WRITTEN QUESTION P-2914/03 by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Commission. Prodi goes beyond his powers in statements on Arafat.
Date: 2003-09-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Palestine Liberation Organisation, President of the Commission, foreign policy, public statement, settlement of disputes, terrorism

C 70 E/162

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

20.3.2004

(2004/C 70 E/170)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2906/03

by Gerhard Schmid (PSE) to the Commission

(1 October 2003)

Subject: Transposition of Directive 2001/97/EC on prevention of the use of the financial system for the

purpose of money laundering

Directive 2001/97/EC (1) of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directive
91/308/EEC (2) on prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering came
into force on 4 December 2001. The deadline for transposition by Member States was 15 June 2003.

I understand that the directive has not yet been transposed in the United Kingdom.

Can the Commission therefore say:

1. On what grounds the United Kingdom has not yet transposed the directive?

2. What other Member States have not yet transposed the directive?

3. What prospective Member States have not yet transposed the directive?

4. What it intends to do about this, especially in the case of the United Kingdom?

(1) OJ L 344, 28.12.2001, p. 76.
(2) OJ L 166, 28.6.1991, p. 77.

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(12 November 2003)

With regard to the first question, the Commission can inform the Honourable Member that on 16 July
2003 a letter of formal notice was sent to the United Kingdom on grounds that the United Kingdom had
failed to transpose the provisions of Directive 2001/97/EC (‘the Directive’) by 15 June 2003, the deadline
for compliance set out in Article 3 of the Directive. No response to the letter of formal notice has so far
been received.

Regarding the second question, the Commission can inform the Honourable Member that (besides the
Italy, Luxembourg and Portugal have not communicated
United Kingdom) Belgium, Greece, France,
implementing measures to the Commission and (cid:1) as far as the Commission is aware (cid:1) have not yet
transposed the Directive into national law. Austria has communicated measures which constitute a partial
implementation of the Directive.

Regarding the third question,
accession to complete their implementation.

it should be noted that the accession countries have until the date of

Regarding the fourth question, the Commission can ensure the Honourable Member that if the United
Kingdom or any other Member States should persist in delaying implementation of the Directive; the
Commission will pursue the infringement proceedings commenced. This being said, however,
the
Commission will take into consideration any information transmitted in the meantime by the Member
States which have failed to transpose the Directive.

(2004/C 70 E/171)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2914/03

by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Commission

(29 September 2003)

Subject: Prodi goes beyond his powers in statements on Arafat

Why has Mr Prodi, going beyond his powers, stated in his capacity as President of the Commission that
the terrorist Arafat must be the EU’s interlocutor?

Are such statements not at odds with the provisions of Article 13 of the TEU, which clearly place
responsibility for foreign policy in the Council’s hands alone?

20.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 70 E/163

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(6 November 2003)

As the Honourable Member will no doubt be aware, the President of the Commission was publicly stating
the position taken by the Laeken Summit in December 2001, which was reiterated by the Council (Foreign
Affairs) on 28 January 2002 in the following words: ‘Israel needs the Palestinian Authority and its elected
President, Yasser Arafat, as a partner to negotiate with, both in order to eradicate terrorism and to work
towards peace’.

(2004/C 70 E/172)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2915/03

by Francesco Speroni (NI) to the Commission

(29 September 2003)

Subject: Prodi’s partiality during the referendum campaign in Sweden

Why, in the course of the recent referendum campaign in Sweden, did Romano Prodi, the President of the
Commission, come down clearly in favour of that country’s accession to the euro, adopting a partial stance
with scant regard for the sovereign will of the Swedish people, whose task it was to choose between two
alternatives which were both compatible with Union law?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(6 November 2003)

At Parliament’s part session on 16 January, the President of the Commission stated that ‘for millions of
European citizens, the euro notes and coins in their pockets are a tangible sign of the great political project
of building a united Europe. As a symbol of that unity, the euro is having an even greater psychological
impact than the abolition of passport controls at Europe’s internal borders. The euro is thus becoming a
key element in people’s sense of a shared European identity and a common destiny, just as it is tangible
evidence that European integration is now irreversible. (…) We must take this as a valuable lesson and
apply it in the preparations for all stages in the process of integration’.

There was no reason to change this well-known position of the entire Commission during the referendum
campaign for the adoption of the euro in Sweden.

(2004/C 70 E/173)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2925/03

by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(6 October 2003)

Subject: European productivity pact

Historically, Europe and Spain have ranked low on productivity, one of the principal reasons being the
absence of any large-scale application of new technology to production processes, unlike the USA, which
according to the ILO, is the world’s most productive country, with average growth running at 2,2 % for the
last seven years.

Europe clearly needs to learn its lesson, and deal with its productivity deficit, something which requires an
intra-Community pact at European level to boost Europe’s low productivity rates.

Does the Commission believe that following the success of the Economic Stability Pact, it should now put
forward a European productivity pact, with a view to making up lost ground vis-à-vis the USA, and enable
the Old World to catch up with the productivity rates of the US economy?