WRITTEN QUESTION P-0443/03 by José Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Withdrawal of foreign troops from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Date: 2003-02-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Congo, international affairs, multinational force, political situation, settlement of disputes, the EU's international role

C 222 E/204

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

18.9.2003

This was its objective in implementing Council Directive 89/106/EEC of 21 December 1988 on the
approximation of
the Member States relating to
construction products (1), based on the six essential requirements which provide for aspects such as
structural safety, safety in use and the environmental impact of the materials, products and assemblies
which are intended to be incorporated permanently into building works.

laws, regulations and administrative provisions of

The cladding panels mentioned fall within the scope of this Directive and, in this context, standardisation
mandates have been drawn up to ensure that technical specifications (technical standards and approvals)
for these products are available as quickly as possible. These specifications will enable the products to be
assessed in relation to the essential requirements in the Directive, for the purpose of issuing the EC mark
certifying that they can be placed on the market and are suitable for end use in the construction.

This Directive is the only legislative instrument available to the Commission to secure the free movement
of construction products and to establish certain specifications ensuring that these same products comply
with safety criteria at the building design stage. The choice of products, their use in the final construction
and the responsibility for this choice do, however, remain the prerogative of the designers and prime
contractors who also have to comply with any specific safety requirements which the Member States may
have drawn up in the field of construction.

The national authorities do, in fact, ensure that the whole process encompassing the design, construction
and use of the end product is conducted in accordance with standard practice and they determine the
responsibilities of each party involved in this process. With regard to imports of these products, there is no
reason to ban them provided that they comply with the same safety requirements imposed on products of
European origin. They should bear the EC mark as soon as the harmonised technical specifications become
available.

These explanations are given in answer to questions 1, 2, 6 and 7. With regard to questions 3, 4 and 5, it
is the responsibility of the Member States to deal with any problems relating to construction defects. At
present, there is no exchange of information in this field and the Commission does not therefore have any
information on which to base a reply.

(1) OJ L 40, 11.2.1989.

(2003/C 222 E/232)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0443/03

by José Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(13 February 2003)

Subject: Withdrawal of foreign troops from the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Reports and evidence from NGOs working there point to a worrying situation in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo (DRC). There are signs that the withdrawal of foreign troops stationed in the DRC recently
has not been completed and that some of them are still there. If these reports are confirmed it could mean
that the already delicate security situation in the country has worsened and may hamper or prevent the
normalisation of the political situation in the DRC to be achieved by means of a global political agreement.
Furthermore,
is
inadequate to play an effective role in re-establishing normality and a situation of stability and security. All
this would simply aggravate the disastrous humanitarian situation in the country.

the mandate of MONUC (UN Mission in the DRC)

there are also complaints that

Does the Commission have evidence that foreign troops have not been completely and definitively
withdrawn from the DRC?

Does it consider that the mandate of the MONUC should be strengthened and the number of personnel be
increased in order to play an effective role in restoring normality in the DRC?

is the Commission’s assessment and what measures does it envisage to tackle the serious

What
humanitarian situation in the country?

18.9.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 222 E/205

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(11 March 2003)

Following the signing of the Lusaka ceasefire agreements and its deployment, MONUC, has carried out its
objectives of:

(cid:1) supervising implementation of the ceasefire agreement and investigating violations;

(cid:1) supervising and monitoring the withdrawal and redeployment of the troops of the Lusaka agreement

signatories.

Following the signing of the Pretoria Agreement between the DRC and Rwanda in August 2002, it was
further agreed to create a mechanism to verify implementation of the agreement, the so-called Third Party
Verification Mechanism, consisting of the United Nations and South Africa as acting president of the
African Union.

Not having an independent intelligence service, the Commission has no grounds for disbelieving that the
withdrawal of foreign troops from DRC territory has been completed, as has been indicated by the
institutional verification mechanisms established by the international community.

The Commission believes that the mandate given to MONUC, whose personnel was increased to 8 700 by
Security Council Resolution 1445 of 4 December 2002, could be strengthened to enable the United
Nations Mission to take a more active and effective role in the process of peace and national reconciliation
and to exceed its hitherto status of observer. However, strengthening MONUC’s mandate falls under the
jurisdiction of the Security Council in which the Commission has no power to intervene.

Given the complexity of the situation, the Commission is in the process of implementing a programme of
cooperation with the dual objectives of, firstly, promoting national reconciliation and reunification and
establishing a democratic transition leading towards free and fair elections and, secondly, improving living
conditions for victims of the conflict.

In view of the urgency, the Commission has already taken all the necessary steps, within the limit of the
available resources, through the humanitarian office ECHO to deal with the difficult situation in DRC
which,
for several years, has in fact been the principal beneficiary of humanitarian aid from the
Commission. The Commission has recently approved a further EUR 35 million aid allocation for 2003.

(2003/C 222 E/233)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0446/03

by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission

(19 February 2003)

Subject: Dolphin death and paired travelling

Is the Commission aware of the enormous public concern over the practice of pair fishing, which leads to
the collateral death of hundreds of dolphins every week? Will the Commission institute a ban on such
fishing during the January to March season when the situation is at its most acute, in the light of Act 12 of
the EU habitats directive, which amongst other things is designated to protect dolphin and harbour
porpoise?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(12 March 2003)

The Honourable Member is requested to refer to the Commission’s answer to Written Question P-0500/03
by Mr Davies (1).

(1) See page 209.