WRITTEN QUESTION E-2926/03 by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Council. Urgent need to expand voluntary fire services.
Date: 2003-10-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: civil defence, fire protection, forest, man-made disaster, natural disaster, voluntary work

C 78 E/766

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

(2004/C 78 E/0815)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2918/03

by Marco Cappato (NI) and Maurizio Turco (NI) to the Council

Subject: Case of Italian citizen Maurizio Trotta, imprisoned in Romania

(2 October 2003)

On 2 August 2002, Mr Maurizio Trotta, an Italian citizen from Reggio Emiliano, was arrested in Romania
on charges of international drugs trafficking for possession of 11 grammes of hashish, found in his rented
apartment in Craiova.

Mr Maurizio, who has been held in Craiova prison since his arrest, was tried in a court of first instance and
sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, following the withdrawal of the charge of international trafficking,
which is punishable by up to 25 years’ imprisonment.

Having received a two-year sentence, and in the light of his good conduct, Mr Trotta ought to be released
in December 2003. However, following an appeal against the sentence of the court of first instance lodged
by the public prosecutor’s office, the case is to be re-tried, with the result that the outcome is highly
uncertain and Mr Trotta is still in prison.

In the meantime, Mr Trotta’s family has spent substantial sums on visiting Romania and on the fees of
Italian lawyer Mr Liborio Catagliotti and the succession of Romanian lawyers assigned to the case.

There is no knowing how long the case will last or what the eventual sentence will be and there have been
reports of substantial bribes being requested by those seeking to take advantage of the situation.

After making the necessary enquiries with the Romanian authorities, will the Council say whether it
considers that the fundamental rights established under the EU treaties may have been infringed in this
case?

Will the Council provide details of the response from the Romanian authorities and say what possible
steps might be taken?

Reply

(4 March 2004)

The Honourable Parliamentarian of the European Parliament is informed that the Council can not take a
position in respect of an ongoing criminal procedure.

As the Honourable Parliamentarian are certainly aware, the EU is pressing for reform of the judiciary in
Romania in view of EU accession. The EU has continuously stressed that the establishment of an
independent, reliable and efficient judiciary is of paramount importance for Romania and has strongly
invited Romania to strengthen the independence of the judiciary vis-à-vis the executive.

(2004/C 78 E/0816)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2926/03

by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Council

(6 October 2003)

Subject: Urgent need to expand voluntary fire services

Mediterranean countries have again been hit this summer by devastating forest and bush fires. Large
numbers of people have fallen victim to fires in Portugal and the south of France, which have been
unusually frequent and have affected an unusually wide area. Enormous damage has also been caused both
to the natural environment and the economy. It was only by deploying large numbers of personnel, and
thanks to the help of numerous volunteers, that the fires were able to be brought under control.
Discussions on the possibility of promoting the use of voluntary fire services date back to 1996.

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/767

To what extent is expansion of voluntary fire services, such as already exist in the South Tyrol, Austria and
Germany, planned? Is such expansion also supported in Mediterranean countries?

Reply

(4 March 2004)

The Council would refer the Honourable Member in particular to its reply to question E-2624/03, put to
the Council by Michel-Ange Scarbonchi, concerning civil protection against forest fires.

(2004/C 78 E/0817)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2929/03

by Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission

(6 October 2003)

Subject: Situation of Thich Tri Luc, a Vietnamese citizen enjoying HCR refugee status, kidnapped in

Cambodia and awaiting trial in Vietnam

In its answer to Question E-2607/03 (1), the Commission states that it is extremely concerned about the
situation of the Venerable Thich Tri Luc (aged 49, secular name Pham Van Tuong), a member of the
Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) a long-standing human rights campaigner, who is being held
in Ho Chi Minh City. His trial, originally announced by the Vietnamese Government for 1 August 2003,
has been postponed sine die. The Vietnamese authorities have refused to answer questions from the United
Nations High Commissioner. On 12 September,
in flat contradiction to his previous statements, the
Vietnamese Foreign Minister acknowledged that Thich Tri Luc had been secretly held for a year, claiming
that he had been ‘arrested at the frontier post in Tay Ninh province’, on Vietnamese territory, on 26 July
2002; the Minister announced that he would be tried under Article 91 of the Penal Code, for having
attempted to ‘escape abroad with the intention of contacting organisations there with a view to
undermining the Vietnamese Government’. Persons charged under this Article face sentences ranging from
three years to life imprisonment.

How has the Commission reacted to this blatant contempt for the UN’s mechanisms for protecting
refugees, and the major violations of human rights involved? Does the Commission intend to propose to
the Member States that they raise this case of violation of refugee status with the relevant UN bodies?
What measures does it intend to take to persuade the Vietnamese authorities to set the Venerable Thich Tri
Luc at liberty immediately and unconditionally? Does the Commission not believe that the Vietnamese
attitude in this matter constitutes sufficient grounds for radically revising the Union’s aid and cooperation
policy with Vietnam, particularly as regards the plan for legal reform over the next ten years?

(1) OJ C 58 E, 6.3.2004, p. 186.

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(5 November 2003)

The Commission wishes to recall that its reply given to the Honourable Member’s Written Question
E-2607/03 (1) on the same issue remains entirely valid in the light of recent developments. The following
elements complement the Commission’s previous answer.

The circumstances of Thich Tri Luc’s arrest remain unclear. The Commission is concerned about Luc’s
incommunicado detention. The Commission will
therefore continue to seek clarifications from the
Vietnamese authorities.