WRITTEN QUESTION P-2654/03 by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Council. Rape and trafficking in women in Iraq.
Date: 2003-09-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Iraq, human rights, military occupation, public safety, sexual discrimination, sexual violence, the EU's international role, woman

20.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 70 E/125

The circumstances of the acquisition of the stake in Telekom Serbia are also being investigated by public
prosecutors in Turin, who are seeking to establish whether bribes were paid.

On this latter aspect, on the basis of accusations made by a person currently in prison, Mr Prodi and other
members of the Government in office at that time, which he headed, are the target of a fierce political
campaign being waged against them in Italy.

In response to these allegations Mr Prodi’s lawyers are already taking the legal steps necessary to protect
his good name and to ensure that those who have been throwing mud are brought to account for their
actions.

The Italian Parliament’s committee of inquiry and the prosecutors in Turin are well aware of what they
have to do to establish the truth, and Mr Prodi is fully confident that that will be enough to put an end to
this shameful slander.

Turning to the second part of the question, Mr Prodi is fully conscious of the duties and responsibilities of
those who hold public office; he said some time ago, and in public, that he would be prepared to appear
before the bodies empowered to carry out such investigations in order to provide any clarification that
might be useful.

Mr Prodi has also explained, in public, what he will tell the parliamentary committee if and when he is
asked to appear: that the acquisition by Telecom Italia of a stake in Telekom Serbia was not brought to his
attention, either as a private citizen or in his capacity as Prime Minister, ever, by anybody, in any form,
directly or indirectly, and that there was no reason of either form or substance why it should have been.

In any event, in order to give a direct answer to the questions raised by the Honourable Member, the
President has decided to offer a detailed reconstruction of the arguments, the facts and the procedures
followed in the case by the Italian Government which he headed. The documentation was made available
to the public and the press on 9 September 2003, on the website http://europa.eu.int/comm/
commissioners/prodi. The Honourable Member will find a complete copy attached to this answer.

As he said in the analogous case rightly cited by the Honourable Member, President Prodi is convinced
that anyone who holds public office has a duty to be open in their dealings. It is a duty he has never
avoided, either in Italy, or, now, in Europe.

(2004/C 70 E/127)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2654/03

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Council

(2 September 2003)

Subject: Rape and trafficking in women in Iraq

Yanar Mohammed, President of the Organisation for the Liberation of Women in Iraq, has issued a
statement condemning the rise in violence against women seen in Iraq since coalition forces have been
deployed in the region. It is estimated that over 400 women have been kidnapped, raped, and in many
cases even sold. The perpetrators of the attacks are either gangs of people traffickers, who kidnap women
in order to ransom or sell them, or criminals who abduct women with a view to raping them. The women’s
organisation claims that the American troops are doing nothing to stamp out the problem and have
turned the streets into a ‘women-free zone’.

Will the Council exert pressure on the American Administration in order to put an immediate stop to and
avert future cases of sexual assault, ill-treatment, and trafficking in women, which blatantly violate their
human rights?

C 70 E/126

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

20.3.2004

Reply

(8 December 2003)

The Council is fully aware of the precarious security situation currently prevailing in Iraq as a legacy
1.
of the conflict. It shares the Honourable Member’s concern about the level of violence and crime suffered
by ordinary Iraqi citizens (cid:1) in particular women (cid:1) in their daily lives. Security in Iraq remains a major
priority. In its political contacts with the US, the EU stresses regularly the need to improve security.

2. While it is clear that ensuring a secure environment in Iraq is at this stage a responsability of the
occupying powers, the Council considers that the problem must be addressed within broader stabilisation
efforts, comprising in particular political reconstruction and economic recovery, in the perspective of the
transition to full Iraqi self government.

(2004/C 70 E/128)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2655/03

by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(2 September 2003)

Subject: Euronews

Will the Commission say by how much it proposes to subsidise the Euronews television channel and what
conditions will be attached to this subsidy? Will the Commission also say what measures will be taken to
ensure that Euronews is able retain independence in choosing the substance and form of its reporting?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(9 October 2003)

The Commission does not award an operating grant to the Euronews television channel, but, as it does
with many other radio or television channels, awards grants for actions, either for ad hoc projects or for
the ‘coproduction of television modules’ under a framework agreement covering the period 2001-2004.
Grants for actions and framework agreements, awarded in accordance with the financial rules in force
when they are signed, in no way restrict the editorial freedom of the beneficiary, who must, however,
respect the image of the European institutions and the raison d’être and general objectives of the Union.

In addition to these grants Parliament entered a sum of EUR 3 million on line B3-300 of the 2003 budget
‘intended to finance the activities of Euronews in connection with the European institutions’. To give effect
to this request and on the basis of the Commission decision of 9 July 2003, Euronews was invited to
present a programme of additional actions for which new grants may be awarded. This programme will be
assessed by a selection committee in accordance with the arrangements laid down in the Financial
Regulation (1) and its implementing rules (2). On the basis of the report of this selection committee, the
Commission will decide whether or not to award all or part of the amount earmarked on line B3-300. If it
does so, as generally applies with grants for actions, the editorial freedom of Euronews will be fully
respected.

The decision on continued cooperation with Euronews or any change in the arrangements will be taken in
the light of the findings of an evaluation of the channel’s Community-funded activities.

(1) Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the

general budget of the European Communities OJ L 248, 16.9.2002.

(2) Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 of 23 December 2002 laying down detailed rules for the

implementation of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002, OJ L 357, 31.12.2002.