WRITTEN QUESTION E-1944/02 by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Council. Youth unemployment and youth policy with reference to Greece.
Date: 2002-07-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, Greece, employment policy, unemployment, young person, youth policy

17.4.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 92 E/121

The Honourable Member refers to what he calls ‘the partial abolition of the European civil service and the
privatisation of services’. The Commission emphasises that
there have been no such developments,
‘premature’ or otherwise and no such ‘discouraging signals’ have been sent. On the contrary, duties that
were previously carried out by external contractors in the Technical Assistance Offices (TAO) are now
being executed by staff employed directly by the Commission. That is the opposite of ‘privatisation’.

The Commission is encouraged by the fact that the substantial majority of the Parliament has supported
the Reform process and encouraged the Commission to implement the primary changes. The negotiations
with staff representatives on the proposed modifications to the Staff Regulations were very thorough and
useful and those proposals are now before Parliament and Council. At all times, the Commission has
shown its readiness to respond constructively to suggestions for improvement or refinement of Reform
proposals made by Members of the European Parliament (1).

(1)

i.e. Answer given by the Commission to written question E-1370/02 by Mrs Ghilardotti, Mr Pittella and Mrs Guy-
Quint. See page 50.

(2003/C 92 E/169)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1944/02

by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Council

(3 July 2002)

Subject: Youth unemployment and youth policy with reference to Greece

On 30 May 2002, the Council adopted a resolution on European cooperation on youth which quite
rightly states that
in all policies,
e.g. employment. Five days later, Eurostat published figures which show that youth unemployment
remains exceptionally high at 15,5 % for the Union as a whole and 16,6 % for the countries in the euro
zone (April 2002), with Greece having the highest levels (the only available data are for 2001).

the interests of young people should be taken into account

What commitments will the Council give towards tackling this problem? Does it consider that the
guidelines on employment relating to youth unemployment are being implemented effectively? How does
the Council explain the wide disparities in the situation of young people both between Member States and
between countries inside and outside the euro zone? What measures will
it take to achieve genuine
convergence?

Reply

(19 December 2002)

Whilst the Council notes with concern the continuing high levels of youth unemployment in the Union
and, in particular in Greece, it would draw the Honourable Parliamentarian’s attention to the fact that the
first Employment Guideline has, ever since the inception of the Luxembourg process, addressed the
questions of youth unemployment and long-term unemployment. Furthermore, the memorandum entitled
‘Youth and Europe (cid:1) Our future’, approved by the Cologne European Council in 1999, has helped to
ensure that action to tackle youth unemployment is a priority of the first rank for the European
Employment Pact. Through its integrated approach, the memorandum aims to promote closer interaction
between all actors in the three areas of youth, education and employment policy, and to coordinate action
at national,
international and European level. It facilitates the active participation of young people in
society and their successful access to initial and continuing training and to working life.

The implementation of the Employment Guidelines is,
in the first instance, the responsibility of the
Member States, to which the Guidelines are addressed. However, the situation is monitored in particular by
the Commission, the results of this monitoring being reflected each year in the Joint Employment Report
adopted by the Council and the Commission.

C 92 E/122

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

17.4.2003

Moreover, the Council has, each year since early 2000, addressed, on the basis of Article 128(4) of the
Treaty and following a recommendation from the Commission, recommendations to the Member States on
the implementation of their employment policies.

As far as Greece is concerned,
18 February last, reads:

the second recommendation for 2002, adopted by the Council on

(Greece should therefore:) speed up the restructuring of the Public Employment Services and take
decisive and coherent action to prevent young and adult unemployed people from drifting into long-
term unemployment through inter alia swift implementation of the personalised approach; further
upgrade the statistical system so that indicators on prevention and activation are available in good
time and progress can be effectively monitored.

As far as disparities between the Member States are concerned, the recent Commission Communication
‘Taking stock of five years of the European Employment Strategy’ (1) states on page 2 that ‘there have been
significant changes in national employment policies, with a clear convergence towards the common EU
goals set out in the EEC policy guidelines’. The Council
is currently considering its response to the
communication.

(1) COM(2002) 416 final).

(2003/C 92 E/170)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1948/02

by John Cushnahan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(3 July 2002)

Subject: Restriction of movement

Is the Commission aware that EU citizens and Chinese passport holders who are members of the Falun
Gong were denied entry into Iceland because of the impending visit of the Chinese President Jiang Zemin
in early June (2002)?

This is the first time the country has banned members of any movement or international organisation
from visiting Iceland.

What action will the Commission take to stop the violation of European and international laws and human
rights? Will the Commission let its views be known to the Icelandic government?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(29 July 2002)

Since March 2001, Iceland applies the Schengen ‘acquis’, according to which internal borders can be
crossed in principle without any checks on persons being carried out.

However, Article 2(2) of the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement stipulates that Member
States can reintroduce border checks for a limited period where public policy or national security so
require. This is done under exceptional circumstances, as a preventive measure to avoid the risk that
people take advantage of free movement in order to endanger the public order or the public security of a
Member State, notably when a demonstration is planned to take place there.

Iceland informed the Commission and the other Member States before reintroducing border checks that
they would be carried out for the period between 7 and 16 June 2002 in relation to the official visit of the
Chinese President, Mr. Jiang Zemin.

It should be born in mind that, according to the Treaty, the maintenance of law and order and the
safeguarding of
Justice has no
internal security are incumbent upon Member States. The Court of
jurisdiction to rule on measures or decisions taken to reintroduce border checks for those reasons.
Therefore, the role of the Commission in relation to decisions reintroducing border checks is limited.