WRITTEN QUESTION E-0279/02 by Jillian Evans (Verts/ALE) to the Council. Human rights in Algeria.
Date: 2002-02-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Algeria, Troika (EU), UNO, association agreement (EU), exchange of information, human rights, non-governmental organisation, political cooperation

26.9.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 229 E/67

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(20 March 2002)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to his Written Question E-3031/01 (1),
in which it stated that it was not financing any drug control operations in Afghanistan.

This means that, in particular, it did not grant any funding to the UNIDCP (United Nations Drug Control
Programme) for drug control operations in Afghanistan in 2001.

(1) OJ C 172 E, 18.7.2002.

(2002/C 229 E/074)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0279/02

by Jillian Evans (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(8 February 2002)

Subject: Human rights in Algeria

How will the Council of the European Union ensure that the assessment of the human rights situation in
Algeria and compliance with Article 2 of the Association Agreement, become a separate agenda item in all
meetings held under the Agreement, and especially the Association Council meetings?

Reply

(25 June 2002)

The Euro-Mediterranean Agreement with Algeria was initialled on 19 December 2001 and will be signed
in the next few months. The Agreement, which will not enter into force until it has received the assent of
the European Parliament, been concluded by the Council and ratified by the Member States’ parliaments,
makes respect for democratic principles and fundamental human rights an essential element of the
Agreement (1), serious breaches of which will oblige the other party to take appropriate steps. Moreover, it
will
interest. Such
dialogue will take place in particular within the Association Council.

institutionalise regular political dialogue at various levels on all aspects of mutual

These provisions will enable the Community to examine the application of international human rights
standards within the bodies provided for under the Agreement,
i.e. the Association Council and the
Association Committee. The agenda for meetings of these bodies will be drawn up in the light of
developments and of the needs arising from implementation of the Agreement.

The Council also initiated a political dialogue with Algeria at ministerial level three years ago. This is the
forum in which the European Union, represented by the troika, regularly raises issues relating to respect
for human rights with the Algerian authorities and strongly insists that any departure from this or any
abuse in the fight against terrorism be avoided. On numerous occasions the European Union has expressed
its concern at reports of arbitrary detentions, extra-judicial arrests, the use of torture and the fate of
missing persons. At the most recent political dialogue meeting in Brussels on 5 December 2001, the EU
requested Algeria to provide it with information on the fate of a number of missing persons and asked it
to cooperate with UN mechanisms and with NGOs in the area of human rights. A meeting of the same
nature is planned for the end of April in Algiers, providing another opportunity to continue discussion of
these matters with the Algerian authorities.

(1)

‘Respect for the democratic principles and fundamental human rights established by the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights shall inspire the domestic and external policies of the parties and shall constitute an essential element
of this Agreement’.