WRITTEN QUESTION P-0108/03 by Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission. Funding the recovery of the Joola ferry — additional questions.
Date: 2003-01-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Development Fund, Senegal, cooperation policy, death, maritime transport, metal waste, transport accident, use of aid

C 268 E/72

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

7.11.2003

directives do not stipulate the number of persons allowed in, as that is a decision for each Member State.
The Seville European Council also pointed out that immigration policy should also take account of the
reception capacity of the Union and its Member States.

(1) Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on the right of citizens of the Union and their family
members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States, COM(2001) 257 final, OJ C 270,
25.9.2001.

(2003/C 268 E/074)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0108/03

by Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission

(20 January 2003)

Subject: Funding the recovery of the Joola ferry (cid:1) additional questions

The answer to my earlier question (E-3319/02 (1)) begs further questions.

The 8th EDF is not used up for Senegal.

In the view of the Commission, can funds for recovering the bodies of the victims and salvaging the ferry
come from the 8th EDF, if Senegal agrees?

Does the Commission not have a moral and political duty to coordinate the recovery operation? Or does
the Commission not wish to be involved in any way, and will it leave it to the affected Member States
(France, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands) to recover their own citizens themselves?

Is Europe going to fail to extend help to the victims, although its would make funds available immediately
if a similar disaster were to take place off its own coast?

(1) See page 29.

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(11 February 2003)

The Commission cannot use the financial resources of the eighth European Development Fund (EDF) as
they are already earmarked for specific operations determined with the country as part of the cooperation
strategy.

The Commission fully understands the concern expressed and the importance of the issue at hand;
however, it must stress that the responsibility for taking any kind of initiative concerning the Joola ferry
lies first and foremost with the Senegalese authorities.

Moreover, recovering the bodies of EU citizens is not
included in the objectives of development
cooperation with ACP countries, as defined in Article 177 of the EC Treaty and in the Cotonou Agreement.

(2003/C 268 E/075)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0127/03

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(21 January 2003)

Subject: Inquiry regarding the ‘Prestige’

On 21 November 2002 the European Parliament meeting in plenary adopted a resolution on the disaster
caused by the tanker ‘Prestige’, which included the following paragraph:

[The European Parliament] calls on the Commission to conduct an inquiry to determine who was
responsible for and the circumstances surrounding the disaster and the respective identities and roles
of all of the individuals involved, focusing on: the type of vessel and the causes of the accident, the