WRITTEN QUESTION E-1321/03 by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission. Angola — return of refugees.
Date: 2003-04-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Angola, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, EU relations, Zambia, crime against individuals, human rights, refugee, return migration

C 88 E/352

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

This accreditation process (1) was concluded on 15 April 2002 with the Commission Decision to confer
the management of Sapard aid to the Slovak authorities and Slovakia could begin the implementation of
its Sapard programme as of that date.

Since the first appeal concerning the submission of applications for financial aid within the Sapard
programme, the Agency had approved 75 projects by the middle of March 2003.

These approvals can be broken down by region as follows:

Region

Submitted Projects

Approved Projects

B. Bystrica

Kosice

Nitra

Presov

Trencin

Trnava

Zilina

11

15

35

12

13

35

29

Total

150

6

3

16

9

10

10

21

75

Detailed information on Sapard implementation can be found in the Sapard annual reports for 2000 (http://
europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/publi/reports/sapard2000/index_en.htm) and 2001 (http://europa.eu.int/
comm/agriculture/publi/reports/sapard2001/index_en.htm). The Sapard annual report for 2002 will be
adopted later this year.

Additional information can also be found on the AGRI web site (http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/
external/enlarge/countries/slovakia/index_en.htm).

Further information on the implementation of the 3 pre-accession instruments in 2002 are contained in
the General Assistance Document 2003 presented to the Phare Management Committee on 9 April 2003,
which will become available shortly on the Enlargement website (http//europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/
docs/index.htm).

(1) To this end Slovakia has concluded its national accreditation work, which was accepted in the form of an Act of
Accreditation issued by the competent Slovak authority on 19 December 2001. The Slovak authorities notified the
Commission of this accreditation process and a complete package of information was sent to the Commission on
7 January 2002. The Commission examined the basis for the national accreditation, obtaining supplementary
information and clarification as part of a detailed audit.

(2004/C 88 E/0358)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1321/03

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(8 April 2003)

Subject: Angola (cid:1) return of refugees

The Media have reported complaints from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) about the
violation of the rights of Angolan refugees seeking to leave the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Congo
and Zambia and return to Angola.

The same source claims that the refugees have been forced to pay for illegal taxis or hand over some of
their possessions at frontier posts on both sides of the border, and that there are rumours of women being
raped and a great deal of discrimination being practised.

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/353

Ester Benazri, the official responsible for refugee protection, believed that such situations can only be due
to the fact that the displaced populations did not wait for official repatriation, which begins only next May
and she forecast that the situation would improve with an increased UNCHR and international community
presence in the border areas.

The Commission:

(cid:1) what information has it concerning these matters;

(cid:1) what approaches has it made or will it make to the countries involved, with a view to putting an end

to these human rights violations as soon as possible?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(15 May 2003)

The Commission is aware of reports of abuses which some Angolan refugees returning spontaneously
from neighbouring countries are allegedly suffering. The reports speak of abusive practices such as
harassment, robbery, sexual abuse and extortion, particularly at the Democratic Republic of Congo/Angola
border. Such practices, if proven, would be in contravention of the Tripartite Agreements governing the
repatriation of refugees signed in November and December 2002 by the Government of Angola, the
United Nations High Commissioner for Regugees (UNHCR), and the respective governments of the
Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, the Republic of Congo and Zambia.

Whilst the Angolan government is the prime actor to intervene to put a stop to such practices, the
Commission undertakes to raise this issue with the UNHCR in view of its role as signatory to the Tripartite
Agreements and holder of the special mandate for refugees. Moreover, the Commission will examine these
the
issues within the framework of any future Community financing of
repatriation of refugees.

interventions to support

Furthermore, should these allegations be confirmed and persist, the Commission will, in close collaboration
with Member States’ representations in the countries involved, consider the appropriate steps to take vis-à-
vis the national authorities.

(2004/C 88 E/0359)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1336/03

by Ilka Schröder (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(2 April 2003)

Subject: Persecution of homosexuals in the Palestinian autonomous areas

In recent months there have been repeated reports in the press (including in New Republic, 19 August
2002, East Bay Voice, 19 September 2002, Ha’aretz, 6 March 2003 and 10 September 2001, Jerusalem
Post, 5 June 2001) and by civil rights groups (e.g. Agudah, http://agudah.israel-live.de) on serious
violations of the human rights of gays, lesbians, transsexuals and trans-genders in the autonomous areas
ruled by the Palestinian Authority (PA). In 2000, it is claimed, four Palestinians were killed for being
homosexual, and hundreds were forced to flee to Israel. It is alleged that ‘harassment of gays’ is ‘practically
official policy’ in the PA. The victims are frequently called collaborators and accused as such. However,
there have also been two cases in the last three years where people have been specifically accused of
homosexuality.
the ‘Al-Aqsa Intifada’, Sharia courts have also been set up where
homosexuals are threatened with the death penalty by stoning, burning and hanging. These courts also
declare persons suspected of homosexuality to be ‘outlaws’, who can be murdered with impunity. It is also
reported that the PA police regularly inflicts appalling torture on homosexuals.

In the wake of