WRITTEN QUESTION E-3433/01 by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission. The persecution of Christians in the Sudan.
Date: 2001-12-21
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Christian, Muslim, Sudan, Troika (EU), human rights, religious discrimination, the EU's international role

C 229 E/24

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.9.2002

(2002/C 229 E/023)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3433/01

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission

(21 December 2001)

Subject: The persecution of Christians in the Sudan

Is the Commission aware of a continuing campaign of intimidation, persecution and terror by the
extremist Jihad Muslim warriors against innocent Christian people in southern Sudan?

What pressure will the Commission bring to stop this senseless killing?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(16 January 2002)

The Commission is closely following the evolution of the inter-Sudanese conflict particularly in the
southern regions. The Commission is aware of human rights violations committed by all parties in the
conflict. Together with the Member States it is applying concerted pressure on the government to ensure
these violations are brought under control. A recent Union Troika to Sudan expressed its concerns
regarding the situation of religious freedom to the Government of Sudan. This mission followed the
statement of Mr. Gerhart Baum, Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation
of human rights in the Sudan, New York, 8 November 2001 and the identification mission for the
European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) which took place in October/November
2001.

The Commission is not aware of the particular group mentioned, the Jihad Muslim, nor of its involvement
in a specific campaign of terror in southern Sudan.

(2002/C 229 E/024)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3461/01

by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(4 January 2002)

Subject: British customs restrictions on the free movement of goods

A number of Spanish companies in the e-commerce sector regularly encounter problems with the British
customs. These firms sell Spanish products (wine, jewellery, gifts, etc) and tobacco products (cigarettes,
cigars and loose tobacco). According to the current legislation, for sales within the European Community,
the companies may sell a maximum of four cartons of cigarettes and ten litres of alcoholic beverages per
person for personal use.

However, despite being in a single market, the British customs confiscates a large quantity of these
consignments addressed to customers of these companies, saying that they must pay tax in the United
Kingdom, although the tax has already been paid in Spain. The firms consider this to be an infringement
of the principle of free movement of goods sanctioned in the Treaty.

The United Kingdom Statutory Instrument 3155/1992 inaccurately transposes Council Directive 92/12/
EEC (1) of 25 February 1992 on the general arrangements for products subject to excise duty and on the
holding, movement and monitoring of such products. Article 8 of the Directive states ‘As regards products
acquired by private individuals for their own use and transported by them, the principle governing the
internal market lays down that excise duty shall be charged in the Member State in which they are
acquired’. Since the customer himself pays separately to have the goods transported (the invoice sent
includes the despatching costs as a separate item) the legal requirements laid down in Article 8 of the
Directive are fulfilled.