WRITTEN QUESTION E-1031/02 by Philip Bushill-Matthews (PPE-DE) to the Council. Human rights.
Date: 2002-04-15
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Algeria, EU relations, Mediterranean third countries, association agreement (EU), cooperation policy, human rights

6.3.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 52 E/31

(2003/C 52 E/039)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1031/02

by Philip Bushill-Matthews (PPE-DE) to the Council

(15 April 2002)

Subject: Human rights

Given the absence of a specific human rights mechanism within the new framework of cooperation
between the EU and its Mediterranean partner countries, and despite the stated intention to base
cooperation on human rights, could the Council indicate how it intends to address such human rights
issues generally and, in the case of Algeria, specifically?

Reply

(5 November 2002)

The Council would inform the Honourable Member that, in the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean
Partnership, human rights issues are raised through national and regional presentations at meetings of the
Senior Officials responsible for monitoring the Barcelona Process. Those officials hold exchanges of views
on the implementation of international agreements on the matter. The Valencia Action Plan adopted on
23 April 2002 provides for the continuation of that dialogue and calls on the Senior Officials to look into
ways of improving its structure and reinforcing it in order to increase its effectiveness in the framework of
the Partnership.

In the context of the bilateral relations that it has established with the Mediterranean countries, notably
through Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreements, the Council addresses those questions regularly both
as regards the principles and, if necessary, with regard to specific cases. Respect for human rights is a vital
element in those Agreements, and one on which the Parties’ internal and external policies must be based.
In addition, those agreements institutionalise regular political dialogue at various levels on all subjects of
common interest.

Such an Agreement was signed with Algeria in Valencia on 22 April 2002 and will enter into force after
receiving the assent of the European Parliament and being ratified by the Parliaments of the Member
States. Meanwhile, the Council is continuing the political dialogue with Algeria at ministerial level which it
began three years ago. In the body in question, where it is represented by the Troika, the Council regularly
discusses with the Algerian authorities issues relating to respect for human rights and strongly urges that
slippage and abuse in the context of the fight against terrorism be avoided. The Council has pointed out
repeatedly that it is concerned by the reports on arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial arrests, the use of
torture and the fate of missing persons. At
the political dialogue meeting held in Brussels on
5 December 2001, it asked Algeria for information on the fate of a number of missing persons and
called on it to cooperate with the UN and NGO mechanisms in the field of human rights. A similar
meeting took place in Algiers on 5 June 2002 and provided a fresh opportunity to continue discussing
those issues with the Algerian authorities.

(2003/C 52 E/040)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1062/02

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Council

(17 April 2002)

Subject: Seats of the EU Institutions

Every EU Treaty makes specific reference to the seats of the European Institutions. A debate is held on that
subject at every Intergovernmental Conference which precedes a new Treaty and the ensuing decisions are
incorporated in the text of the Treaty. The Conference which began in Brussels on 28 February 2002 is to
pave the way for a revision of the modus operandi of the Union’s institutions and for enlargement.