WRITTEN QUESTION E-0365/02 by Pere Esteve (ELDR) to the Commission. Human rights violations in refugee camps.
Date: 2002-02-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Burundi, Tanzania, UNHCR, aid to refugees, fundamental rights, human rights, public safety, refugee

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The Commission does not know as to whether the ECB has ‘any estimate of the costs or benefits in

3.
seigniorage terms to the United Kingdom if it were to join the euro’.

The Commission respects the position of the Member States that have not adopted the euro so far and
regards it as inappropriate to investigate or publish hypothetical scenarios what might have happened if
these Member States would also have adopted the euro.

(1) OJ L 337, 20.12.2001.

(2003/C 28 E/025)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0365/02

by Pere Esteve (ELDR) to the Commission

(14 February 2002)

Subject: Human rights violations in refugee camps

Except during the recent Belgian Presidency, the Great Lakes region has over the last few years barely
featured in the EU’s foreign policy. Refugees from the Burundi conflict are currently in an alarming
situation, especially since the Tanzanian Government made statements calling for the forced repatriation of
Burundian refugees who are currently on its territory.

Reports from various international organisations working amongst the refugees indicate that the latter are
subject to restrictions on their fundamental rights and freedoms, such as the right to education (primary
education is patchy, largely on account of the fact that the Tanzanian Government does not want the
refugees to be better educated than its own people), the right to work (refugees are prohibited from
working the land and from growing agricultural produce, even for their own consumption), freedom of
expression (political debate is banned), freedom of association (the right of assembly is totally suppressed
within the camps) and freedom of movement (restricted by means of the ‘four-kilometre law’, which
prevents any refugee from straying more than that distance from the camp at which he or she is
registered).

Pursuant to the Geneva Convention on the Status of Refugees, refugees are required to be treated at least
as favourably as the nationals of the country of refuge in terms of the rights they are granted.

Can the violations of, and the restrictions imposed on, the refugees’ human rights be justified on the
grounds of national security and public order? What view does the Commission take of the matter? Are
the Commission’s third-country aid bodies active in this area?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(27 March 2002)

The Commission has taken note of the recent statements by the Tanzanian authorities concerning the
presence of Burundian refugees on their territory, and of
the concerns expressed by certain non-
Governmental organisations working in Tanzania. It believes that developments should be followed closely
to ensure that no violation or restriction of the refugees’ fundamental rights occurs.

However, it is understandable that the Tanzanian authorities should appeal to the international community
for assistance in dealing with the growing number of refugees. Furthermore, despite the efforts to help
Burundian refugees to return to their country, including the EUR 25 million programme financed by the
United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), they are not doing so.

In the Commission’s view it is undeniable that some tension exists between the refugees and the Tanzanian
population. At this stage it seems unlikely that this will get out of hand. Tanzania has always shown a
willingness to receive refugees (cid:1) since 1993 Burundians, Rwandans and Congolese have taken refuge
there. It is said that there are now approximately 1 200 000 refugees in the country, of whom about

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500 000 are in the camps. Tanzanian fears relate not only to local security, illegal harvesting or damage to
the ecosystem. They are also afraid that their territory may be used as a base for military operations by the
Rwandan and Burundian rebels, as the history of the Congo suggests.

International agencies and specialist NGOs are working to help the refugees in Tanzania, and are receiving
financing from the Community. In addition to the UNHCR EUR 25 million programme already mentioned
for helping refugees return to Burundi,
the EC Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) has just allocated
EUR 27 million for the current year to assist refugees in Tanzania. But clearly the only thing that will really
solve the refugee problem is an end to the armed conflicts going on in the region. The Commission is
contributing to efforts to achieve this. It has always provided political and financial support for initiatives
likely to further peace, and will continue to do so.

(2003/C 28 E/026)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0376/02

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(18 February 2002)

Subject: Problem of stray animals in Greece

There is a very serious problem with the countless number of stray animals in Greece, for which there is
no form of public welfare service.

Are there any Community initiatives for the protection of such stray animals? Have Community
programmes for their protection ever been implemented in Greece? Have the Greek authorities received
support for that purpose and what amount was involved? Has the Greek Government proposed any
methods of resolving this problem? What is the Commission’s assessment of the present and future
situation in Greece in this regard?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(15 March 2002)

There is no Community legislation on stray animals and in Greece, as in other Member States, this is a
matter for local authorities with the possible assistance of non governmental organisations.

The Commission is not proposing any particular initiatives in this matter, which, under the principle of
subsidiarity, is considered best left to be regulated within the Member States.

(2003/C 28 E/027)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0387/02

by Christoph Konrad (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(6 February 2002)

Subject: Division of the Westdeutsche Landesbank (WestLB)

into a parent company and a subsidiary

company

Is the Commission aware of the exact nature of the planned new legal structure linking the subsidiary
‘WestLB AG’, a private law commercial bank and the parent ‘Landesbank NRW (LB RW)’, a public law
investment bank?

Is the Commission aware of the future balance sheet structure of the ‘WestLB AG’ and the ‘LB NRW’ and
of the contracts on the transfer of staff and for services between the parent and subsidiary companies?