WRITTEN QUESTION E-0403/03 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Drugs and Greek prisons.
Date: 2003-02-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, Greece, action programme, drug addiction, narcotic, penal institution, prisoner

C 11 E/86

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

15.1.2004

Answer given by Ms Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(22 April 2003)

The term ‘category III’ is not used in Community law. It is used only by ESPEL (1) to refer to cases
1.
where serious shortcomings have been detected in the execution of construction projects in Greece
cofinanced by the Eurepan Communities and Greece (need for partial or complete demolition). The Greek
authorities have notified the Commission of several projects in the Community Support Framework 1994-
99 as containing serious shortcomings (irregularities).

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has received 41 notifications of serious shortcomings from the
Greek authorities under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1681/94 concerning irregularities and the
recovery of sums wrongly paid in connection with the financing of the structural policies and the
organisation of an information system in this field (2). Under Article 10 of the Regulation the Commission
is not authorised to disseminate the information thus notified.

2.

The Commission last received information from the Greek authorities in December 2002.

3.
The total amount of Community funds for the projects reported to OLAF in the framework of
Structural Funds (1994-1999) is EUR 26 841 671,30. At present, the Commission is unable to inform the
Honourable Member of the exact amount of Community funds affected by irregularities, as national
proceedings regarding a portion of these irregularities are still ongoing.

The Member States are in charge of management and have prime responsibility for the financial control of
actions cofinanced by the structural funds. Greece has indicated that it has done what is necessary,
including introducing quality control systems (ESPEL) and creating a new audit authority (EDEL). The
Commission takes appropriate measures where it is necessary,
including the application of financial
corrections.

The work on the Kifisos, the Paiania bridge and the Drama motorway are not among the category III

4.
projects audited by ESPEL and notified to the Commission to date.

(1) The special council for quality control, an independent body commissioned by the Greek authorities to monitor the

quality of projects cofinanced by the European Communities and the Greek government.

(2) OJ L 178, 12.7.1994.

(2004/C 11 E/090)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0403/03

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 February 2003)

Subject: Drugs and Greek prisons

The report by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction entitled: ‘An overview study:
Assistance to drug users in European Union prisons’ on the use of drugs in prisons in the Member States
concludes that between 15 and 20 % of prisoners in the European Union have, or have had, problems
involving banned drugs and that the use of drugs in prisons is becoming more widespread because users
consider them an antidote to boredom and also as a means of getting accustomed to the restrictions of life
in prison and coping with bad news from ‘outside’ and aggressiveness.

Given the increase in the number of users in prison and given also that the European Union has specific
objectives and a programme for dealing with drug addiction, will the Commission say: does a specific
action programme exist for dealing with drug use among prisoners? What is the experience of Member
States in this field? What are its views about the Greek programme?

15.1.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 11 E/87

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(2 April 2003)

The Union Action Plan on Drugs 2000 (cid:1) 2004 states that the Member States should provide a wide
variety of treatment services for drug users and treatment to those addicts seeking it within a reasonable
time. It also asks the Member States to intensify their efforts to provide measures for health related damage
in prisons and on release from prisons.

The prison population is one of the key target groups, since a high part of the population are drug users.
According to the latest information from the Annual Report of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs
and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) 2002, where drug use in prison was a special theme, drug use prevalence
varies between 29 (cid:1) 86 % of the inmates. The amount of injecting users can be as high as 69 % and up to
34 % report having injected in the prison.

While there is no specific Community programme for drugs and prisons, the Commission has funded
networks developing these activities through the Community programme on drug prevention.

Furthermore, a Resolution of the Representatives of Member States, meeting within the Council, on the
treatment of drug abusers in prison was adopted in February 2003. This Resolution calls upon Member
States to consider adherence to various principles related to drug abusers in prison. These principles
include, among others, that Member States should give the highest priority to keep drugs out of prison and
that they should provide incarcerated drug abusers access to the social, health and rehabilitation services
provided for non-criminal drug abusers.

The system for organising the services varies from one Member State to another, most of them have
already organised drug services in prisons and/or are offering drug users treatment as an alternative for a
prison sentence.

Based on the information provided to the EMCDDA it is apparent that the existing Greek legislation allows
for services to be available for drug users in prisons. The Commission welcomes initiatives taken in this
field like the integrated programme for psychosocial rehabilitation of drug dependent inmates in Koridallos
Women’s Prison and the demand reduction interventions by Kethea, the Addiction Detoxification Unit of
the Athens Psychiatric Hospital, Narcotics Anonymous, Médecins Sans Frontières Greece and Médecins du
Monde Greece. The Commission also welcomes the setting up of the Drug Dependence Treatment Centres
for Drug Addicted Prisoners, the first of which started its operation in September 2002 in Eleonas.

(2004/C 11 E/091)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0433/03

by Francesco Speroni (NI) to the Commission

(12 February 2003)

Subject: Obstacles to the free movement of workers and to competition in the taxi business

Why can a dentist from Paris exercise his profession in Milan, whereas a taxi driver from the former city is
unable to ply his trade in the latter?

Is this state of affairs compatible with the rules on the free movement of workers and on competition?