WRITTEN QUESTION E-2593/02 by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Electoral rolls and illegal acquisition of Greek citizenship.
Date: 2002-09-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Greece, competence of the Member States, electoral fraud, electoral reform, electoral register, naturalisation, political morality, right to vote

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citizenship was withdrawn; and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citizenship was withdrawn; and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.

3.7.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 155 E/37

The Commission recalls that a nationality of Member States is entirely a matter for the Member States
concerned, as the Declaration on nationality of a Member State appended to the Treaty of Maastricht
confirms (4). It is, therefore, for each Member State, having due regard to the Community law, to lay down
the conditions for acquisition and loss of nationality (5). It follows that Greece lays down the conditions for
acquiring and losing the Greek nationality and the Greek authorities control the correct enforcement of
those conditions. This concerns also the matter of naturalisations referred to by the Honourable Member.

the national

Because the correct enforcement of
legislation concerning the acquisition and loss of
nationality is under the responsibility of the Member States, they do not report about these issues to the
Commission. For this reason, the Commission has not requested neither received specific information from
the Greek authorities relating to naturalisations. Regarding data relating to migration and asylum supplied
by national authorities to the Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat) as part of annual
collection of statistical data, the Commission refers to its previous replies.

(1) OJ C 106 E, 4.7.2002.
(2) Written reply, 13.2.2001.
(3) Written reply, 2.10.2001.
(4) Declaration no 2 on nationality of a Member State (cid:1) OJ C 191, 29.7.1992.
(5) See judgement of the European Court of Justice in case C-369/90 Micheletti of 7.7.1992, ECR 1992, p. I-4239.

(2003/C 155 E/042)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2659/02

by Gerhard Schmid (PSE) to the Commission

(20 September 2002)

Subject: Cooperation with non-cooperating countries or areas

On 21 June 2002, the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) published an updated list of countries or areas
designated as ‘non-cooperating jurisdictions’. The list comprises the Cook Islands, Dominica, Egypt,
Grenada, Guatemala, Indonesia, the Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Nauru, Nigeria, Niue, the Philippines,
Russia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Ukraine.

Can the Commission answer the following:

1. What relations does the EU maintain with these countries?

2. What measures to combat money laundering is the Commission adopting in the context of these

relations?

3. Are there any special measures in connection with the accession negotiations with Ukraine?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(5 November 2002)

1. and 2.
E-3497/01 (1) by Mr Turco.

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to Written Question

3.
It is important to note that there are no accession negotiations taking place with Ukraine in the
context of Enlargement. Relations with Ukraine are conducted within the framework of the Partnership
and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, and Ukraine
(PCA) (2). Within this framework Justice and Home Affairs (JHA)-issues have been singled out as a priority
by both Ukraine and the Union. Consequently, when the Union Action Plan on Justice and Home Affairs