WRITTEN QUESTION E-0850/02 by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission. Mobbing at work.
Date: 2002-03-27
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU publication, occupational health, occupational safety, psychological harassment

17.4.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 92 E/27

It has also been used for the Programme for the Reconstruction of Central America (PRRAC), which has
been implemented since 1999 in the four countries most affected by Hurricane Mitch. The areas for
intervention under PRRAC are water and sanitation, health, housing and education.

The detail of the interventions is sent direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament’s Secretariat
(table 4).

Future interventions of this type will come under the Budget Line B7-310 (see below).

Financial and Technical Co-operation (cid:1) Budget Line B7-310

The programmed actions financed from budget line B7-310 have been designed taking into account the
Commission communication on the link between emergency aid, rehabilitation and development (1). The
programme constitutes a coherent package that ensures continuity with past and on-going actions, and
complement the actions financed from other budget lines. It constitutes an important contribution to the
fight against poverty (given that it is the poor populations that suffer the most from the consequences of
natural disasters) as well as to regional integration.

The Commission has just approved the programming 2002-2006 for horizontal programmes for the
whole Latin America in which EUR 40 million are foreseen for actions in the field of natural disasters. On
the one hand, those actions will aim at improving mechanisms for coping better with the consequences of
natural disaster. On the other hand, the credits foreseen will be used to implement the priorities expressed
by the European, Latin American and Caribbean Heads of States and Governments in Rio in 1999, relating
to supporting actions of common interest for Latin America and the Union in the field of natural disasters
(actions such as enhancement of the co-operation between civil protection of the countries of both
regions, the development of the relations between local communities of both regions on issues such as risk
reduction).

in the context of the 2002-2006 programming at regional

Also,
level the Commission will shortly
consider the approval of regional strategies for Central America and the Andean Community. Those
strategies foresee actions related to natural disasters for an amount of respectively EUR 20 and 10 million.
The regional strategies will aim at supporting regional initiatives and reinforcing regional co-ordination.
They will focus on improving prevention networks together with stimulating the development of a
common legal framework for regional prevention mechanisms in Central America, on reinforcing the civil
protection and their regional co-ordination, and on improving the efficiency of risk management systems
in the Andean Community.

Taking into account the consequences of recent natural disasters, the Commission 2002-2006 program-
ming for some individual countries (Honduras, El Salvador and Venezuela) also includes actions at national
level that will contribute to reduce the vulnerability of their population to natural disasters. Those actions
mainly aim at contributing to a more rational use of the territory and a better and more sustainable
management of natural resources.

In total, and according to the 2002-2006 programming for budget line B7-310, over the five next years,
about EUR 155 million should be directly or indirectly devoted to natural disasters in Latin America. This
important amount is justified in view of the extent of the problem in Latin America.

(1) COM(2001) 153 final.

(2003/C 92 E/030)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0850/02

by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(27 March 2002)

Subject: Mobbing at work

What steps will the Commission take with a view to introducing a legal definition of mobbing so that
effective prevention policies can be shaped, for example by including it in the Framework Directive on
health and safety at work, and with a view to drawing up a Green Paper containing a detailed analysis,
action plan and specific timetable?

C 92 E/28

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

17.4.2003

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(19 April 2002)

The Commission would like to draw the Honourable Member’s attention to its recent Communication
‘Adapting to change in work and society: a new Community strategy on health and safety at work
2002-2006’ (1), which adopts a global approach to well-being at work, taking account of changes in the
world of work and the emergence of new risks, especially of a psycho-social nature. With this in mind, and
as indicated in the above Communication, the Commission will examine the appropriateness and the scope
of a Community instrument on the issue of psychological harassment in the workplace.

(1) COM(2002) 118 final, 11.3.2002.

(2003/C 92 E/031)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0865/02

by Matti Wuori (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(2 April 2002)

Subject: Stabilisation and association negotiations with the FRY and cooperation with the ICTY

Given that continued EU assistance as part of the ongoing stabilisation and association negotiations with
the FRY Government
to on full and genuine cooperation by the latter with the ICTY
(International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia), what specific measures did the Commission
undertake at its Consultative Task Force meeting of 21 February to urge the FRY Government to improve
its record in this area?

is subject

Did the Commission note with concern that no transfers of indictees have taken place since November
2001, that an indictee continues to serve as President of the Republic of Serbia, and that the Yugoslav
army continues to refuse access to its documents?

What specific commitments did the Commission secure at the meeting from the FRY Government in this
area, and within what timeframe does it expect these commitments to be implemented? What measures
does the Commission intend to propose if no significant change is noticeable by the deadline it has set?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(25 April 2002)

The issue of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal
for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was raised by the Commission at the meeting of the Union-FRY Consultative
Task Force on 21 February 2002, as at the previous meetings of the Consultative Task Force and all other
bilateral meetings. The Commission’s concerns in this regard (cid:1) in relation to access to archives and
witnesses as well as the handover of indictees, as well as the general principle of compliance with
obligations of United Nations membership, on all of which ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte has
described cooperation as ‘inadequate’ (cid:1) are also clearly reflected in the FRY chapter of its Annual Report
on the Stabilisation and Association process, adopted on 27 March 2002.

Since relations with the Union, under the Stabilisation and Association process, depend on an assessment
of the totality of political and economic reforms, precise deadlines are not usually applied to specific
reforms. However, Belgrade is aware that the pace of development of FRY’s relations with the Union
depends on the speed with which the authorities of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia implement political
and economic reforms and,
in particular, comply with international obligations such as this. As the
Honourable Member is aware, the federal authorities, most recently Foreign Minister Svilanovic during his
visit to Brussels on 20 March 2002, have promised both the Commission and the Parliament that more
handovers of indictees will occur in the near future. The Commission welcomes the recent adoption by
Belgrade of the law on co-operation with the Hague Tribunal, and looks forward to it being turned into
action. It is important that the FRY should co-operate fully in respect of all those indicated by the ICTY.