WRITTEN QUESTION E-1004/02 by María Valenciano Martínez-Orozco (PSE) to the Council. Honouring the commitments made to women in connection with the Afghanistan reconstruction process.
Date: 2002-04-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Afghanistan, EU aid, aid policy, gender equality, participation of women, position of women, terms for aid, women's rights

12.12.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 309 E/71

Significant liberalisation of trade between the Union and the candidate countries in agricultural and
processed agricultural products has already been agreed under the double zero agreements. A second
round of bilateral negotiations for trade liberalisation of agricultural products is now underway. The
Commission expects that this liberalisation process will allow for gradual adaptation to the conditions that
will be faced after enlargement.

In this respect it should be noted that Austria has a trade surplus with the candidate countries in the field
of agriculture and food products.

Under the current arrangements for the Common Agricultural Policy, the Commission does not expect
enlargement to have a significant negative impact on trends in agricultural income and employment in the
short to medium term in Austria.

In its recent Communication on the impact of enlargement on border regions (1), the Commission stressed
the scope to adjust rural development programmes to help farmers and rural areas in border regions to
adequately prepare for enlargement. The use of these programmes should help to avoid any potential
disturbances in particular on local agricultural markets.

(1) COM(2001) 437 final.

(2002/C 309 E/082)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1004/02

by María Valenciano Martínez-Orozco (PSE) to the Council

(12 April 2002)

Subject: Honouring the commitments made to women in connection with the Afghanistan reconstruction

process

On 13 December 2001, Parliament called for the granting of international aid for the reconstruction of
Afghanistan to be made conditional on the participation of women in the decision-making process and in
determining the use of such aid, and also called on the donor countries (and, in particular, the EU) to
ensure that Afghan women were the direct beneficiaries of between 25 % and 30 % of the financial aid
provided for reconstruction in Afghanistan.

Is the Council intending to monitor these commitments relating to women and the granting of financial
aid by the European Union?

intending to support Parliament’s suggestion that

Is the Council
the UN should appoint a woman
rapporteur for sex equality, whose task would be to supervise compliance with the commitments made in
respect of women during the transition and reconstruction process in Afghanistan?

Reply

(30 September 2002)

1.
The Council fully supports the objective to promote the role of Afghan women in society in general,
and in particular their participation in the political decision making process. The Council has also
repeatedly underlined that the EU’s reconstruction aid is conditional on all Afghan parties contributing
positively to the process and the goals agreed in the Bonn peace agreement. The Council will therefore
continue to encourage the successive Afghan administrations to implement
the generally accepted
principles enshrined in international instruments to which Afghanistan is a party, including the respect of
human rights without any discrimination based on gender, religion or ethnicity.

2.

In its latest conclusions on Afghanistan adopted on 15 April 2002, the Council stated explicitly that:

(13)
The EU considers that Afghan women must enjoy all human rights as well as equal access to
health care, education and employment, have the opportunity to participate on equal terms in the
political and social life of their country, and be able to play a central role in the reconstruction of

C 309 E/72

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

12.12.2002

Afghanistan. The EU will therefore ensure a gender-sensitive approach in its activities, including in
development assistance.

3.
The Council will seek to ensure that Afghan women will be direct beneficiaries of a significant
percentage of the international reconstruction aid. The Presidency and the Commission, in their role as
the Steering Committee for the Reconstruction of Afghanistan, will contribute to the
co-chairs of
implementation of these commitments and monitor the evolution.

The Council has not discussed the European Parliament’s suggestion that the UN should appoint a

4.
female Rapporteur of gender equality in Afghanistan, but would consider it whenever it arises.

(2002/C 309 E/083)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1024/02

by Claude Moraes (PSE) to the Council

(5 April 2002)

Subject: Free movement of persons and death grants in the EU

My constituent, the mother of a British national who died while working and residing in Holland, has had
her request for a funeral payment legally rejected by a British benefits agency after her son’s body was
returned to the UK for burial, which she organised. This rejection was in spite of the fact that she receives
income support, and is valid on the grounds that the deceased had not been resident in the UK at the time
of his death.

Does the Council concede that this represents a serious anomaly with regard to the values and working
necessities of a European Union of free movement of persons?

Will the Council consider that Regulation 1408/71 (1) must be amended in order to prevent this situation
from being allowed to recur? Citizens financially unable to cover the costs of a funeral can not be left with
such a burden resulting directly from the union of Europe.

At this time, is there any compensation that Europe can provide for those affected by this shortcoming?

(1) OJ L 149, 5.7.1971, p. 2.

Reply

(30 September 2002)

The Council would refer the Honourable Member to the reply it gave to questions E-0209/02 and
E-0343/02, put by Ulpu Iivari and Eija-Riitta Korhola respectively.

(2002/C 309 E/084)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1025/02

by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(5 April 2002)

Subject: Events in the Middle East

The tragic events unfolding in the Middle East and their repercussions affect the vital interests of the
European Union and call for its active involvement in the search for a settlement.

What action has the Council already taken and what further steps does it plan to take to go beyond its role
of main provider of funding in the region and to propose political solutions which are so urgently needed
not only by the Middle East but by the Union itself?