WRITTEN QUESTION E-2081/03 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Government propaganda in Greece using resources from the third CSF.
Date: 2003-06-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Community support framework, EU financing arrangements, Greece, advertising, political propaganda

C 33 E/210

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2004

(2004/C 33 E/213)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2079/03

by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Commission

(17 June 2003)

Subject: French swimming pools reserved for Muslim women (cid:1) is this discrimination?

According to press reports (see ‘Le Figaro’, 11 June 2003), some French public swimming pools have
created segregated areas for men and women in an attempt to win favour with the local Muslim
communities.

Does the Commission not believe that this sets a disturbing precedent and represents a surrender by public
bodies to the most extreme demands of Islamic fundamentalism?

Does the Commission not consider this forced segregation to be in clear breach of the principles of gender
equality and equal treatment, as well as being contrary to the general principles of Community law?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(23 July 2003)

The Honourable Member is referring to recent press reports according to which French public swimming
pools ‘have created segregated areas for women and men in an attempt to win favour with the local
Muslim communities’.

The Commission considers that such measures facilitate the daily life of both Muslim and non-Muslim
women who prefer to use the facilities on a single-sex basis. Indeed, a number of French swimming pools
have reserved specific times of the day when women and men can use, if they wish, the facilities separately
from each other.

The Commission does not believe that this measure may be qualified as ‘a surrender by public bodies to
the most extreme demands of Islamic fundamentalism’ given that women and men are free to use the
swimming pools at any other time of the day as well. The Commission neither considers this measure as a
breach of the principles of gender equality and equal treatment but rather as a means for ensuring the
respect of both the personal preferences of certain people and the religious habits of some members of the
Muslim communities.

(2004/C 33 E/214)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2081/03

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(24 June 2003)

Subject: Government propaganda in Greece using resources from the third CSF

In recent days, we have watched in disbelief in Greece as the government has run a television propaganda
campaign using the resources of the Community Support Framework. Supposedly, the publicity was to
promote the operational programme ‘Education’ and the Community Support Framework in general.
However, both the first and, even more so, the second advertisement resemble a publicity campaign for
the governing party.

Typically, the advertisement ‘promoting’ the CSF in general, after describing at length the progress made in
recent years in Greece as well as future achievements, finally flashes up for a split second the caption ‘CSF
2000-2008’.

6.2.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 33 E/211

Since this publicity campaign runs blatantly counter to the spirit of the structural fund regulation, whereby
the Union’s contribution to the development of poor countries and regions should be highlighted, will the
Commission say:

1. whether it approves of the government’s propaganda campaign using Greek taxpayers’ money and

Community budget funds,

2. what the budget is for this campaign,

3. whether it has checked the accuracy of the data broadcast, and

4. when it will intercede with the Greek authorities to put an end to this propaganda campaign, which is

doing nothing to promote the CSF?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(22 August 2003)

The Commission would refer
Mr Xarchakos (1).

(1) See page 187.

the Honourable Member

to its answer

to written E-1905/03 by

(2004/C 33 E/215)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2088/03

by Marjo Matikainen-Kallström (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Recognition of Finnish engineering qualifications in Estonia

(24 June 2003)

Finnish engineers have had practical difficulties in carrying on their occupation in Estonia because they
cannot obtain the title corresponding to their qualifications. The fact that there is no body in Estonia
responsible for awarding professional titles makes it considerably more difficult for Finnish engineers to
work there.

Article 39 of the EC Treaty guarantees freedom of movement for workers and prohibits any discrimination
to which workers from Member States might be subjected on the grounds of nationality when entering
into a contract of employment or as regards pay and other working conditions. The failure to recognise
the qualifications held by nationals of another Member State leads in practice to discrimination on the
labour market.

What will
engineers suffer in Estonia?

the Commission do to eliminate the indirect discrimination based on nationality which

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(4 August 2003)

As of now, Estonia has no legal obligation to recognise engineering diplomas (or Finland to recognise an
Estonian diploma). Although the Accession Treaty has been signed, such an obligation will only arise once
that Treaty comes into force, which is scheduled to happen on 1 May 2004.

if

regulated in Estonia,

The profession of engineer,
falls within Council Directive 89/48/EEC of
21 December 1988 on a general system for the recognition of higher-education diplomas awarded on
completion of professional education and training of at least three years’ duration (1). The information
available to the Commission is, however, that the profession is not regulated in Estonia. The principle of
that Directive is that if someone is qualified to practice a regulated profession in his/her Home State, the
Host State must accept that qualification and allow the applicant to practise the profession in question on
its territory, on an equal footing with locally trained professionals.