WRITTEN QUESTION E-0331/02 by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Persecution of Greeks in Albania.
Date: 2002-02-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Albania, EU aid, Greece, economic aid, national minority, protection of minorities, rights of minorities, use of aid

C 52 E/4

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2003

Checks on imports of products of animal origin from third countries are carried out in border inspection
posts, the first points of entry to the Community of these products. Controls are harmonised and the
procedures are laid down in Council Directive 97/78/EC (3), which specifies the documentary, identity, and
physical checks that must be carried out. Under this legislation Member States are required to carry out
laboratory testing according to national rules, for all products of animal origin examined routinely, or on
suspicion, in border inspection posts.

Commission staff from the Food and Veterinary Office conduct regular inspections of all border inspection
posts in the Member States to verify that correct Community standards of facilities, staffing and procedures
are maintained. These inspections include laboratory checks carried out on behalf of the border inspection
posts.

(1) Council Directive 96/23/EC of 29 April 1996 on measures to monitor certain substances and residues thereof in
live animals and animal products and repealing Directives 85/358/EEC and 86/469/EEC and Decisions 89/187/EEC
and 91/664/EEC, OJ L 125, 23.5.1996, p. 10-32.

(2) COM(1999) 719 final.
(3) Council Directive 97/78/EC of 18 December 1997 laying down the principles governing the organisation of

veterinary checks on products entering the Community from third countries, OJ L 24, 30.1.1998, p. 9.

(2003/C 52 E/004)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0331/02

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 February 2002)

Subject: Persecution of Greeks in Albania

In his answer of 22 January 2002 to question No E-3321/01 (1) tabled by myself and Mr Christos
Zacharakis, Commissioner Patten casts doubt on the reports of targeted demolition of houses belonging to
members of the Greek ethnic minority in Albania and thereby contradicts the warnings which appeared in
the Greek press prior to the events, to which I had also referred, and the statements made by the new
mayor of Himara, which have never been denied by the Albanians.

The Commissioner has thereby put the Commission in a compromising position as he appears not to
recognise the seriousness of an issue which relates to respect for the most fundamental of human rights, a
legacy of communist rule in Albania (under which thousands of
the Greek ethnic minority were
persecuted,
imprisoned and tortured). The blame for the persistence of this situation could be laid at
Europe’s door since it supports Albania economically and politically without compelling it to comply with
international standards of respect for minorities. A particularly distasteful part of Mr Patten’s answer were
the comments that Albania’s attitude was ‘constructive’ and that the Commission had not observed any
persecution of the Greek minority in Albania.

Will the Commission say exactly how many schools teaching the Greek language are operating in how
many areas for the thousands of Greeks in Albania? What is the sum total of Community funding given to
that country over the last ten years? On what conditions did the EU grant that funding? Which of those
conditions did Albania fulfil? Did the Commission check, and in what way, that those funds were used for
the purposes for which they were granted and were not used to support nationalist groups in Kosovo,
FYROM and elsewhere? Does Albania observe the international agreements which it has concluded (in
particular the Corfu Protocol) and how does the Commission monitor the degree to which the rights of all
minorities (regardless of race or creed) are respected in Albania?

(1) OJ C 229 E, 26.9.2002, p. 13.

6.3.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 52 E/5

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(26 March 2002)

The importance of minority protection and the respect of minority rights are issues of the utmost
importance for the Commission. The Commission makes every effort to ensure an appropriate follow up
in these matters, particularly in sensitive areas such as South-East Europe.

in its view,

there is currently no solid justification to talk about
The Commission reiterates that,
‘persecution’ of the Greek minority in Albania. It also confirms that, in general, Albania is showing a
co-operative attitude in the field of minorities. But the Commission does not argue that Albania has
reached a fully satisfactory situation in terms of minorities and that there is no room for improvement.
Plainly there is. The Commission continues to take every opportunity to encourage Albania to take further
steps in order to ensure full compliance as rapidly as possible with the relevant international standards in
this field, in particular with the provisions of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of
National Minorities to which Albania is a member.

As regards the specific questions raised by the Honourable Member, the Commission is pleased to inform
him that, according to available data, there are around 30 elementary schools, 40 secondary schools and
two high schools teaching in Greek in Albania. Community financial assistance to Albania since 1991 has
totalled around EUR 1 billion. The Commission has monitored the use of these funds and considers that
they have been used for the purposes for which they have been granted. Monitoring of minority rights
implementation by the Commission is carried out primarily through its Delegation in Tirana, and through
regular dialogue with international bodies (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE),
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), European Union Monitoring Mission (UEMM))
and Union Embassies present in Albania, through exchanges with competent international organisations
(Council of Europe) and through direct enquiries to the Albanian authorities.

(2003/C 52 E/005)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0368/02

by Charles Tannock (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(14 February 2002)

Subject: Kaliningrad (citizenship rights)

Bearing in mind the German law of jus sanguinis, does the Commission have any information on what
percentage of the population of the region of Kaliningrad are citizens of or entitled to citizenship of (a)
current EU Member States and (b) Poland and Lithuania?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(20 March 2002)

Although reliable statistics are not available, the Commission estimates that very few inhabitants of the
Kaliningrad region are citizens of/or might be entitled to citizenship of current Member States. The
percentage of inhabitants who are citizens of/or might be entitled to citizenship of either Poland or
Lithuania is also very small. The Kaliningrad authorities consider under 2,5 % of the population of the
region to be of Lithuanian or Polish origin. However, the Commission has no information on the
entitlement to citizenship of this part of the population, as the rules concerning citizenship lie within the
competence of the countries concerned.