WRITTEN QUESTION E-3836/02 by Anna Terrón i Cusí (PSE) to the Commission. Execution of appropriations in Catalonia between 2000 and 2002.
Date: 2003-01-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Catalonia, Cohesion Fund, EU initiative, Structural Funds, implementation of the budget

C 222 E/116

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

18.9.2003

To date, they have principally focused on the proposed Regulation. An exchange of views took place
within the Council formation involving Health Ministers at the end of June and of December 2002.

3.
However, at preparatory levels, separate discussions have also taken place on some key issues that are
specific to the Directive on veterinary medicinal products: the problem of the availability of such products,
and the problem of ensuring that horses not intended for food production can be treated with necessary
pharmaceuticals. The Council will give appropriate treatment with a view to reaching a satisfactory
conclusion of the package as a whole, involving all the necessary technicalities concerned. No precise
calendar for adoption has yet been scheduled.

(2003/C 222 E/135)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3836/02

by Anna Terrón i Cusí (PSE) to the Commission

(9 January 2003)

Subject: Execution of appropriations in Catalonia between 2000 and 2002

Can the Commission provide information on the execution rate for commitment and payment
appropriations for the 2001, 2002 and 2003 financial years in respect of the Structural Funds, the
Cohesion Fund and the Community initiatives in Catalonia?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(25 February 2003)

The table below shows the implementation in Catalonia of commitment and payment appropriations from
the Structural Funds (including the Community Initiatives) and the Cohesion Fund in 2000, 2001 and
2002.

Programming period
1994-1999

Programming period
2000-2006

2000

2001

2002

2000

2001

2002 (1)

(EUR million)

Commitments

(cid:1)

(cid:1)

Objective 2

Objective 3

Objective 5(b)

CIs

FIFG (3)

Cohesion Funds

Payments

Commitments

Payments

Commitments

Payments

Commitments

Payments

Commitments

Payments

Commitments

Payments

0,0

255,2

(cid:1)

(cid:1)

0,0

(cid:1)

(cid:1)

8,3

(cid:1)

15,0

(cid:1)

1,0

11,9 (2)

0,0

(cid:1)

8,7

(cid:1)

0,0

(cid:1)

0,0

(cid:1)

0,0

0,0

0,0

30,4

0,0

0,0

0,0

0,0

0,0

360,5

182,7

156,2

31

0,0

5,6

1,7

16,1

3,2

93,9

31,6

34

8,7

2,5

16,6

4,8

120,4

627,7

365,8

0,0

53,6

467,3

(1)
Provisional figures.
(2) Advances from 1999.
(3)

(FIFG: Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance) (cid:1) According to information provided by the Spanish authorities in the annual
implementing reports; the figures available for 2002 reflect the situation on 15 October 2002 (date of the documentation for the
Monitoring Committee).

18.9.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 222 E/117

The Commission has no regionalised figures on the multiregional programmes and initiatives or on
projects part-financed by the Cohesion Fund which were adopted in 1994-1999.

(2003/C 222 E/136)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3839/02

by Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Council

(9 January 2003)

Subject: Evidence of the existence of concentration camps in North Korea

The existence of concentration camps (cid:1) forced labour camps (cid:1) in North Korea, about which there was
talk for a long time, but which had never been confirmed by non-North Korean witnesses, has been
proved by satellite images which the Far Eastern Economic Review published after obtaining them from a
commercial satellite imagery provider.

The images were recognised as showing the Haengyong concentration and labour camp by a former
prison guard, Ahn Myong Chol, who defected to South Korea in 1994.

The South Koreans and American intelligence sources had long encouraged the rumour that they had
satellite photographs of the camps in their possession, but the supposed evidence was never published.

Does the Council have the same kind of satellite images or has it been informed by one of the Member
States in possession of similar evidence about the existence of concentration camps in North Korea? Does
the Council have any information about the existence of other concentration camps in North Korea which
could be proven by satellite images? When does the Council expect to forward to the relevant European
Parliament committee the satellite images or any other evidence of the existence of concentration camps in
North Korea and what political initiatives does it intend to take vis-à-vis the Pyongyang government to
induce it to close all the concentration camps immediately and release all the prisoners without delay?

Reply

(13 May 2003)

The Council is not in possession of satellite images referred to in the Honourable Member’s question, nor
of similar evidence on the existence of concentration camps. It is aware of allegations that many persons
are held in so-called ‘re-education camps’.

The Council recalls that the EU underlines the importance it attaches to respect for human rights and the
rule of law regularly in its discussions with North Korea.

The EU Troika visited the DPRK in June 2002, and made clear that
the EU expected concrete
improvements to be made on human rights issues in the DPRK. The Troika stressed that independent
monitors should be given access to establish the veracity of the many negative reports that are circulating
internationally about the situation in the DPRK. Particular areas of concern included prison camps,
religious freedom, torture and the treatment of repatriated refugees. The EU will continue to raise these
issues with the government of North Korea at every suitable opportunity.