WRITTEN QUESTION E-0533/03 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Ban on abortion in Poland.
Date: 2003-02-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Poland, abortion, accession to the European Union, position of women, women's rights

C 33 E/50

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2004

This state of affairs is said to have been brought about to some extent by the widely held view in the EU
that cooperation is synonymous with funding, the implication being that when there are no jointly
financed projects, the EU has no practical possibility of organising and pursuing cooperation measures.

Given the pressing development cooperation needs where the world’s poorest regions are concerned,
funding for measures aimed at Macao is understandably not one of the EU’s budgetary priorities. Be that as
it may, it ought nevertheless to be possible to explore avenues for bilateral cooperation between the EU
and Macao, even if they were to be financed mainly, if not exclusively, by the MSAR, assuming that a
European interest were likewise involved or the EU were in a position to satisfy the MSAR’s requests.

In the light of the foregoing, can the Commission say whether it is true that, expressed simplistically,
cooperation is synonymous with funding? If that is the case, will it revise that definition, not least with a
view to widening the opportunities and range of models for bilateral cooperation between the EU and the
MSAR? What other ideas does it have for galvanising EU-MSAR cooperation in keeping with the policy
statements? What would be the areas of action?

(1) COM(1999) 484 (cid:1) C5-0169/2000, p. 3.
(2) COM(1999) 484 (cid:1) C5-0169/2000, p. 4.
(3) A5-0017/2001.
(4) A5-0017/2001, paragraph 10.
(5) E-3098/02, answer given on 29 November 2002 (cid:1) OJ C 242 E, 9.10.2003, p. 39.

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(4 April 2003)

Further to its earlier reply to the Honourable Member’s Written Question E-3098/02 (1), the Commission
confirms that it remains firmly committed to work and cooperate with the Macao authorities to help the
Special Administrative Region’s (SAR) stable development, in line with the ‘one country, two systems’
principle. Granting visa-free access to Macao SAR passport holders in 2001 and the initialling of a
Community-Macao re-admission agreement in 2002, as well as the Community-Macao legal cooperation
programme and Macao’s successful participation in regional Community programmes such as Asia Invest
and Asia Link are concrete examples thereof.

Given Macao’s high income level, Macao (cid:1) no longer features on the Organisation for Economic Co-
operation and Development/Development Assistance Committee’s (OECD/DAC) list of Developing Coun-
tries and Territories.

However, the Commission and Macao will continue to discuss and explore new ways and means of
cooperation, as they did last in October 2002, in the context of the Joint Committee established under the
Community-Macao Trade and Cooperation Ageement concluded in 1992.

(1) OJ C 242 E, 9.10.2003, p. 39.

(2004/C 33 E/047)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0533/03

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(26 February 2003)

Subject: Ban on abortion in Poland

The Polish Government has decided to include in the country’s treaty on accession to the European Union
a declaration ‘on ethics, culture and the protection of life’, which contains a highly restrictive law on
abortion. Inclusion of such a prohibition in Poland’s accession treaty would strengthen (cid:1) for legal and
other purposes (cid:1) an anachronistic and antidemocratic ban that is an attack on women’s rights, and which,
if accepted by the European Union, would pose a legal and moral threat to women’s rights throughout the
Union. In the light of the above, does the Commission intend to agree to the inclusion of this declaration
in Poland’s accession treaty? Irrespective of the accession treaty, what measures will it take to prevent such
a prohibition from entering into force in Poland?

6.2.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 33 E/51

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(2 April 2003)

It is correct that the Polish government has succeeded in having a declaration on ‘public morality’ inserted
in the Accession Treaty. That declaration does not specifically contain a reference to any Law on abortion
in Poland. The declaration as such does not imply that Poland was granted an exemption from its duties
and obligations under the EC Treaties. On the contrary, the present Member States have issued a general
joint declaration underlining that the declarations added to the Accession Treaty cannot be interpreted or
applied in a way contrary to the obligations of the Member States arising from the Treaty and the Act of
Accession. The Commission has fully subscribed to this declaration.

It should be recalled in any event that Member States remain competent to decide upon their national
legislation on abortion and that abortion is subject to various restrictions in current Member States.

(2004/C 33 E/048)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0538/03

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(26 February 2003)

Subject: Export processing zones on the island of Mauritius where goods are produced for the European
market by workers who are paid extremely low wages and are subjected to unacceptable working
conditions

1.
Is the Commission aware that, on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, a former colony of various
current Member States of the EU, ‘export processing zones’ have been set up where luxury goods, such as
designer wear, electronic goods and cosmetics, as well as tinned tuna, are produced for the European
market?

2.
Is the Commission aware that the law in Mauritius allows the workers in such zones to be paid
extremely low wages in return for very long working hours in unsafe conditions, which means that the
people involved cannot lead even a very poor life on those wages without becoming dependent on
financial aid from the state and on living in shacks made out of waste materials?

Is the Commission also aware that wages and working conditions in such zones have recently
3.
become so bad that no Mauritians want to work there any longer, with the result that the jobs are now
being taken by immigrants from China, Indian and Bangladesh who, before they even arrive on Mauritius
to start work, have had to pay extortionate recruitment fees, so that, ultimately, after many years of hard
work on Mauritius, their reward is to be able to return to their homeland still burdened by debt?

4.
Does the Commission agree with my conclusion that that the work undertaken does not result in
local development but in permanent exploitation which maintains the cost of luxury goods in Europe at an
artificially low level, with the result that our prosperity becomes increasingly dependent on permanent
poverty elsewhere in the world, which also contributes to the destruction of good jobs in Europe?

5. What contribution can the EU make to ensure that this unacceptable situation is ended at the earliest
possible opportunity, for example by advising companies importing such goods and their customers about
the conditions in which the goods are manufactured, by banning imports of goods for which prices are
kept artificially low and by contacting the Government of Mauritius and the governments of similar
countries with a view to zones of this nature being closed down?

Source: TV Nederland 2, ‘Twee Vandaag’ (Two Today) news programme, 12 February 2003.