WRITTEN QUESTION E-2592/02 by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) to the Council. Electoral rolls and illegal acquisition of Greek citizenship.
Date: 2002-09-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Greece, electoral fraud, electoral reform, electoral register, naturalisation, political morality, right to vote

3.7.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 155 E/35

Reply

(4 March 2003)

The Council has never had occasion to consider the question raised by the Honourable Member regarding
directed-energy weapons.

(2003/C 155 E/039)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2590/02

by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Council

(16 September 2002)

Subject: Failure to circulate the complete mint set of 1996 euro coins

Some eight months after the euro officially came into circulation, the complete mint set of the 1996 euro
coins issued by the twelve participating countries is still not available to collectors.

These coins are not even available in the European Parliament buildings in Strasbourg and Brussels, where
they are only to be seen on posters.

I understand that the philatelic office on the EP’s premises in Strasbourg, which receives vain visits and
requests from visitors and collectors from Europe and the rest of the world, has itself not received a single
complete set of euro coins, despite having requested these in good time.

Does the Council not feel it should ask the European Central Bank to take steps to ensure that a suitable
number of complete mint sets of euro coins are made available to collectors?

Reply

(4 March 2003)

It is for Member States having adopted the Euro as their single currency in conformity with the Treaty
provisions to lay down the precise modalities of the issue of Euro coins intended for circulation, subject to
measures adopted by the Council in order to harmonise the denominations and technical specifications of
these coins.

As for the issue raised by the Honourable Parliamentarian, it is not for the Council to intervene on the
matter.

(2003/C 155 E/040)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2592/02

by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) to the Council

(18 September 2002)

Subject: Electoral rolls and illegal acquisition of Greek citizenship

Following a change in the electoral roll system, local and regional elections will be held in Greece using
voting cards instead of voting booklets. According to reports in the Greek press and complaints by the
opposition, a significant number of individuals who are not entitled to Greek citizenship are registered on
the electoral rolls. The Ministry for Internal Affairs claims that these individuals have been removed from
the rolls but gives no details of the exact numbers involved or any data concerning the granting of
citizenship.

C 155 E/36

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.7.2003

In the light of this situation, will the Council say:

1. whether the Greek Administration has provided the Council with full information concerning the
verified illegal granting of citizenship and the exact number and details of the cases in which
citizenship was withdrawn; and

2.

3.

if the Council has been notified of such withdrawals of citizenship, what measures it will take to trace
these unlawfully naturalised persons who may be living in another Member State of the EU?

In the event that the Greek Government has not provided the Council with such data as yet, will the
Council request it so that it can check whether these unlawfully naturalised persons are travelling
within the Union on illegal passports?

Reply

(4 March 2003)

The Council is not qualified to comment on the matters raised in the Honourable Member’s question.

(2003/C 155 E/041)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2593/02

by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Electoral rolls and illegal acquisition of Greek citizenship

(18 September 2002)

Following a change in the electoral roll system, local and regional elections will be held in Greece using
voting cards instead of voting booklets. According to reports in the Greek press and complaints by the
opposition, a significant number of individuals who are not entitled to Greek citizenship are registered on
the electoral rolls. The Ministry for Internal Affairs claims that these individuals have been removed from
the rolls but gives no details of the exact numbers involved or any data concerning the granting of
citizenship.

In the light of this situation, will the Commission say:

1. whether the Greek Administration has provided the Commission with full information concerning the
verified illegal granting of citizenship and the exact number and details of the cases in which
citizenship was withdrawn; and

2.

3.

if the Commission has been notified of such withdrawals of citizenship, what measures it will take to
trace these unlawfully naturalised persons who may be living in another Member State of the EU?

In the event that the Greek Government has not provided the Commission with such data as yet, will
the Commission request it so that it can check whether these unlawfully naturalised persons are
travelling within the Union on illegal passports?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(24 October 2002)

Referring to changes in electoral roll system in Greece as background, the Honourable Member raises some
questions relating to naturalisations in Greece. This subject has been discussed in Written Question P-24/
02 (1) and oral questions H-87/02 during question time at Parliament’s February 2001 session (2) and
H-0706/01 during question time at Parliament’s October 2001 session (3) by the Honourable Member. The
Commission confirms the views presented in those cases.