WRITTEN QUESTION P-0556/03 by María Izquierdo Rojo (PSE) to the Commission. European funding and the banning of women from Mount Athos.
Date: 2003-02-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU aid, EU financial instrument, Macedonia, Structural Funds, aid system, cultural heritage, eligibility criteria, heritage protection, religious institution, sexual discrimination

6.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 58 E/21

The Union, Commission and Member states, have repeatedly urged the Government of Vietnam to
strengthen its respect for political and religious freedoms, to further strengthen economic and social
freedoms and to create a legal framework for a supportive environment to allow the development of a
strengthened civil society, from which Vietnam would greatly benefit. Commission and Member states
have expressed these requests in their joint declaration at the Consultative Group meeting in Hanoi in
December 2002.

The May 2001 Commission Communication on the Union’s Role in Promoting Human Rights and
Democratisation in Third Countries confirmed that the Commission would take action to enhance the
positive impact of Community assistance programmes on respect for human rights and democratisation by
(cid:1) inter alia (cid:1) taking performance in the area of human rights (including social, economic and cultural
rights) into account when deciding country allocations under the main co-operation programmes.

In addition to the explanations given in the reply to Written Question E-454/03, referred to above, the
Commission would like to draw the attention of the Honourable Member to the fact that an exploratory
mission of the Commission has now been sent to Vietnam to look at possibilities, involving inter alia the
ethnic minorities, to reduce poverty in the Central Highlands and thus to deal with some of the root causes
of the problems in the area.

(1) See page 18.

(2004/C 58 E/023)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0556/03

by María Izquierdo Rojo (PSE) to the Commission

(20 February 2003)

Subject: European funding and the banning of women from Mount Athos

The European Parliament has recently adopted two motions for resolutions (Swiebel and Izquierdo Rojo
reports) in which it opposed the banning of women from Mount Athos. It should also be borne in mind
that the monastery region of Mount Athos has been granted aid to restore and renovate monasteries and
preserve cultural treasures, which belong to both men and women.

Can the Commission answer the following:

1. How much European funding has been allocated for this purpose?

2. Does the Commission not take the view that it is mandatory for the ‘acquis communautaire’ to be

applied, in line with the EU’s fundamental principles?

3. What European Economic Area funding mechanism has been used to benefit the region economically?

4. Under the Community support framework for Greece,

in what specific way is such aid granted
through the structural funds? What criteria have been used to define the fields of structural adjustment
and economic development?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(7 March 2003)

The Commission is collecting the information it needs to answer the question. It will communicate its
findings as soon as possible.