WRITTEN QUESTION E-0608/02 by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL)and Herman Schmid (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Halting remittances from the territory of the EU Member States to residents of the disintegrated State of Somalia on account of the possible presence of terrorists.
Date: 2002-03-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Afghanistan, EU Member State, Somalia, UN Security Council, bank, capital transfer, economic sanctions, foreign capital, international sanctions, terrorism

C 52 E/14

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.3.2003

(2003/C 52 E/016)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0608/02

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL)
and Herman Schmid (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(5 March 2002)

Subject: Halting remittances from the territory of the EU Member States to residents of the disintegrated

State of Somalia on account of the possible presence of terrorists

Is the Commission aware that the Somalian bank El Barakat transfers money from small agencies in
1.
shops in EU Member States, on behalf of people of Somali origin residing here, to relatives living in
extreme poverty in Somalia, which is divided among mutually opposed warlords?

Did any EU institution decide on or around 27 December 2001 that the customary payment

2.
transactions via El Barakat could no longer be performed?

3.
Is there a link between the EU decision referred to in question 2 and United Nations Security Council
resolution 1390, which was adopted shortly afterwards (on or around 16 January 2002)? Does each
permanent member of the Security Council have the power to veto the worldwide lifting of the ban on
doing business with organisations designated as terrorist?

4.
Did the reason for the prevention of bank transfers via El Barakat lie in the bank’s direct support for
terrorist activities of the Al-Qaeda type? Do the EU institutions have any proof of this or do they have
convincing evidence supplied by the United States or United Nations?

5.
If payment transactions via El Barakat have been halted permanently, is the aim of this to completely
isolate from the outside world the territory of the State of Somalia, which has long since disintegrated, to
make it possible to cut off terrorist groups within that territory from foreign sources of funding?

Are there still any other practical ways in which people residing in the EU Member States can send

6.
money to relatives in Somalia, through channels other than El Barakat? If so, what?

7.
Is the possibility of opening new channels for transferring money to Somalia being in any way
prevented or classified as a criminal offence, particularly transfers to residents who are heavily dependent
on such remittances for their survival?

How, and how soon, does the Commission expect normal payment transactions with Somalia to be

8.
resumed and what will it do to help bring about such a resumption?

Source: (inter alia) Netherlands Radio 1, VPRO, ‘De Ochtenden’, 15 February 2002

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(25 April 2002)

The Commission is aware that the organisation Al-Barakhat used to operate in European countries
1.
individuals and other organisations
and that its core activity was the transfer of funds from Somali
between these countries and some regions of Somalia. Remittances play a significant role in the Somali
economy and affect a considerable number of persons.

United Nations (UN) Security Council

2. to 4.
in particular Resolutions 1333(2000)
paragraph 8(c) and Resolution 1390(2002) paragraph 2(a), require all States to take a certain number of
measures against individuals and entities directly or indirectly associated with Usama bin Laden and the
Al Qaeda Organisation. For this purpose a specific list
is maintained and updated by a Sanctions
Committee of the UN Security Council. This Resolution of the UN Security Council and the implementing
decisions of the Sanctions Committee are binding and mandatory as they are based on Article 41 of the
UN Charter.

resolutions,

The list of individuals and entities provided by the UN Security Council is based on information provided
by States. UN Security Council decisions on substantive matters require at the very least the approval of all
permanent members, often referred to as the ‘veto’ power.

6.3.2003

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Official Journal of the European Union

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To enforce the UN Security Council Resolution, the Community adopted Council Regulation (EC) No 467/
2001 of 6 March 2001 prohibiting the export of certain goods and services to Afghanistan, strengthening
the flight ban and extending the freeze of funds and other financial resources in respect of the Taliban of
Afghanistan (1). Subsequently, the Commission adopted Regulation (EC) No 2199/2001 of 12 November
2001 (2) amending Council regulation (EC) No 467/2001 based on the updated UN Security Council list (3)
it also ceased making payments in
where Barakhat organisations,
Somalia through the Barakhat organisation.

inter alia, were listed. Accordingly,

Resolution 1390(2002) amends and continues the financial restrictions of Resolution 1333(2000) and
provides that the sanctions in relation to Afghanistan should be repealed. A Commission proposal to take
the necessary measures was made on 6 March 2002 (4).

5. to 7.
No. The aim is to reinforce the fight against terrorism and more specifically its financing
mechanisms. The financial restrictions imposed by Community Regulations target specific organisations
and persons, not all remittances to Somalia.

Other organisations carrying out remittances from and to Somalia are still operating in the country, such
as Amaala and Dahabshil that have partially filled the void left by Barakhat. Recently, a ‘Union Bank of
Somalia’ was created. Also, a considerable number of smaller remittance organisations have been created
and/or are operating in Somalia on a more local basis. However, some rural Communities, mainly in
Southern Somalia, still experience a lack of sufficient channels to receive remittances from families abroad.

The payment

transaction situation is improving. Nevertheless, normal economic and financial
8.
relations with Somalia depend in the end on Somali political
society’s
determination to re-establish sustainable governance in the country in order to harmoniously participate
in the international Community.

forces’ and Somali civil

(1) OJ L 67, 9.3.2001.
(2) OJ L 295, 13.11.2001.
(3) AFG/163-SC/7206 of 9 November 2001.
(4) COM(2002) 117.

(2003/C 52 E/017)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0620/02

by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Commission

(5 March 2002)

Subject: Global terrorism: a European response

The ‘Evil Axis’, as George W. Bush calls it, which runs from Tehran to Baghdad and Pyongyang, could, in
the medium-term, lead to a level of international terrorism that would make the 11 September attacks on
the Twin Towers in New York seem like a bad joke.

Iran apparently has Shahab-3, Shahab-4 and Shahab-5 ballistic missiles at an advanced stage of
construction which have a range of 1300, 2000 and 5500 km respectively.

Iraq is reported to have Al-Hussein and Al-Abbas ballistic missiles with ranges of between 600 and
1 000 km.

North Korea has Nodong-1, Nodong-2, Taepodong-1 and Taepodong-2 ballistic missiles at an advanced
stage of development with ranges of between 1 300 and 6 000 km.

These missiles (cid:1) armed with nuclear, chemical and biological warheads (cid:1) could, within the space of a few
hours, destroy the whole of the Western world, while China would not stand back looking on.