WRITTEN QUESTION E-1983/03 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Establishment of a secondary school in the small town of Rizokarpaso in Turkish-occupied Cyprus.
Date: 2003-06-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Cyprus, EU relations, Türkiye, access to education, distribution of schools, educational institution, right to education

C 84 E/728

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

bodies like Small Business Europe are invited to attend regular quarterly briefings by the Commission for
European SME and small business representative bodies and why? If the Commission is inviting national
organisations, why does it not invite any of the UK bodies which actually do represent real small
businesses?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(30 June 2003)

In the framework of its strategy to enhance contacts with its stakeholders, Directorate General
(DG)
Enterprise invites a large number of business organisations at European and national level, with horizontal
or sectoral interests to information meetings, seminars and conferences. These organisations draw their
funds from a variety of sources.

At the last major conference (‘Industrial Policy in an Enlarged Europe’, on 21 January 2003) more than
200 such business associations were represented, along with participants from trade unions, environmental
and consumer protection organisations, government and company representatives.

Several times per year DG Enterprise also invites a group of non-profit making, permanent organisations,
which represent enterprises, professional federations or employers and have a horizontal or cross-cutting
orientation, going beyond a specific economic sector. Most of these have national member organisations in
several European states, which sometimes also participate in these meetings. Around half of the invited
organisations represent small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) interests either exclusively or partly. The
complete list can be found in the Coneccs database of the Commission (http://europa.eu.int/comm/
civil_society/coneccs/index_en.htm). The meeting structure is
‘consultation with business
organisations’ and comprises at present 26 organisations, among them the organisation called ‘smallbusi-
ness|europe’.

listed as

The Commission is aware that ‘smallbusiness|europe’ is at present funded by the Small Business Service, an
Executive Agency of the United Kingdom Department of Trade and Industry.
‘smallbusiness|europe’ is
working in close co-operation with United Kingdom cross-sector organisations representing SMEs.
It highlights their views at the European level and, the Commission understands, consults them regularly.

(2004/C 84 E/0819)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1983/03

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(16 June 2003)

Subject: Establishment of a secondary school in the small town of Rizokarpaso in Turkish-occupied Cyprus

In the small town of Rizokarpaso in Turkish-occupied Cyprus where Greek Cypriot families live in an
enclave there is an elementary school which today has 23 pupils.

However, because there is no secondary school in Rizokarpaso, these pupils are obliged to move with their
families to the free areas of Cyprus in order to continue their education.

Since all citizens must be given the opportunity of education and given that Cyprus has been admitted as a
Member State of the European Union, what action does the Commission intend to take both in respect of
the Turkish Cypriot community, whose representatives have declared that they are examining the matter,
and as part of the measures it itself is promoting, with a view to facilitating the establishment of a
secondary school in the occupied village of Rizokarpaso in Cyprus?