WRITTEN QUESTION P-0425/02 by Carmen Cerdeira Morterero (PSE) to the Council. Racist murder in Spain.
Date: 2002-02-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Catalonia, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, anti-discriminatory measure, crime against individuals, racism, security services

14.11.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 277 E/45

Sweden has established within the Council of Ministers of Economic and Financial Affairs that the excess
amounts Sweden is paying in will gradually be returned. The issue will therefore be the interest on those
sums. Sweden’s Minister of Financial Affairs, Mr Bosse Ringholm, has said that Sweden will be claiming
compensation for loss of interest.

Does the Commission consider that Sweden should receive compensation for loss of interest?

Answer given by Mrs Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(3 April 2002)

The Honourable Member is informed that all Member States have now notified the Council of their
ratification of
the European
the new Council Decision of 29 September 2000 on the system of
Communities’ own resources (2000/597/EC, Euratom (1)).

According to the third paragraph of Article 10(1) of the Council Decision it shall enter into force on the
first day of the month following receipt of the last notifications mentioned above. Since the last Member
State submitted its notification on 5 February 2002 this year the new Decision consequently entered into
force as from 1 March 2002 (with retroactive effect mainly as from 1 January 2002, but for some
provisions as from 1 January 2001).

The Decision does not, however, contain any provisions concerning compensation for loss of interest in
the case of entry into force after a certain date.

The Commission is consequently of the opinion that there is no legal basis that would allow granting or
claiming compensation for the interest that Member States possibly lose or gain as a result of temporarily
having paid more or less than they should, as a result of the new Decision not being in force at the time of
the adoption of the 2002 budget.

(1) OJ L 253, 7.10.2000.

(2002/C 277 E/048)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0425/02

by Carmen Cerdeira Morterero (PSE) to the Council

(11 February 2002)

Subject: Racist murder in Spain

On 27 January 2002 a young man from Ecuador, Wilson Pacheco, was found dead in Barcelona harbour
(Spain). This young man appears to have been the victim of a beating by bouncers at a bar. He was then
thrown into the sea and left to drown. The whole brutal attack was witnessed by several by-standers who
made no attempt to intervene.

Will the Council analyse the causes of and reasons for the increase in racist and xenophobic violence in
the European Union? Will
it take any measures or initiatives to enhance the work of the European
Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia, in line with the conclusions adopted at the Tampere Summit? Is
the Council taking any particular action to raise public awareness in the Member States?

Reply

(22 July 2002)

The Council was not aware of the incident referred to by the Honourable Member in her question. For
several months now, however, the Council has been considering initiatives designed to prevent sad
occurrences such as that reported by the Honourable Member.

C 277 E/46

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.11.2002

At its meeting on 25 and 26 April 2002, the Justice and Home Affairs Council adopted some conclusions
on combating racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia, in which it pointed in particular to the importance
of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia.

The Council is also currently considering an initiative from the Kingdom of Spain for supervision of levels
of training and other aspects of private security personnel within the Union.

(2002/C 277 E/049)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0435/02

by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 February 2002)

Subject: Advertising leaflet and television campaign about the euro published in Britain

With reference to a leaflet and television advertisement entitled ‘The Euro. Our Money A Getting ready for
the Euro’, both published in the name of the European Central Bank,

would the Commission like to explain:

(a) on what basis the ECB, a supposedly independent central bank, is taking it upon itself to provide

unsolicited information on the euro to the British people;

(b) which institution paid for the advertisement and leaflet;

(c)

from which budget the money to pay for the advertisement and leaflet originated;

(d) whether or not the decision to enter the euro is a national decision in which the European Institutions

may legally interfere?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(20 March 2002)

The Honourable Member refers to a document and a television advertisement which have been produced
under the authority of the European Central Bank (ECB) in the framework of their information campaign
on the euro.

The necessary conditions to be fulfilled by a Member State for the adoption of the euro are spelled out in
Title VII of the EC Treaty.

(2002/C 277 E/050)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0437/02

by Ozan Ceyhun (PSE) to the Commission

(12 February 2002)

Subject: Problems encountered by citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany when passing through the

Republic of Bulgaria A specific information and witness statements

In connection with my question H-0793/01 and the Commission’s reply of 13 November 2001, the
Commission asked me to provide further information and details in order to assess the situation more
accurately.

I am now sending the Commission detailed information and witness statements under separate cover. I
would like to combine this with asking the Commission how, in the light of these new facts, it intends to
proceed vis-à-vis the Republic of Bulgaria as regards compliance with the Copenhagen criteria.