WRITTEN QUESTION E-2217/03 by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission. Violation of religious freedom in Slovenia.
Date: 2003-07-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Community acquis, Slovenia, accession to the European Union, church-State relations, freedom of religious beliefs

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/391

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(23 July 2003)

The Commission is closely following the human rights situation in Cuba and the recent detention and
sentencing of 75 dissidents and independent
including Martha Beatriz Roque,
particularly through our Delegation in Havana.

journalist

in Cuba,

The recent large-scale arrest of dissidents, the unfair trials and the arbitrary sentences imposed on them
have had a prompt, firm and sustained reaction from the Union. The Commission has fully and actively
supported the actions that have been taken in this context.

The Union has strongly condemned such arrests in two declarations published on 26 March 2003 and
5 June 2003, followed in each case by a formal démarche in Havana, calling for the immediate release of
all political prisoners. In its declaration and démarche of 5 June 2003, the Union also appealed to the
Cuban authorities that,
in the meantime, the prisoners do not suffer unduly and are not exposed to
inhumane treatment.

The Union has decided a series of political sanctions against Cuba, including limits to high-level visits and
an early re-evaluation of the Union common position.

The Commission considered on 30 April 2003, that the examination of the Cuban request for membership
of the Cotonou Agreement should be delayed, signalling that these recent developments are not conducive
to furthering cooperation between the Union and Cuba. The Cuban authorities decided on 16 May 2003
to withdraw their application to accede to the Cotonou Agreement.

Through these actions, the Cuban authorities have been made aware that detentions on political grounds
are not acceptable and that the Union urges the release of all prisoners held due to their opinions or
political activities. In this context, we will certainly bring the case of Martha Beatriz Roque to the attention
of the Cuban authorities, and will follow this matter closely, exerting continued political pressure on the
Cuban authorities.

(2004/C 88 E/0397)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2217/03

by Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Commission

(2 July 2003)

Subject: Violation of religious freedom in Slovenia

Given that:

(cid:1) the Office for Religious Communities (UCR) was established in Slovenia in 1999;

(cid:1) Natasa Sivic,

leader of the Hindu community in Slovenia, has been attempting to register her
community since 21 March 2002. The community has made all the changes to its registration papers
requested by the office, but has received no written answer since the date of its application;

(cid:1) Sivic accuses UCR director, Drago Cepar, of being responsible for the illegal situation in which the

Hindu community now finds itself;

(cid:1) fifteen months after the application for registration by the Hindu community and five months after
that by the Buddhist community, neither has received a reply from the Office for Religious
Communities. Both the Hindus and the Buddhists blame Drago Cepar for the delays;

C 88 E/392

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

(cid:1) according to Buddhist monk Gelong Shenphen, this problem is common to all religious communities
awaiting registration since 1999 and it is the office’s job to register such communities, not judge
them. ‘I wonder how such discrimination can occur in a country that is to join the European Union
next year’, says Shenphen;

(cid:1) according to Cepar, the matter is highly ‘complex’ and the state has not established criteria to
‘determine when a group constitutes a religious community’. He also maintains that the government is
working ‘tirelessly’ to fill this ‘legal vacuum’, yet ‘how can there be a legal vacuum when 31 religious
communities have already been registered?’ asks a monk from the Dharmaling religious community.

In the light of the above and bearing in mind that Slovenia is one of the countries that will be joining the
European Union in little under a year:

(cid:1) is the Commission aware of the above situation and, if so, what, if anything, has it done about it?

(cid:1) does it consider
communautaire’?

the behaviour of

the Slovenian authorities to be in breach of

the ‘acquis

(cid:1) if the situation is not resolved, what formal measures could the Union take prior to Slovenia’s formal

accession to ensure that it observes the principle of religious freedom?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(22 August 2003)

The Commission is following up on a regular basis the situation regarding freedom of religion in Slovenia
as respect of freedom of religion is an important part of the Copenhagen political criteria for accession.
Hence the Commission is monitoring the situation in this area,
including through its contacts with
international human rights organisations. It has also reported on this issue in its Regular Reports on
Slovenia’s progress towards accession, the latest one of which was published in October 2002 (1).

The Commission is aware of the delays some religious communities have been facing in registering their
communities with the relevant authorities in Slovenia. This issue has also been brought up by the
Ombudsman in Slovenia. According to the information received by the Commission, the Office for
Religious Communities is now in the process of drafting new legislation in this area to update the existing
legislation and to resolve problems in its implementation.

The Commission will continue to monitor the situation in this area,
legislation.

including the adoption of new

(1) COM(2002) 700 final.

(2004/C 88 E/0398)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2227/03

by Michael Cashman (PSE) to the Commission

(2 July 2003)

Subject: Human rights in Western Sahara

Following the dissolution of the Sahara section of the human rights NGO ‘Forum for Truth and Justice’ in
Layounne Court on 18 June 2003, can the Commission indicate what action is being taken by the
European Union to protect human rights in Western Sahara?

The Commission will be aware that this is not the first measure taken to restrict the human rights of the
Sahrawi people and that it is important that those who fight to protect human rights should themselves be
protected and allowed to operate.