WRITTEN QUESTION E-3412/01 by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Council. The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan — refugees.
Date: 2001-12-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, aid to refugees, humanitarian aid

29.8.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 205 E/33

(2002/C 205 E/034)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3408/01

by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission

(5 December 2001)

Subject: Anti-semitic badges

During a holiday in Crete, one of my South-West constituents walked into a shop which had a range of
anti-semitic badges on sale. An example of these was the one that my constituent bought, in order to send
to my office, which said ‘Chelsea Football Club: Up Chelsea, Fuck the yids’.

Is the Commission aware that such offensive badges were being sold in Crete?

If so, will the Commission make representations to the Greek Government about this issue?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Racism and xenophobia are a direct violation of the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human
rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, principles upon which the Union is founded and
which are common to the Member States as stated in Article 6 of the Treaty on the European Union.

The Commission has recently presented a proposal for a Framework Decision (1), a legislative instrument in
the field of penal law. The purpose of the Framework Decision is twofold: firstly, to ensure that the same
racist and xenophobic conducts are punishable by the same penalties in all Member States and secondly, to
improve and encourage judicial cooperation by removing potential obstacles.

Public insults towards individuals or groups for a racist or xenophobic purpose, as well as public
dissemination of racist material by any means are included among the behaviours to be punishable as
criminal offences in all Member States.

(1) COM(2001) 664 final.

(2002/C 205 E/035)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3412/01

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Council

(13 December 2001)

Subject: The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan 9 refugees

Amnesty International and other non-governmental organisations have concluded that the situation of the
Afghan refugees abroad and those trapped within the country, who are primarily fleeing the bombing, is
bordering on a human tragedy.

What measures will the Council take to persuade those countries which support the military intervention
to take greater responsibility for the care of the refugees who are leaving Afghanistan in droves? Will
corridors be opened to channel humanitarian aid into Afghanistan? Will all those who reach other
countries be granted refugee status, and will suitable refugee camps be set up at a safe distance from the
combat zone? In addition, how does it intend to share the refugee burden between countries? Is there an
integrated programme, to be operated in collaboration with the humanitarian organisations, to repatriate
those refugees who wish to return once hostilities have ceased?

C 205 E/34

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

29.8.2002

Reply

(13 May 2002)

The Council shares the Honourable MEP’s concern for the situation of Afghan refugees and internally
1.
displaced persons (IDPs). The Council believes, however, that due to the rapidly developing situation on
the ground, several aspects of the question have been overtaken by events. In early December, the Afghan
factions concluded, under the aegis of the UN, the Petersberg agreement that put an end to years of civil
war and paved the way for a lasting political solution. The US-led military action against the terrorist
networks in Afghanistan has ousted the Taliban from their last strongholds around Kandahar. The new
Afghan Interim Administration took up office on 22 December and an International Security Assistance
Force (ISAF) has been set up on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 1386 of 20 December 2001.
Humanitarian corridors have been opened and the expatriate staff of UN agencies and NGOs have started
to return to Afghanistan.

Consequently,

2.
the outflow of people from Afghanistan has significantly diminished and many
refugees and IDPs have started to return to their home regions inside Afghanistan. This movement is likely
to accelerate further once the winter is over 9 which will pose new challenges for the Afghan Interim
Administration and the international aid community.

3.
The European Community and its Member States will therefore continue to provide humanitarian
assistance (more than 350 million euro committed since 11 September 2001). At the same time they liaise
closely with the relevant UN agencies, NGOs and international donors on how to best help Afghanistan in
the crucial fields of rehabilitation and reconstruction, including measures to facilitate the return of refugees
who left under previous regimes. The Reconstruction Steering Group, co-chaired by the EU, made
significant progress at its meeting on 20 and 21 December in Brussels. The integrated needs assessment
mission by the World Bank and the UNDP is currently looking into the situation on the ground and will
provide detailed recommendations for the various domains. On the basis of this assessment, the EU,
together with the US, Japan, Arab countries and the IFIs, prepared a strategic approach to reconstruction at
the Donors Conference in Tokyo on 21 and 22 January 2002. In Tokyo, the European Community and
the Member States pledged to make available 550 million euro available for the reconstruction of
Afghanistan for 2002 and to maintain a substantial level of assistance for the following years.

4.
At the same time, the EU is aware that several countries in Afghanistan’s neighbourhood 9 in
particular Pakistan and Iran 9 will continue to face the problem of Afghan refugees for years to come. The
EU will therefore continue to assist these countries.

(2002/C 205 E/036)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3413/01

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission

(21 December 2001)

Subject: The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan 9 refugees

Amnesty International and other non-governmental organisations have concluded that the situation of the
Afghan refugees abroad and those trapped within the country, who are primarily fleeing the bombing, is
bordering on a human tragedy.

the Commission take to persuade those countries which support

What measures will
the military
intervention to take greater responsibility for the care of the refugees who are leaving Afghanistan in
droves? Will corridors be opened to channel humanitarian aid into Afghanistan? Will all those who reach
other countries be granted refugee status, and will suitable refugee camps be set up at a safe distance from
the combat zone?