WRITTEN QUESTION E-2387/02 by Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE) to the Council. Desecration of Jewish graves at the Rome Verano cemetery.
Date: 2002-08-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, EU police cooperation, EU policy, Italy, antisemitism, cemetery, fight against crime, racism, xenophobia

12.6.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 137 E/81

Under Article 27 of the Framework Decision a Member State may waive the speciality principle on
condition that in its decision on surrender in the specific case the judicial authority does not provide
otherwise. If it does provide otherwise, the speciality principle continues to apply and prior authorisation
by the executing State is required for additional prosecution proceedings for offences not specified on the
initial European arrest warrant, unless one of the exceptions listed in Article 27(3) applies.

(2003/C 137 E/090)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2387/02

by Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE) to the Council

(2 August 2002)

Subject: Desecration of Jewish graves at the Rome Verano cemetery

On 18 July 2002, a date corresponding to the Fast of Ab 9, a day of mourning in the Jewish calendar,
more than 40 Jewish graves were desecrated at the Verano cemetery in Rome. The entire city was appalled
at this despicable act, the first anti-Semitic attack of such alarming seriousness to have occurred in Rome
in many years.

What action will the Council take in the wake of the barbaric desecration of the Verano cemetery?

How will it prevent and respond to the long series of anti-Semitic outrages of the kind perpetrated, before
the Rome incident, in Strasbourg, Marseilles, and Brussels?

How will it combat the crazed subculture which, by fomenting hatred of the Jews while demonising the
state of Israel, leads to shameful episodes of the sort that occurred in Rome?

Is in a position to ascertain whether anti-Semitic organisations are pursuing a calculated strategy and
perhaps cooperating on an international basis?

Reply

(6 February 2003)

The Council strongly condemns any form of racism or xenophobia. At its meeting on 25/26 April 2002,
the Council adopted conclusions in which it indicated its wish to step up preventive action against racist
violence and antisemitism, and advocated closer cooperation between the police forces of the Member
States. In addition, a Framework Decision on combating racism and xenophobia is currently being drawn
up at the Council. The purpose of this Framework Decision is to establish minimum common standards as
regards criminalising conduct motivated by racism or xenophobia and to improve cooperation between
the authorities of the Member States in combating this type of crime. However, the Council would remind
the Honourable Member that Article 33 of the Treaty on European Union states that the exercise of
responsibilities with regard to the maintenance of law and order and the safeguarding of internal security
lies with the Member States.

(2003/C 137 E/091)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2400/02

by Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE) to the Council

(5 August 2002)

Subject: False and damaging information on the Rome coastline posted on a German tourist site on the

Internet

Is the Council aware of the fact that, on its Internet site (www.marcopolo.de/index), Germany’s leading
tourist guide, Marco Polo, makes the totally unjustified accusation that the Rome coastline (cid:1) with
particular reference to the beach at Ostia (cid:1) is infested with rubbish and terrible diseases, going so far as to
make defamatory statements about the presence of typhus fever and cholera among other things?