WRITTEN QUESTION E-2106/02 by Hubert Pirker (PPE-DE) to the Council. Temporary admission of a number of Palestinians to EU Member States.
Date: 2002-07-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Israel, Palestine question, competence of the Member States, political asylum, political refugee, public safety, residence permit, terrorism

C 137 E/48

Official Journal of the European Union

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12.6.2003

In answer to the question in the last paragraph, the Commission considers that it is undoubtedly useful for
there to be an interinstitutional dialogue on matters of terminology and linguistics and consistently seeks
to ensure such mutually useful exchanges. One example of this cooperation is the inter-institutional
codecision database (eCODB), recently set up by the Commission Translation Service, which provides for
exchange of information on terminology between Commission, Council and Parliament translators. All the
institutions will stand to gain from such a dialogue.

The Commission respects the Honourable Member’s close interest in terminological references and issues
and will continue to readily respond to any resulting questions that the Honourable Member may wish to
submit.

It may, however, be more convenient for the Honourable Member, and more economical in the use of
resources,
if he makes direct contact with the unit which has direct responsibility and expertise in
Portuguese language translation in order to obtain more speedy responses to linguistic questions.
The Commission will happily assist the Honourable Member in making such contact if he would like to
use such a facility.

(1) COM(2001) 83 final (cid:1) OJ C 180 E, 26.6.2001.

(2003/C 137 E/053)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2106/02

by Hubert Pirker (PPE-DE) to the Council

(17 July 2002)

Subject: Temporary admission of a number of Palestinians to EU Member States

When 12 suspected Palestinian terrorists were admitted to certain Member States of the European Union,
neither the European Parliament (cid:1) despite urgent inquiries (cid:1) nor the general public in Europe were
informed properly about the matter. Moreover, recent reports in the press suggest that the presence of a
number of suspected terrorists constitutes a growing risk to the citizens of the Union.

Was the Council aware of the identity of the suspected Palestinian terrorists before it took its decision?

Did the Council know how serious the offences were of which they were suspected in Israel, and what did
the Council do to check whether the suspicions against them were well-founded?

What status was granted to the 12 Palestinians admitted to the European Union and how is the Council
ensuring that they do not endanger public safety and order?

How are the Council and the receiving states ensuring that the suspected Palestinian terrorists do not evade
the requisite supervision and travel to other Member States, and that they do not constitute a long-term
security risk to the citizens of the European Union?

Reply

(6 February 2003)

The Honourable Member is certainly aware of the difficult circumstances under which a solution for the
besieged Nativity Church in Bethlehem had to be found in May of this year. For purely humanitarian
reasons, the European Union helped to bring about that temporary solution, acting in accordance with the
terms of an understanding reached between the Palestinian Authority and the Government of Israel.
Thirteen Palestinians were therefore able to be transferred abroad rapidly.

In order to contribute to that effort, several Member States declared themselves willing to receive some of
them on a temporary basis and exclusively on humanitarian grounds. While being fully aware of the
urgency of
the matter, Member States discussed the modalities and implications of receiving these
individuals thoroughly. A common EU approach to certain aspects was adopted on 21 May 2002 in the
form of a Common Position (1), which spells out a number of practical aspects. This also implies that every
Member State must take appropriate measures within its legal system to protect the personal security of
Palestinians received by it and to avoid them compromising the public order or internal security of the

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Member States. It has to be noted that the individual decision to grant the right to enter and stay in their
territory to any of those persons falls within the competence of each receiving Member State. Such a
decision does not imply a right for the persons concerned to move freely within the territories of the
Member States.

(1) OJ L 138, 28.5.2002.

(2003/C 137 E/054)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2111/02

by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Single clearing house for legal immigration into the EU

(17 July 2002)

In recent statements to the Spanish press the Commission President has emphasised that it must be made
clear (by means of a policy of openness, cooperation and active assistance in support of legal immigration)
that the EU wants foreign immigrants because it needs them (cid:1) hence the requirement for a clear, positive
policy to promote legal immigration.

Although it is obvious that there is a need for legal immigration and that illegal immigration (which has
always been so prevalent) should be stopped,
immigration should be
encouraged by means which enable the supply of immigrants who wish to come to work in the EU to be
channelled appropriately.

is also obvious that

legal

it

Does the Commission not think, therefore, that it should propose setting up a European database for the
purpose of channelling both the supply of vacancies and, where appropriate, the demand for the jobs
available?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(23 September 2002)

In its proposal for a Council Directive on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals
for the purpose of paid employment and self-employed economic activities of 11 July 2001 (1), the
Commission has proposed that the European Employment Services (EURES) network be used before filling
a vacancy in a Member State with an economic migrant. The EURES network, established by Commission
Decision 93/569/EEC (2), consists of a data base of job vacancies in the Member States and the European
Free Trade Association (EFTA) members of the European Economic Area (EEA) and of job-seekers managed
by their public employment services.

The intention of the above mentioned proposal is to provide a practical and transparent tool to make the
principle of preference for the domestic (EEA) labour market operational and to permit the recruitment of
third country workers in cases of concrete shortage on the EEA labour market. Employers who do not
succeed in filling a specific job vacancy within a given period would thus only be allowed to recruit from
outside the EEA if they have published this vacancy via the employment services of several Member States
by means of the European Employment Services Network (EURES) for at least four weeks and if they have
not received an acceptable application from within the EEA labour market. The issuing of a residence
permit to a chosen third country worker would, of course, be subject to additional specific conditions for a
residence permit in accordance with the draft Directive.

An extension of the database to include job-seekers who do not already form a part of the EEA labour
market is not envisaged.

(1) OJ C 332 E, 27.11.2001.
(2) Commission Decision 93/569/EEC of 22 October 1993 on the implementing of Council Regulation (EEC)
No 1612/68 on freedom of movement for workers within the Community as regards, in particular, a network
entitled Eures, OJ L 274, 6.11.1993.