WRITTEN QUESTION E-2251/03 by Joaquim Miranda (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Charter for Children in Hospital.
Date: 2003-07-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: child protection, health policy, hospitalisation, powers of the institutions (EU)

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/99

(2004/C 78 E/0098)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2250/03

by Maurizio Turco (NI), Marco Pannella (NI), Marco Cappato (NI),
Benedetto Della Vedova (NI), Gianfranco Dell’Alba (NI)
and Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission

(7 July 2003)

Subject: Violation of religious freedom in China. Arrest of Father Lu Xiaozhou of the ‘clandestine’ Catholic

church

The Catholic news agency UCA reports that Father Lu Xiaozhou of the ‘clandestine’ Catholic church was
arrested on 16 June 2003 at Wenzhou (1 416 kilometres south-east of Beijing) as he was on his way to the
hospital to attend to the sick.

The same afternoon, the security forces searched his house and seized all his belongings.

On 17 June 2003 Father Lu Xiaozhou was transferred to the Religious Affairs Bureau, with a view to
forcing him to sign a letter agreeing to join the government-recognised Catholic Patriotic Association.

According to the agency dispatch, the priest will probably not be released until he has signed that letter.

These events occurred just a few days after 12 Protestants belonging to the clandestine church were
arrested in a village in Yunnan Province.

In view of the above, can the Commission indicate:

(cid:1) what information it has on this umpteenth violation of the right to religious freedom, recognised in

Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

(cid:1) what it will do to secure the immediate release of the Catholic priest and 12 Protestants arrested in

June 2003;

(cid:1) whether it will formally censure the Chinese Government for the intimidatory practices which the
Religious Affairs Bureau uses to compel members of the clandestine churches to renounce their faith
and join the official State-recognised churches?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(7 August 2003)

The Commission know nothing about Father Lu Xiaozhou’s situation but will endeavour to find out. As it
indicated in its answer to Written Question E-2216/03 (1)
from the Honourable Members, religious
freedom is one of the priorities pursued by the European Union its dialogue with China on human rights.
It will raise, as it has already done on several occasions in the past, the cases of persons who are
persecuted for practising their faith.

(1) See page 93.

(2004/C 78 E/0099)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2251/03

by Joaquim Miranda (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(7 July 2003)

Subject: Charter for Children in Hospital

In 1988 a ‘Charter for Children in Hospital’ was drawn up in Leiden with the aim of making care services
for children more human.

C 78 E/100

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

The 19 European countries which have to date acceded to the Charter, and which include Portugal, France,
Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Denmark,
Finland and Iceland, jointly founded a ‘European Association for Children in Hospital’ which decided, at its
7th international conference held in Brussels in 2002, to propose associating the EU institutions in its
discussions. Although this issue does not fall within the Community’s sphere of competence, will the
in particular by proposing that the
Commission indicate whether it intends to look into the matter,
Council adopt measures in line with the recommendations made in the Charter?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(7 August 2003)

As indicated by the Honourable Member, the issue of hospitalisation of children does not fall within the
Community’s sphere of competence.

The responsibility for health care lies with the Member States. The Commission is not able to intervene in
this respect and will,
the Council adopt measures in line with the
recommendations made in the Charter for Children in Hospital.

therefore, not propose that

(2004/C 78 E/0100)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2277/03

by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Construction faults on the Ionian highway

(9 July 2003)

In a few months the bridge between Rio and Antirrio which is intended to link the southern and northern
parts of western Greece will be completed. The Rio-Antirrio bridge is the point where the axis leading
from the southern Peloponnese to Patras meets the Athens-Corinth-Patras axis. The Antirrio side of the
bridge also marks the start of the axis leading to Epirus and the Albanian border which at some point
crosses the Egnatia highway. The theoretical development consequences of the new project for the whole
of western Greece and far beyond are obvious. However, the axis leading from Antirrio to the border is
essentially a very inadequate provincial road which is unable to play the part assigned to it.

Will the Commission say how and when this axis (the Ionian highway) is due to become a reality and
make the investment in the bridge worthwhile? Is it true that sections of the highway have already been
funded by the EU and that the Agrinio by-pass is not functioning properly and the Arta by-pass is not
functioning at all owing to very serious construction faults? Does it intend to press for these problems to
be corrected and, possibly, for responsibility for this state of affairs to be established?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(22 August 2003)

The Honourable Member is requested to refer to the answers given to Written Questions E-1799/03 by Mr
Hatzidakis (1) and P-0386/03 by Mr Averoff (2), as regards the questions of the co-funding with funds of the
European Union and the programming for the construction of the Agrinio and Arta by-passes and of the
whole Ionian road axe.

On the basis of the information available to the Commission, the by-passes of Agrinio and Arta are now
under construction. They are not completed and operational. No faults or other specific problems have
been reported by the national authorities for these projects.

The Commission will be informed on any new development concerning these projects and the whole
Ionian axe, and will act on the basis of this and any other relevant information, as provided by the
regulations in force for the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund.

(1) OJ C 58 E, 6.3.2004, p. 97.
(2) OJ C 222 E, 18.9.2003, p. 194.