WRITTEN QUESTION E-0485/03 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission. Centenary of the first flight by the Wright Brothers — Funding of a project in Eastern Europe.
Date: 2003-02-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing arrangements, European cultural event, commemoration

C 33 E/44

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2004

Yugoslavia through banks established in the southern part of Cyprus, and that some of these money flows
were recorded in Cyprus as ‘investments’ and the rest were channelled to other areas regarded as tax
havens?

2.
Does the Commission refute the fact that a mysterious firm, Antexo Trade Ltd, headed by former
officials of the Beogradska Bank, played a key role in financial transactions with foreign countries and that
all data concerning these transactions and the company were kept secret from the public as far as possible,
partly with the help of the national central bank of Cyprus, and that those who dared to report what was
going on, such as the newspaper Alithia and the businessman, P. Djordjevic, were threatened or put under
pressure to leave the country?

Does the Commission consider that secrecy of this kind surrounding possible money-laundering is

3.
appropriate for an EU Member State?

Is the Commission aware that even after the law was changed in 1996 in order to combat money-
4.
laundering through Cyprus, such transactions in fact continued,
including large transactions valued at
hundreds of millions of Deutschmark in 1998, and that once again the banks and the government
maintained the highest possible degree of secrecy and one of
the candidates in the forthcoming
presidential elections is alleged to have been involved?

5. What additional measures are required to ensure that Cyprus complies speedily, and before its
accession to the EU on 1 May 2004, not only on paper but in practice with EU financial regulations
concerning inexplicable money flows and how does the Commission intend to ensure that these measures
are introduced in good time?

Source: Netherlands TV2, ‘Twee Vandaag’ news programme, 8 February 2003.

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(21 March 2003)

The Commission has addressed the matter of money laundering in detail in all the Regular Reports on
Cyprus’ progress towards accession.

In the 2002 Report (1) it was stated that Cyprus has implemented all the necessary legislation in the area of
money laundering and put in place the necessary administrative capacity.

Further progress is still expected in terms of completing the reinforcement of the administrative structure
of the Unit for Combating Money Laundering (MOKAS) with the recruitment of the approved additional
staff.

The Commission continues to monitor how Cyprus is meeting the commitments it has made in the
accession negotiations. A recent monitoring mission to Cyprus has shown that the country is generally
meeting its commitments. A comprehensive monitoring report will be presented six months before
accession.

(1) COM(2002) 700 final.

(2004/C 33 E/042)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0485/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(20 February 2003)

Subject: Centenary of the first flight by the Wright Brothers (cid:1) Funding of a project in Eastern Europe

In June 2003 the Aero Club di Latina flying and parachuting school plans to organise a major cultural
event, with the patronage of the Italian Prime Minister and air force, namely an air cruise, on the occasion
of the centenary of the Wright Brothers’ first flight, along the same lines as the cruise once embarked on
by Italo Balbo in the eastern Mediterranean.

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The event will include a variety of celebrations, involving complex organisational arrangements, which will
focus not only on the United States but also on those countries, such as Italy, which have made a special
contribution to the history of aviation.

The Aero Club di Latina initiative is intended to be one of the most significant events not only because of
its historical and commemorative value, but also on account of its decision to fly towards Eastern Europe
and the capitals of countries which will shortly join the European Union, as a welcoming gesture to these
countries and a sign of interest and openness on the part of the Member States.

The cruise’s stopping points will be the major cities of the forthcoming and future enlargement countries,
i.e. Istanbul, Odessa, Budapest, Sofia, Burgas, Arad, Bucharest, Zagreb and Zara. Participants will thus have
an opportunity to visit and become more familiar with some of the most significant aspects of Eastern
European culture, which is due increasingly to become a part of EU culture.

In view of the project’s special relevance, in particular with a view to Eastern Europe’s cultural and social
integration, and given that the EU has set up a wide range of funding programmes for this very purpose,
including Sapard,
the Commission provide the
following information:

ISPA and many others for small-scale projects, will

1. would the above project be eligible for EU funding through any of these programmes?

2.

can the EU sponsor the operation in any other way?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(26 March 2003)

The programmes referred to by the Honourable Member (Sapard, ISPA) are pre-accession instruments
covering investment in transport and environment infrastructures, and in the agricultural and rural
development sectors. Under
the Phare instruments, no other possibilities exist. As to the Prince
programme, it has to be dedicated in priority to the information needs of the citizens of the present
Union.
It must be added that no project can be financed outside an existing programme with a
corresponding budget line.

To the knowledge of the Commission, there is at present no programme allowing to finance such project.

At the present stage of the project and its content, the Commission considers that commemorating this
is therefore a matter for the associations and organisations in the private sector related to
event
aeronautics.

The Commission, in handling requests of this nature, recalls that pre-accession assistance available for the
benefit of the candidate countries is not intended to be tailored to projects originating outside the
candidate countries which have no bearing on their pre-accession needs.

(2004/C 33 E/043)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0515/03

by Miet Smet (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(24 February 2003)

Subject: Women’s rights in Egypt

Cooperation between the European Union and Egypt is based on the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. This
partnership builds on the Barcelona Declaration, which was signed by the Member States of the EU and
the 12 partner countries from the Mediterranean region. In 2001 the EU and Egypt signed an association
agreement.