WRITTEN QUESTION E-3521/01 by Miquel Mayol i Raynal (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Greece.
Date: 2002-01-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU law, Greece, discrimination on the basis of nationality, ethnic discrimination, ethnic group, fundamental rights, infringement of EU law, national minority, rights of minorities

4.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 160 E/131

(2002/C 160 E/166)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3520/01

by Paulo Casaca (PSE) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Production of wine from hybrid varieties in France

In his letter of 4 December the questioner sent Commissioner Fischler the article mentioned in Question
E-2782/01 (1), which the Commission, in its reply, said it did not know about.

In view of this article, which the Commission now knows, and the fact that it acknowledges there are no
known recent studies about the effects on health of consuming wine made from hybrid varieties, and
bearing in mind that production of this type of wine is widespread in the United States . as can be seen
on the Internet . can the Commission now answer the earlier question?

Does it not consider it essential that the public be fully and unambiguously informed as to the possible
harmful effects (or lack of them) of drinking this kind of wine?

(1) OJ C 93 E, 18.4.2002, p. 190.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(12 February 2002)

Article 17(3) of Council Regulation No 1493/1999 of 17 May 1999 on common organisation of the
market in wine (1) states that the Commission shall finance an independent study on the use of interspecific
wine varieties. On the basis of the study it will send Parliament and the Council a report accompanied by
any appropriate proposals. The time limit for the report is 31 December 2003.

(1) OJ L 179, 14.7.1999.

(2002/C 160 E/167)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3521/01

by Miquel Mayol i Raynal (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Greece

In Greece today, particularly in the North, there are a number of minorities (Turks, Slavo-Macedonians,
Albanians, Aromanians and Pomaks).

Greece refuses to recognise their existence and denies them fundamental rights. For instance, they are
strictly prohibited from using their language in public and all historical inscriptions in these languages
have been obliterated or destroyed, as have monuments which might evoke the existence of these
minorities.

Furthermore, particularly in the case of ethnic Macedonian Greek citizens living abroad, Greece is doing
everything it can to prevent them from returning to their homeland, by revoking their citizenship, alleging
that they have committed anti-patriotic acts.

Is the Commission aware of this situation?

As minority rights constitute one of the basic principles of the European Union today, how does the
Commission envisage ensuring that Greece observes these rights?

C 160 E/132

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.7.2002

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(14 February 2002)

In the Commission’s opinion, the rights of persons belonging to minorities are part of the principles
common to the Member States, as spelt out in Article 6(1) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). These
principles, which were enshrined in various international conventions (1), have been solemnly reaffirmed by
the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Article 21(1) prohibits any discrimination based
inter alia on ethnic origin,
language, religion or membership of a national minority, while Article 22
requires that cultural, religious and linguistic diversity be respected. As the explanations relating to the
Charter state, these two provisions are based respectively on Article 13 of the EC Treaty and Article 14 of
the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and on
Article 151 of the EC Treaty.

Respect by the Member States of these principles is ensured by the infringement proceedings provided for
in Article 226 of the EC Treaty and by the political procedure provided for in Article 7 of the TEU. Under
Article 226, the Commission can bring the matter before the Court of Justice if the act objected to falls
within the scope of Community law. Under Article 7 of the TEU, the Commission or one third of the
Member States can refer the matter to the Council, meeting in the composition of the Heads of State or
Government, in the event of a serious and persistent breach of the principles mentioned in Article 6.

The Commission does not possess any information suggesting that Community law has been wrongly
applied or that a serious and persistent breach within the meaning of Article 7 exists that is such as to
warrant the implementation of the political procedure provided for by that Article.

It is not impossible that there are still certain problems relating to the treatment of minorities. The findings
of the report by Parliament’s Committee on Citizens’ Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs on
the respect of fundamental rights in the Union are very relevant (2), as is the work carried out by the
Council of Europe (3). However, it should be emphasised that in recent years Greece has made progress in
this area, and the Commission can only encourage this trend.

The Commission is not aware that any historical monuments have been destroyed or any inscriptions
relating to minorities obliterated in Greece. Since 1998 the Greek Nationality Code has allowed citizenship
to be revoked only in the case of persons living abroad where these persons have committed acts contrary
to Greece’s interests and to the benefit of a foreign State (4). This provision has been very rarely invoked.

Lastly, it should be recalled that, in general, any person who feels that his fundamental rights have been
infringed can bring the matter before the national courts and, after exhausting the remedies there, can refer
the matter to the European Court of Human Rights in the case of a breach of the European Convention on
the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

(1) See, for example, the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 27 of which protects the
cultural life and language of persons belonging to minorities and which was ratified by all the Member States.
(2) Report on the situation as regards fundamental rights in the European Union (2000), Committee on Citizens’

Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs, Rapporteur: Thierry Cornillet.

(3) European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, Second Report on Greece, adopted on 10 December 1999

and published on 27 June 2000, doc. No CRI (2000) 32.

(4) Article 20 of the 1955 Nationality Code.

(2002/C 160 E/168)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3523/01

by Emma Bonino (NI) to the Council

(13 December 2001)

Subject: Situation in Zimbabwe

The situation in Zimbabwe is continuing to deteriorate, with an escalation being seen in the level of
intimidation and threats directed at opposition parties, human rights organisations,
the media and
diplomatic missions of countries and international organisations accredited to Harare. Those responsible
for systematically instigating the violence are the President of the Republic, Mr Mugabe, and members of
his government. During a visit by a delegation of 20 representatives of the European Union to Harare on