WRITTEN QUESTION E-3704/01 by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Development of democracy in Belarus.
Date: 2002-01-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Belarus, EU relations, OSCE, democratisation, freedom of expression, freedom of the press, human rights, political opposition, presidential election

26.9.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 229 E/47

The Council would remind the Honourable Member that, as indicated in its reply to Oral Question
H-0365/99, in 1999 the JICS launched % and notified to the Swedish authorities % a programme for
recruiting and training interpreters to work into or out of Swedish. Any improvement in the interpretation
cover for Swedish at Council meetings will clearly depend on the progress of that programme, which the
Council hopes to see achieved as soon as possible.

(2002/C 229 E/048)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3700/01

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(17 January 2002)

Subject: Council Presidency meetings with the ERT

The European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT) lobby group states that it meets (or at least tries to meet)
the government of every Member State that holds the Council Presidency.

In its answer to my question (H-0894/01 (1)), the Belgian Presidency stated that Mr Verhofstadt, the Belgian
Prime Minister, had a meeting with the ERT on 20 November 2001.

Can the Council state whether all governments that have held the Council Presidency since 1995 have had
meetings with the ERT and, if so, when?

(1) Written answer of 12 December 2001.

Reply

(25 June 2002)

The Council would ask the Honourable Member to address his question directly to the Governments of the
Member States which assumed the Presidency of the EU Council in previous years.

(2002/C 229 E/049)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3704/01

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 January 2002)

Subject: Development of democracy in Belarus

Following the latest presidential election in Belarus, in September 2001, the situation as regards political
democracy there can only be described as disastrous. Belarus is the only blank space on the map of Europe
where there is, from a formal point of view, no political democracy with free elections, freedom of
expression and freedom of the press.

How does the Commission assess the situation in Belarus now, and how can the European Union support
the development of the opposition’s democratic role in forming public opinion in Belarus?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(19 February 2002)

The Commission is deeply concerned by recent developments in Belarus, in particular that the Government
of Belarus has shown no inclination to take into account the Union’s view on a range of issues affecting
democracy and human rights in that country.

C 229 E/48

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.9.2002

The Union is considering how it might play a more effective role in bringing the country out of its self-
imposed isolation and encouraging it to meet the standards of behaviour set out notably in the documents
of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It will again make clear to the
Belarussian authorities that a closer relationship with the Union will require a radical change of policy on
their part.

In particular this means that elections are conducted in a way which offers the voters a genuine choice,
with opposition parties participating on equal
terms; an end to harassment of non-governmental
organisations (NGOs), opposition figures and the media, and the release of political detainees. The
Commission also continues to support civil society in Belarus through its Tacis programme, and it expects
the Union to reiterate to the Belarussian government that restrictions on the operation and funding of
NGOs must be removed.

(2002/C 229 E/050)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0001/02

by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(9 January 2002)

Subject: MEDA funding and culture

The MEDA I and MEDA II regulations make express provision for the promotion of cultural cooperation
as part of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership. To date this policy has been implemented through the
Heritage programme, which primarily focuses on the partners’ cultural heritage and architectural traditions.

In view of the current political situation, which makes mutual comprehension and the strengthening of
relations between the peoples of the European Union and the partner countries a necessity, does the
Commission believe that a new programme for cultural cooperation should be designed and implemented,
dealing with the dissemination of art, history, philosophy and religion? If so, does the Commission think
that new structures and opportunities should be created to enable Euro-Mediterranean cross-cultural
dialogue and cooperation to gain renewed impetus and drive and to become a factor contributing to
rapprochement, trust and stability in the region?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(12 February 2002)

The Commission shares the need to reinforce mutual comprehension and to strengthen relations between
the peoples of the Union and the Mediterranean Partner Countries.

The Commission will shortly submit a Communication aimed at strengthening the Euro-Mediterranean
Partnership in view of the Ministerial meeting that will be held in Valencia, Spain this April.

Within this context, the Commission intends to present new initiatives which would encompass topics
related to cross cultural dialogue such as those mentioned by the Honourable Member.

(2002/C 229 E/051)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0003/02

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(23 January 2002)

Subject: Christ’s new flight from Bethlehem

The refusal of the Sharon government % opposed by a majority of Israeli citizens % to allow the
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to visit Bethlehem at Christmas should be seen within the context not only
of a general plan to humiliate and discredit Arafat, but also of attempts to ‘ethnically cleanse’ the
Bethlehem area of its Arab Christian population.