WRITTEN QUESTION E-2564/02 by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission. Women in black — 7th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre.
Date: 2002-09-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Bosnia and Herzegovina, EU relations, Serbia and Montenegro, commemoration, common foreign and security policy, free movement of persons, war victim

21.11.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 280 E/5

(2003/C 280 E/005)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2554/02

by Catherine Stihler (PSE) to the Commission

(12 September 2002)

Subject: Malta’s accession to the EU and the Wild Birds Directive

Further to recent reports in the Maltese press about possible exemptions from the Wild Birds Directive for
Malta on accession to the EU, with particular regard to spring hunting and trapping, can the Commission
confirm that such reports are nothing more than speculation and that Malta will not be granted any
transitional periods or exemptions with regard to the implementation of this Directive?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(11 November 2002)

The implementation of Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds (1) has
been negotiated in the framework of the accession negotiations on the environment chapter with Malta. As
regards the specific aspect of spring hunting, Malta has committed itself to fully implement, as from
accession, the relevant parts of the Directive. Article 9 of this Directive allows for exceptions under certain
very stringent conditions. If Malta wishes to allow spring hunting, for instance in relation to turtle dove
and quail, it would need to ensure that all the requirements of Article 9 are met and that any permitted
hunting is carried out under ‘strictly supervised conditions’ and limited to ‘small numbers’ only.
Furthermore, the use of Article 9 is subject to monitoring by the Commission and Malta is committed,
where it chooses recourse to this article, to report each year on its possible use.

Therefore, bird hunting in Malta can, as from accession, only take place within the limits provided for by
the Directive and Malta has not been granted a transitional period in this respect.

As regards trapping, Malta negotiated and the Council agreed to a transitional period of five years (until
31 December 2008) to allow the capture of seven finch species, by the use of traditional nets known as
clap-nets within the Maltese islands, exclusively for the purpose of keeping them in captivity and to allow
the setting up of a functioning breeding system. During this period, Malta must implement a series of
measures, following an agreed timetable, to ensure full enforcement of the related provisions of the
Directive by 31 December 2008. These measures include the establishment of
the Maltese Ornis
Committee by 31 December 2002, the census of all trapping sites by 31 December 2003 and the
introduction of a captive-breeding programme by 30 June 2005. The EU expects that, with these
measures, the number of captured birds will be significantly reduced during the transitional period.

(1) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979.

(2003/C 280 E/006)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2564/02

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission

(16 September 2002)

Subject: Women in black (cid:1) 7th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre

According to the organisation ‘Women in Black’, the government of the Bosnian Serb Entity prevented a
delegation from the organisation from travelling to Srebrenica to attend the ceremony to mark the 7th
anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre on 11 July 2002 and to pay tribute to the memory of the victims.
Moreover, despite the fact that the Stabilisation Force, SFOR, had granted authorisation and promised to
escort the buses, it did not keep its word, so that women belonging to 16 peace organisations in Serbia
and Montenegro were unable to attend the commemoration.

C 280 E/6

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

21.11.2003

What measures will the Commission take to compel the governments of present-day Yugoslavia and the
Bosnian-Serb Entity (Republika Srpska) and SFOR to respect the right of the women to attend similar
events in the future and not to obstruct the free movement of individuals for reasons of political
expediency? In addition, what action will the Commission take to put an end to the attempts of chauvinist
elements in the Bosnian Serb Entity to undermine peaceful coexistence in Bosnia-Herzegovina?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(22 October 2002)

The Commission is aware of reports suggesting that several parties were prevented from travelling to
Srebrenica on 11 July 2002 to mark the anniversary of the 1995 massacre. In one case, 30-40 members of
‘Women in Black’ who had set off from Belgrade were reportedly stopped by Republika Srpska (RS) police
near Bratunac and prevented from proceeding to Srebrenica. Reports suggest that several of the bus
passengers concerned were not carrying the required documentation. In a similar case both the Office of
the High Representative and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation en Europe (OSCE) in Bosnia
and Herzegovina (BiH) expressed concern and called on the RS government to investigate and take any
necessary disciplinary action. While SFOR contributes to a secure environment, inter alia through patrols,
it cannot provide a blanket security presence.

‘compel’

the RS government

to allow free movement

Although the Commission cannot
to such
commemorations, the Commission can and does forcefully point out the responsibility of the BiH and
Entity authorities to guarantee the ‘full freedom of movement of persons … throughout Bosnia and
Herzegovina’ (Article I.4 of the BiH constitution). Any failure to implement this requirement would, if
confirmed, be noted in annual reports on the Stabilisation and Association Process and would subsequently
be reflected in a delay in BiH’s integration into Union structures. In this context, the Commission would
also point to its political and financial support for the development of the rule of law in BiH. One part of
this agenda is the work of the Union Police Mission; the latter will further combat any excesses. Finally, the
Commission wishes to underline that the elimination of chauvinist opposition to peaceful co-existence in
BiH require attitude changes across the ethnic divide. The Commission attempts to address this through a
wide range of both positive and negative inducements; its final eradication will, however, inevitably take a
long time.

(2003/C 280 E/007)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2568/02

by Robert Evans (PSE) to the Commission

(16 September 2002)

Subject: Defamation charges against Bruce Harris of Casa Alianza in Guatemala

Is the Commission aware of the defamation charges against Bruce Harris, Regional Director of Latin
American Programs for Covenant House (Casa Alianza), placed against him in Guatemala?

Constituents have written to alert me of the charges against Mr Harris and the maximum five-year prison
sentence he faces if found guilty. The case relates to a joint investigation into the illegal trafficking of
Guatemalan and Mexican babies, sent to other countries for adoption.

It appears that after many years of working for street children in Central America, Mr Harris could suffer a
long prison sentence for attempting to uncover the truth.

Is the Commission involved in dialogue or action to ensure that justice is done in this case?