WRITTEN QUESTION E-3553/02 by Marco Cappato (NI) to the Commission. Serious violations of religious freedom in Belarus.
Date: 2002-12-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Belarus, EU programme, EU relations, OSCE, diplomatic relations, freedom of religious beliefs, human rights, technical cooperation

C 70 E/14

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

20.3.2004

confidence-building measures, such as the release of war prisoners, the facilitation of contacts and visits
between members of separated families and the respect of the civil guaranties. Those measures will help
create better conditions for a fruitful dialogue between the parties in conflict.

At the last Ministerial Troika meeting in Algiers, on 5 June 2002, the Union transmitted simultaneously to
Morocco, Algeria and the Polisario, European concerns and demands on humanitarian aspects of the
Western Sahara conflict. The Union confirmed its support to the United Nations efforts to find a mutually
acceptable solution, urging both parties in conflict to solve the problem of the fate of people unaccounted
for and to release all those held since the start of the conflict. The Union also asked for the full respect of
civil guaranties and human rights in the Western Sahara territories; and for both parties facilitate contacts
and visits between members of the families separated by the conflict.

Finally, the importance of the ratification of the Association Agreements with Morocco (1) and Algeria (2) in
this context should not be underestimated. These agreements foresee a regular and institutional political
dialogue between the Union and each related country.

In force since 1 March 2000.

(1)
(2) Signed in Valencia, on 22 April 2002, ratified by the European Parliament on 11 October 2002, needs to be

ratified by every national parliament concerned, before it enters in force.

(2004/C 70 E/014)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3553/02

by Marco Cappato (NI) to the Commission

(12 December 2002)

Subject: Serious violations of religious freedom in Belarus

The Belarus Parliament recently approved a new law on religion which bans any form of activity on the
part of religious organisations which have not been registered by the State,
introduces censorship on
religious literature and considers acts of worship held in private houses to be illegal.

These new provisions are added to an adverse legislative and political background of serious restrictions on
freedom of worship for non-Orthodox citizens:

(a)

(b)

(c)

the Belarus authorities’ refusal to register a number of religious organisations (protestant organisations,
the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, oriental religious movements and four reformed
Jewish communities) constitutes de facto discrimination in favour of the Russian Orthodox Church;

the implementation of a decree issued by the Council of Ministers in 1995 restricting the activities of
religious operators, in a attempt to protect the Russian Orthodox Church and inhibit the growth of
evangelical religions;

the introduction of rules governing the entry into the country of foreign clerics on the basis of which
representatives of foreign religious organisations may be invited only by agreement with the State
Committee for Religious and National Affairs, whose decision is final.

What diplomatic, political and economic pressure does the Commission intend to exert on the Belarus
Government in order to induce it to ensure that freedom of religion, freedom of worship and freedom to
change religion and express religious feeling in a form of worship are recognised as rights for the citizens
of that country?

Does the Commission not consider that it should immediately review the effectiveness of its projects in the
context of TACIS and assess the possibility of closing the TACIS office in Belarus for as long these serious
violations of democratic rights persist in the country?

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(17 January 2003)

The Commission shares the concern over the recently adopted Belarusian Law on Freedom of Conscience
and Religious Organisations. The effects of this law amount to a serious violation of religious freedom.
The Union expressed its concern before the law was signed by President Lukashenko, by means of a joint
demarche of Union Heads of Mission to the Belarusian authorities (Deputy Foreign Minister Sychov) in
October 2002. The Union also issued a statement in the Permanent Council of the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on 10 October 2002 urging President Lukashenko not to sign
the draft law.

It was a matter of deep regret to the Union that the draft was signed into law on 31 October 2002, and a
further statement was issued by the Union in the Permanent Council of the OSCE on 14 November 2002
urging the Belarusian authorities to reconsider this legislation, and inviting the OSCE Advisory and
Monitoring Group (AMG), currently located in Vienna, to monitor the implementation of the law closely
and to report to the Permanent Council. The Union is ready to raise specific cases of violations in Belarus
of OSCE commitments to freedom of conscience and religious belief.

lack of progress in democratic reform and the
The Union remains seriously concerned at the general
growing deterioration of individual freedoms and rights of expression in Belarus; and in the light of the
effective closure of the OSCE’s AMG in Minsk at the end of 14 October 2002, Member States have
decided, at the November General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC), to refuse to issue visas
for President Lukashenko, the Head of the Presidential Administration, the Prime Minister and four
government ministers as well as the Chairman of the Committee of State Security.

The Union maintains that links with and assistance for actors in civil society in Belarus should continue
and EUR 5 million is allocated under the 2002-2003 TACIS Action Programme for this purpose.
In addition, in the context of Union-OSCE co-operation, we will soon begin on a two-year programme to
support democratic forces and civil society. The Commission will keep the effectiveness of its projects
under review, but, in view of this ongoing financial assistance, the Commission does not believe that it
would be a prudent response to the new law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organisations to
close the TACIS office in Minsk.

(2004/C 70 E/015)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3614/02

by Concepció Ferrer (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(9 December 2002)

Subject: Imports of raw materials from Morocco and the European leather industry

In view of the fact that the European leather industry is having great difficulty in importing hides from
Morocco, what action is the Commission taking (or is it intending to take) under the EU-Morocco
Association Agreement in order to remedy this state of affairs, which is seriously affecting the industry and
undermining the competitiveness of the businesses working within it?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(17 January 2003)

The Commission is fully aware of the impact of export restrictions applied by Morocco on raw material
available to the Union industry. The Commission has attracted the attention of the Moroccan authorities to
this fact and to the provisions of the Association Agreement between Morocco and the Community.
According to this agreement, there should be no quantitative restriction in trade (export and import)
between both parties.

Moreover, the Moroccan authorities have mentioned that export restrictions were instaured following a
huge increase in their export of raw hides as a consequence of the major epidemics in the cattle
worldwide. They also mentioned that this surge in demand led to a critical shortage of raw material for
their domestic industry.