WRITTEN QUESTION E-2477/03 by Miet Smet (PPE-DE) to the Council. Women's rights in Afghanistan.
Date: 2003-07-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Afghanistan, EU aid, gender equality, participation of women, position of women, the EU's international role, women's rights

C 84 E/26

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

(2004/C 84 E/0028)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2477/03

by Miet Smet (PPE-DE) to the Council

(24 July 2003)

Subject: Women’s rights in Afghanistan

The Taliban’s seizure of power in 1996 went hand in hand with a spectacular decline in the situation of
Afghan women. Women were subjected to extreme psychological and physical repression in the form of a
partial or total withdrawal of medical care, education, opportunities to earn a living and freedom of
movement.

Many had hoped that the end of the Taliban regime would usher in a new era for Afghan women. In the
European Parliament resolution of 5 September 2002 (1) it was stressed that absolute priority must be
given to the situation of women in Afghanistan. Members of the European Parliament also asked for a new
Afghan government to adopt and implement effective measures to improve the situation of women. The
European Union also wishes to contribute to this process, and has provided for part of Europe’s support
for Afghanistan to be targeted directly at specific women’s projects.

But a year and a half after the Bonn conference the situation of women is anything but favourable. In the
country, where three-quarters of Afghans live, nothing has changed for women. This has been confirmed
by Members of the European Parliament who participated in the EP delegation to Afghanistan: since the
fall of the Taliban women’s rights have improved only in Kabul, and over the whole country only 30 % of
girls go to school.

How does the EU react to this continuing violation of women’s rights? Which specific women’s projects in
Afghanistan are being funded by the EU? As well as supporting specific women’s projects, is the EU taking
other steps to improve the situation of women? What proportion of the European budget for Afghanistan
is used entirely for the benefit of women?

(1) P5-TA(2002)0407.

Reply

(8 March 2004)

1.
The EU pays close attention to the observance of women’s human rights in Afghanistan. In its
contacts with the Afghan Transitional Authority (ATA), the EU constantly stresses at all levels that the
rights of Afghan women and the promotion of their full and equal participation in all aspects of public life
constitute an important benchmark in assessing the performance of the ATA and in determining further
EU policy towards Afghanistan.

in line with international norms,

The EU has also urged the members of the Afghan Constitutional Commission to respect gender
2.
equality,
in the future Constitution which will be adopted by the
Constitutional Loya Jirga in a few months’ time. The EU will do its utmost to ensure also that the new
Constitution contains a clause establishing the primacy of international law, especially UN conventions on
human rights, over domestic law, including the Sharia.

On 14 April 2003,

the Council adopted conclusions stressing,

the importance of
3.
mainstreaming gender-awareness in ATA policy and urging the establishment of a constitutional
framework for the promotion and the protection of human rights, especially with regard to women and
girls. The Council also underscored gender-sensitivity as one of the qualities of a government to be
established through free and fair elections by June 2004. These conclusions were shared with the Afghan
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Abdullah, who met with the EU Ministers that very day. Gender issues are
high on the agenda of the EU Troika Mission at State Secretary level to Afghanistan, planned in October.

‘inter alia’,

4.
Since the fall of the Taliban, there are a few signs of improvement: girls go to school in increasing
numbers and, in the larger urban centres, also attend higher education, ministries are hiring women and as

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Official Journal of the European Union

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a whole many women have gone back to work outside their homes. A very positive step was the
ratification of the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women on
5 March 2003.

However, the Council agrees with the Honourable MEP that the situation of women remains unacceptable
regarding education and work possibilities, legal protection and their full and equal participation in public
life. In addition, women are the primary victims of insecurity, which threatens their lives and their dignity.
A lot of work remains to be done, subject to the allocation of sufficient resources.

For details on specific gender-oriented programmes, the Honourable MEP might wish to apply to the

5.
Commission and the relevant ministries of the Member States.

(2004/C 84 E/0029)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2482/03

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Council

(24 July 2003)

Subject: Prevention against the risk of forest fires: Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92

Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 (1), which made provision for the funding of measures to prevent against the
risk of forest fires, expired on 31 December 2002. The fact that Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92 acted as an
incentive for regional and national fire prevention policies has been amply demonstrated over the past
10 years. During that period, the average area of forest damaged by each fire fell in the south of France,
Spain and Portugal. Nevertheless, the fresh Commission proposal for a regulation (Forest Focus) and the
new rural development regulation represent a renationalisation of policy on forest fires which entails the
disappearance of a Community financial arrangement for prevention against the risks of forest fires such as
that provided for in Regulation (EEC) No 2158/92. At the same time, this proposal does not accord with
the arguments brought by the Court of Justice of the European Communities to the effect that policy on
protection against forest fires is to be seen as a Community policy within the framework of environment
policy which is to be financed by funds drawn from the EU budget.

The Council:

1.

Is it aware that the proposal for a Forest Focus regulation does not tally with the recent case-law of
the Court of Justice of the European Communities, which opposes the renationalisation of policy on
it should be dealt with under the codecision procedure with
combating fires and argues that
Parliament? What arguments justified the Council’s rejection at
first reading of all Parliament’s
amendments seeking to reintroduce fire prevention as part of Community environment policy
following the stance taken by the Court of Justice?

2.

Is it aware of the adverse consequences which the proposal for a Forest Focus regulation might have
as regards combating forest fires at Community level?

3. Will

it change its standpoint and accept Parliament’s requests in this matter at second reading,
particularly as regards restoring specific funding devoted solely to prevention and management
activities to protect forests against the risk of fire?

(1) OJ L 217, 31.7.1992, p. 3.

Reply

(8 March 2004)

The Council would refer the Honourable Member to the public deliberation which took place at the
Council meeting on 6 November 2003 on the draft ‘Forest Focus’ Regulation and to the conclusions
reached. At that time the Council approved the amendments adopted by the European Parliament at
second reading on the proposal for a Regulation concerning monitoring of forest and environmental