WRITTEN QUESTION E-1302/02 by Miquel Mayol i Raynal (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. National census in Poland.
Date: 2002-05-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Poland, data collection, data processing, nationality, population census

C 28 E/96

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2003

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(12 June 2002)

The US National Missile Defence Programme is not designed to prevent missile proliferation as such, but
rather to protect the United States territory against its potential consequences. However, in this capacity, it
may have an impact on strategies implemented at international level to fight missile proliferation.

is a matter of
The proliferation of missiles, that can be the carriers of weapons of mass destruction,
concern for the international community as a whole and needs to be analysed from the perspective of the
consequences of its development on global security. There is broad consensus over the necessity to fight
missile proliferation, mainly by the development of multilateral legally binding frameworks and by export
controls.

The Union plays a leading role in this effort, notably through its strong support of the adoption of the
International Code of Conduct for Ballistic Missiles drafted in the framework of the Missile Technology
Control Regime (MTCR). The Union is now promoting its wider adherence also by non MTCR Members.

The CONOP/CODUN (Council Working Groups on Non Proliferation and Disarmament) are the fora
where proliferation-related matters are discussed at Union expert level, and where proposals for common
positions to be adopted by the Council are prepared. So far, there is no Union Common Position on the
United States’s National Missile Defence Programme.

(2003/C 28 E/106)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1302/02

by Miquel Mayol i Raynal (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(7 May 2002)

Subject: National census in Poland

A national census will start in May this year in Poland. Among a number of questions to be asked, two are
related to ‘national’ considerations: nationality and language.

Officially the Polish authorities say that everyone has the right to declare his or her own nationality and
they corroborate that all the answers must be put down in application forms by census collectors as given
by individuals, according to the self-definition of the respondent. But the Main Office for Statistics (Glowny
Urzad Statystyczny-GUS) has already announced that only eleven nationalities will be officially recognised
during the census (Silesian nationality, for example, will not be considered).

In an Upper Silesian regional paper called ‘Dzien’ (‘A Day’) of 4 March 2002 the officials of the GUS gave
the information that the census collectors will
induce Silesians not to declare Silesian nationality but
Polish. In the same report GUS officials have suggested that even though Silesian nationality is declared
and put in an application form, it will not be considered during the electronic preparation of data collected
during the census.

Has the Commission any information about the national census in Poland? Is the Commission aware of the
problem of non-respect of the self-definition of the nationality as given by the respondent? Is the
Commission going to ask for further information from the Polish authorities?

Does the Commission share the opinion that the only democratic and transparent way of proceeding is to
publish the results of the national census reflecting exactly the answers given by citizens, with no
manipulation?

6.2.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 28 E/97

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(6 June 2002)

The Commission follows with interest the census process in all the candidate countries, including the
national census in Poland. In this context, the Commission has been in contact with the Polish authorities
and in particular with regard to the, parallel, agricultural census. The Commission would recall that the
legal basis for the census and its constituent elements is Polish domestic legislation.

(ethnic origin/affiliation) This asks the
The Polish census form contains one question on ‘nationality’
respondent to indicate whether he/she is Polish or other ‘nationality’ by means of ticking one of two boxes
‘Polish’ or ‘Other’. If ‘Other’ is chosen, a blank space is provided on the form to insert the ‘nationality’. The
choice of ‘nationality’ is left to the individual and the Commission has been assured that there will be no
guidance or instruction on the part of the census takers. It will, therefore, be perfectly possible for a
respondent to put down any ‘nationality’ they so wish.

The second concern raised in the question concerns the treatment of the data during processing. The
Commission has been assured that the nationalities indicated on the form will be the ‘nationalities’ which
will be used to prepare the final census data. If, to use the example raised by the Honourable Member,
‘Silesian’ is the ‘nationality’ used in the form then ‘Silesian’ will be accepted as the ‘nationality’ and there
will be no attempt to categorise the information under ‘Polish’.

The above should ensure that the census will provide an accurate representation of the information
provided. The Commission will remain in close contact with the Polish authorities as the work to collect
and process the date continues.

(2003/C 28 E/107)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1318/02

by Elly Plooij-van Gorsel (ELDR) to the Commission

(29 April 2002)

Subject: Boycott of Dutch agricultural products by China in connection with meat conflict

Since 19 April China has been boycotting Dutch agricultural products in reaction to the destruction of
eleven consignments of Chinese rabbit meat and fish in the port of Rotterdam. The reason for the
destruction was that the products contained too much chloramphenicol, a carcinogen, to meet European
standards.

Is the Commission aware of the boycott of Dutch agricultural products by China?

Does the Commission take the view that
consignments of Chinese rabbit and fish in the port of Rotterdam,
regulations?

the Netherlands authorities were right

to destroy eleven
in accordance with European

Does China’s boycott violate WTO rules? If so, what does the Commission propose to do about it?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(5 June 2002)

The Commission is aware of recent Chinese measures which include a ban on animal products coming
from the Netherlands, and is also aware of the decision by the Netherlands to destroy some consignments
of products from China.

The precise details of each consignment destroyed by Netherlands are not known, so the Commission
cannot comment on the specific cases. However, since August 2001, Member States have continued to
find chloramphenicol, nitrofurans and other
residues of veterinary medicines or contaminants or
prohibited substances in certain products of animal origin, notably crustaceans, aquaculture products,