctions rests in the hands of the
Government of Iraq. The EU regrets that, as a result of Iraq’s failure to fulfil its international obligations,
the conditions do not exist which would enable the Council to lift the prohibitions imposed under
Resolution 687. The EU has urged Iraq to comply with its obligations as provided for in the relevant
Security Council Resolutions.

The EU has strong sympathy for the fate of the Iraqi population and remains the largest contributor of
humanitarian aid and assistance to Iraq. The EU strongly supports the ongoing deliberations within the
Security Council with the purpose of alleviating the predicament of the Iraqi civilian population.

(2002/C 147 E/166)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3356/01

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Aid to Greece from the European Refugee Fund

(6 December 2001)

The European Refugee Fund was established by Council Decision 2000/596/EC (1) of 28 September 2000,
with funding of EUR 216 million. Under the provisions of the decision, each Member State is entitled to

C 147 E/160

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.6.2002

receive EUR 500 000 for 2000 and EUR 400 000 for 2001, while for the following three years they will
each receive EUR 600 000 in total. The remainder of the available resources will be distributed, according
to the co-financing principle, between the Member States in proportion to the number of refugees who
have entered the EU and are in need of international protection. The Member States submit requests for
co-financing to the Commission by 1 October each year.

Has Greece received the amounts of EUR 500 000 and 400 000 for the years 2000 and 2001

1.
respectively and, if so, does the Commission know which projects have been implemented?

Has Greece submitted requests for co-financing from the European Refugee Fund for the years 2000

2.
and 2001? If so, how much do the relevant appropriations amount to?

Have other Member States received appropriations from the European Refugee Fund and, if so, what

3.
are the relevant amounts?

(1) OJ L 252, 6.10.2000, p. 12.

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(28 January 2002)

Article 10 of Council Decision 2000/596/EC, of 28 September 2000 establishing a European Refugee Fund
(ERF), lays down the system for distributing available resources between the Member States.

Member States receive each year in addition to a fixed amount specified in Article 10(1) for the years
2000-2004 an additional amount (Article 10(2)) which is distributed in proportion to the number of
applications for some form of international protection registered by each Member State and the number of
refugees granted refugee status or temporary protection in the reference period.

The ERF amounts allocated to Greece, according to Article 10, were € 652 057,17 for 2000 and
€ 629 043,03 for 2001. On the basis of these amounts Greece submitted co-financing requests for 2000
and 2001 for a total cost of € 869 409,56 and € 838 727,04 respectively.

European Refugee Fund implemention is decentralised and Member States assure action management.
Through the reports mentioned in Article 20 (1) and (2) of the ERF Decision, the Commission is regularly
informed on implementation of the action in progress. A monitoring visit was also carried out in Greece
in September 2001 including visits to projects that had been selected under the 2000 and 2001 ERF
programmes.

All other Member States, except for Denmark, received ERF appropriations for the same period. The
relevant amounts were the following:

Belgium

Germany

Spain

France

Ireland

Italy

Luxembourg

The Netherlands

(In euro)

2000

2001

1 233 201,50

6 218 898,77

745 290,55

1 869 724,55

8 391 364,30

837 462,10

2 255 053,80

3 156 227,70

632 205,18

709 109,67

1 956 104,78

2 741 880,68

528 971,74

480 528,81

2 984 948,74

3 642 649,54

20.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 147 E/161

Austria

Portugal

Finland

Sweden

United Kingdom

2000

2001

912 382,09

534 238,01

651 386

1 808 616,60

2 902 639,84

1 454 753,68

518 815,68

673 605

2 255 669,69

4 819 118,07

(2002/C 147 E/167)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3362/01

by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE)
and Theresa Villiers (PPE-DE)to the Commission

(6 December 2001)

Subject: Campione d’Italia’s tax status

Following the searches last week by the Italian police of the houses of two managers of the Nada
Management Organisation (formerly known as Al Taqwa Management)
in the tiny Italian enclave of
Campione d’Italia and the subsequent questioning of the two individuals by Swiss authorities in Lugano,
could the Commission indicate whether tiny Italian enclave of Campione d’Italia is subject to the entire
acquis communautaire as applied to the rest of the Italian Republic or, instead, enjoys any derogations or
other special privileges?

In particular, will the proposed money-laundering directives as well as other similar measures designed to
fight organised crime and terrorism apply in full to this territory, and does the Commission believe reports
that it has already become a centre for such illicit activities?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(15 January 2002)

The Italian municipality of Campione d’Italia is part of the Community, but is not part of the Community
territory for customs, VAT or excise duty purposes.

The Community single market legislation, including the anti-money laundering Directive, Council Directive
91/308/EEC of 10 June 1991 on prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money
laundering (1), as recently amended, is fully applicable in Campione d’Italia. Third pillar measures to combat
organised crime and terrorism also apply to this enclave.

The Commission has no specific information on the level of illicit activities in Campione d’Italia.

(1) OJ L 166, 28.6.1991.

(2002/C 147 E/168)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3365/01

by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission

(6 December 2001)

Subject: Regional laws applicable within the Valle d’Aosta

On 13 October 2000 the Valle d’Aosta experienced terrible flooding which did a devastating amount of
damage. The regional government adopted a number of measures on the basis of the powers granted to it