WRITTEN QUESTION E-3375/01 by Gerhard Schmid (PSE) to the Commission. Council Regulation on specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating international terrorism.
Date: 2001-12-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Afghanistan, UN Security Council, common foreign and security policy, economic sanctions, international sanctions, natural person, public safety, terrorism

26.9.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 229 E/19

(2002/C 229 E/018)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3375/01

by Gerhard Schmid (PSE) to the Commission

(7 December 2001)

Subject: Council Regulation on specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities

with a view to combating international terrorism

On 2 October 2001 the Commission submitted to Parliament the draft Council Regulation on specific
restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating international
terrorism, which Parliament then approved with amendments at its sitting of 4 October 2001. The
Regulation contains an annex listing 27 persons, entities and bodies whose funds are to be frozen.

Can the Commission answer the following:

1. Did it draw up this list on the basis of its own information or was it supplied? If so, by whom?

2. Was this list accompanied by supporting documents which might aid verification, and if so what

documents were provided and by whom?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(5 February 2002)

In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in the United States on 11 September 2001, the American
Government produced a list of 27 persons and entities, asking that measures be taken to freeze the latter’s
funds and to prohibit funds being made available to the latter. Realising that the existing legislative
framework did not provide any possibility for such measures, the Commission made a proposal for new
legislation on 2 October 2001. The United States was asked to provide additional information, but given
the urgent need to expand the legislative framework, the list of 27 persons and entities was attached to
that proposal.

The Commission would like to take this opportunity to thank again the Parliament for its very rapid
examination and early opinion on its proposal of 2 October 2001 (1).

Having been informed of the situation, the American Government put the list of 27 persons and entities to
the Committee of the United Nations (UN) Security Council for sanctions in relation to Afghanistan. As a
result, this Committee adopted that list on 8 October 2001. In accordance with Council Regulation (EC)
No 467/2001 of 6 March 2001 prohibiting the export of certain goods and services to Afghanistan,
strengthening the flight ban and extending the freeze of funds and other financial resources in respect of
the Taliban of Afghanistan, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 337/2000 (2), the Commission thus had an
obligation to publish that list (3).

One might argue that, since measures affecting the 27 persons and entities had been taken on the basis of
Council Regulation (EC) No 467/2001,
there was no need for a new legislative framework. The
Commission, however, decided to maintain its proposal, primarily because Council Regulation (EC) No
467/2001 provides a basis for measures targeting persons and entities belonging to or linked to the
Taliban and Al-Qaida only as set out in the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions. It is therefore not a
sufficient basis for measures targeting terrorists or their backers in other countries or circumstances.
Accordingly, the Commission proposal was amended on 30 November 2001 (4). On that occasion, no new
list of persons and entities whose funds should be frozen was included, since the Council had already
decided that a list of persons and entities would be decided in the CFSP framework.

On 13 December 2001, the Parliament gave its opinion on a draft Regulation which did not contain a list
of targeted persons and entities. On 27 December 2001, the Council adopted Council Regulation (EC) No
2580/2001 of 27 December 2001 on specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and

C 229 E/20

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.9.2002

entities with a view to combating terrorism (5) and established an initial
list in accordance with the
procedure laid down in that Regulation (Council Decision 2001/927/EC of 27 December 2001 (5)). At the
same time it also adopted Common Positions 2001/930/CFSP (5), which accepts Resolution 1373(2001),
and 2001/931/CFSP (5) which provides a basis for Community legislation based on Articles 60 (ex
Article 73g) and 301 (ex Article 228a) of the EC Treaty.

(1) COM(2001) 569. Opinion given on 4 October 2001.
(2) OJ L 67, 9.3.2001.
(3) Commission Regulation (EC) No 1996/2001 of 11 October 2001 amending,

Regulation (EC) No 467/2001, OJ L 271, 12.10.2001.

for the second time, Council

(4) COM(2001) 713.
(5) OJ L 344, 28.12.2001.

(2002/C 229 E/019)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3384/01

by Ioannis Marínos (PPE-DE) and Christos Zacharakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Activities of bin Laden in occupied Cyprus

(7 December 2001)

According to reports in the international press, the notorious terrorist Osama bin Laden has been spotted
at least twice in recent years in the areas of northern Cyprus occupied by the Turkish army. The same
reports claim that bin Laden was in occupied Cyprus to conduct business with a small bank based in the
self-styled ‘state’ which is owned by a close relative of the leader of the occupying regime, R. Denktash.
the centres of
Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus is thus giving every indication of being one of
this
international
internationally wanted criminal.

to be aiding and abetting the movements of

terrorism, and Turkey appears

What is the Commission’s view of the role of Turkey and the Turkish-controlled regime in occupied
Cyprus in covering up bin Laden’s movements? Have bin Laden’s bank transactions in the occupied sector
of Cyprus been investigated? What steps will the Commission take to establish exactly what the terrorist
did in occupied Cyprus? What action will it take to strike hard at the terrorist groups which have found a
hospitable refuge in Turkey and that part of Cyprus illegally controlled by its army? Does the Commission
also intend to investigate whether the 20 casinos which operate in Turkish-occupied Cyprus (there is not a
single one in the free Republic of Cyprus) are being used to launder dirty money? Is Turkey among those
countries which have frozen the accounts of terrorist organisations and, if so, which organisations?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(11 February 2002)

On 23 September 2001, Turkey published an executive order (nr 13224) blocking the assets of 27 persons
and entities named in the order. A second set of 39 names was added on 12 October 2001.

As the Honourable Member is aware, the Commission does not have official contacts with the Turkish
Cypriot authorities. On this issue, there is no information available from other sources.

(2002/C 229 E/020)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3400/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(21 December 2001)

Subject: Recent destruction of natural forests in northern Russia by illegal logging and smuggling of timber

into the EU

1.
Is the Commission aware of the report in the ‘New Scientist’, 13 October 2001, concerning the
World Resources Institute (WRI)‘s conclusion that the boreal forests of northern Russia have been ’reduced
to fragments, broken up by logging, mines, farms, roads and power lines’?