WRITTEN QUESTION E-3580/02 by Joaquim Miranda (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Freedom of movement and cooperation between Member States in the sphere of education.
Date: 2002-12-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, action programme, cooperation policy, education policy, free movement of persons, language teaching, mother tongue

3.7.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 155 E/173

What information does the Commission have on each of these cases? What steps has the Commission
taken or will it take to induce the Chinese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all these
followers of the unofficial Catholic Church and to suppress all the criminal and administrative laws that
shackle religious freedom in the People’s Republic of China?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(20 January 2003)

The Commission has taken note of the arrest of the catholic priests Yibao Guo, Genyou Lu, Zhenhe Wang,
Zhengjun Yin, Chunguang Zhang, Jianbo Li and Yongxing Pang, Shunbao Ma and Limao Wang and of the
disappearance of Zhimin Su and his assistant Shuxin An over recent months.

The Commission considers that freedom of religion and belief to be a fundamental human right, and raises
this issue regularly in the framework of the Union’s dialogue on human rights with China, as was the case
during the last human rights dialogue in Beijing on 13/14 November 2002. The Commission takes these
issues very seriously and has taken all appropriate steps at this stage.

the Commission shares the
the ‘non-official’ Catholic Church in China,
Regarding the situation of
Honourable Member’s concern. While the ‘National Working Meeting on Religion’, held in December
2001, appeared to signal a greater openness towards mainstream religions operating in China, recent
information indicates that restrictions on Catholic underground churches have not been relaxed.

The Commission will continue to closely monitor the Chinese government’s respect for freedom of religion
and belief, and will continue to express concern about violations of this fundamental right, including the
on-going crackdown on persons exercising their religious beliefs.

(2003/C 155 E/192)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3580/02

by Joaquim Miranda (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(13 December 2002)

Subject: Freedom of movement and cooperation between Member States in the sphere of education

For years the European Union has recognised the need to establish cooperation between the Member States
in the sphere of education,
in particular in order to improve the reception and opportunities for
adjustment offered to the children of European citizens who change countries in accordance with freedom
of movement, so as to facilitate their integration into the educational system and social life in the host
country.

On 9 February 1976 the Council of Ministers of Education adopted a Resolution comprising an action
programme in the field of education, the aims of which included:

(cid:1) organising and developing a reception system which would include intensive study of the language or

languages of the host country,

(cid:1) providing more opportunities, as appropriate, for teaching these children their mother tongue and

culture, if possible in school and in collaboration with the country of origin.

Can the Commission say what progress has been made in complying with this Resolution and what the
situation is in each Member State as regards support for teaching the children of nationals of other
Member States the language and culture of their country of origin?

C 155 E/174

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.7.2003

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(5 February 2003)

The Commission acknowledges the concern expressed by the Honourable Member about the teaching of
mother tongue in the host countries for children of European citizens who change countries, especially at
a time where mobility is at the core of European policies. However, the Resolution makes no provision for
reporting by Member States, and the Commission has no recent information about the current situation
and different measures taken in Member States.

With regard to language teaching in general, the Commission is, of course, implementing the second phase
of the Socrates action programme (1) in the field of education and the second phase of the Community
vocational training action programme ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ (2). These include a wide range of actions
intended to promote language teaching and learning, such as teacher exchanges, production of new
teaching material, improvement of methods and tools as well as measures to promote competence in
foreign languages in specific situations and contexts.

(1) Decision No 253/2000/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 24 January 2000 establishing the second phase

of the Community action programme in the field of education ‘Socrates’ (cid:1) OJ L 28, 3.2.2000.

(2) Decision No 382/1999/EC of the Council of 26 April 1999 establishing the second phase of the Community

vocational training action programme ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ (cid:1) OJ L 146, 11.6.1999.

(2003/C 155 E/193)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3621/02

by Ian Hudghton (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(9 December 2002)

Subject: Local abattoir facilities (cid:1) Western Isles of Scotland

Written question E-2293/02 (1), asked by me and answered by Commissioner Byrne, gave an encouraging
response to the possibility of support being given using Community funding under the Highlands and
Islands programme to small local abattoirs, in order to bring such establishments up to required standards
and ensure their viability.

Can the Commission confirm whether Mr Byrne’s encouraging response took into account state aid rules,
and that therefore no restriction would be applied under state aid rules to the type of assistance envisaged
in that response?

(1) OJ C 28 E, 6.2.2003, p. 215.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(9 January 2003)

As far as state aid is concerned, point 4.2 of the Community guidelines for State aid in the agriculture
sector (1) apply. ‘As a general rule aid granted to support investments in connection with the processing
and marketing of agricultural products may only be granted to enterprises which can be demonstrated to
be economically viable, based on an assessment of the prospects of the enterprise, and which comply with
minimum standards regarding the environment, hygiene and animal welfare’. No aid may be granted
unless sufficient evidence can be produced that normal market outlets for the services concerned can be
found. For small local abattoirs, this has to be assessed at the appropriate level in relation to the services
concerned, the types of investments, and existing and expected capacities.