WRITTEN QUESTION E-2188/02 by Richard Corbett (PSE) to the Council. Human Rights Monitoring — Iran.
Date: 2002-07-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU relations, Iran, cruel and degrading treatment, human rights, position of women, religious discrimination, sexual discrimination

12.6.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 137 E/51

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(23 September 2002)

From a general point of view, since information campaigns impose no rights and obligations on third
parties and are by definition for information only, they do not require a specific legal basis. Even so, this
particular information campaign is a natural corollary of the European Central Bank’s (ECB) essential task
to authorise the issuance of banknotes in the euro area (Articles 106 of the Treaty and 16 of the Statute of
the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) and of the ECB). Information campaigns by the Bank on the
introduction of the euro in an area composed of 12 of the 15 Member States only require a prior positive
decision of the ECB’s Governing Council.

Given that the euro is an international currency whose impact goes largely beyond the borders of those
12 Member States, such information campaigns also aim at informing people outside the euro area, in
particular about the appearance of the new banknotes and coins and the security features of those
banknotes. The British Government and the Bank of England, of which the latter is a member of the
European System of Central Banks, also proceed regularly with similar information campaigns.

With this aim, an international version of an ECB public information leaflet on the euro was translated
into 23 languages, apart from the 11 official languages of the Union, and was made available to people
outside the euro area.

(2003/C 137 E/057)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2188/02

by Richard Corbett (PSE) to the Council

(19 July 2002)

Subject: Human Rights Monitoring (cid:1) Iran

Is the Council aware of the report on Iran dated March 2002 and drawn up by the UN Special
Representative to the Human Rights Commission who reiterated concerns about the growing number of
public executions and inhuman punishments, such as stoning, and the systematic discrimination against
women and the religious minorities in Iran?

Would the Council consider tabling coordinated resolutions drawn up by European Union Member States
and condemning the human rights violations in Iran at the forthcoming session of the UN General
Assembly?

Reply

(6 February 2003)

The Council is fully aware of the report by the Special Representative of the Commission on Human
Rights on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was referred to in the EU’s
draft resolution on the situation of human rights in Iran, tabled at the 58th session of the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in the spring of this year. The Council has been seriously concerned
for some time at the situation of human rights in Iran, which is why it has traditionally tabled resolutions
on this subject both at the CHR and at the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly.

The EU is currently considering whether to table a resolution concerning the situation of human rights in
Iran at the forthcoming session of the Third Committee. The Council would also remind the Honourable
Member of the conclusions on Iran which it adopted at its meeting on 21 October 2002.