WRITTEN QUESTION E-2988/03 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) and Jan Dhaene (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Action Plan.
Date: 2003-10-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: accession to the European Union, action programme, drafting of EU law, forestry holding, forestry legislation, fraud, governance, management, trading operation

C 88 E/124

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(5 November 2003)

The Commission has carefully monitored alleged incidences of persecution of homosexuals in Egypt. It has
raised its concerns with the Egyptian authorities both on the Queen Boat case itself, and on the related
issue of police harassment on several occasions as requested in the Parliament’s Resolution of 10 April
2003.

There have been recently some welcome developments, notably the release of
the
defendants and the transfer of the proceedings from the security courts to the normal court system. But
the Honourable Members can rest assured that our Delegation in Cairo, together with the Member State
embassies, will continue to follow this case as well as the cases of the 62 men arrested on 28 August.
Likewise, the Commission will continue to raise these issues with the Egyptian Authorities whenever
appropriate.

twenty-nine of

The institutions of the Union-Egypt Association Agreement (still pending ratification from various Member
States) will provide a useful additional forum to discuss a range of human rights issues.

the Honourable Member knows, on 22 May 2003,

In addition, as
the Commission issued a
Communication on ‘Re-invigorating Union actions on Human Rights and democratisation with the
Mediterranean partners’, with the aim of working constructively to prompt concrete progress on human
rights issues. This communication is now being considered by the Council and Parliament.

(2004/C 88 E/0132)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2988/03

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) and Jan Dhaene (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(9 October 2003)

Subject: Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Action Plan

On 21 May 2003, the Commission published the FLEGT Action Plan. Various NGOs involved with this
issue, as well as a number of Member States which have taken the lead in the worldwide campaign to stop
illegal logging, regard that document as an important step forward and as a point of departure for further
legislative activity.

However, after the document (1) had been published, nothing more was heard, and we have the impression
that the Commission took no further measures for the implementation of the Action Plan.

What objectives does the Commission want to attain, and within what timescale, in order to implement
the FLEGT Action Plan? Within that timescale, what are the key activities between now and June 2004?

Which DG will be responsible for the implementation of the Action Plan, and what resources are available
for that purpose?

Is the Commission planning further legislation in connection with the problems addressed by FLEGT?

Illegal logging is a fairly significant problem in the accession countries as well. Is the Commission planning
to take specific measures with a view to solving the problem in those countries, both before and after
accession?

(1) COM(2003) 251.

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/125

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(5 December 2003)

The Commission has worked to ensure swift follow-up to the EU Action Plan for Forest Law Enforcement,
Governance and Trade (FLEGT). Council Conclusions were adopted at
the Agriculture Council on
13 October 2003. The Commission still awaits a response from the Parliament.

Wide stakeholder consultations have been initiated, including detailed contacts with Member States, non-
government organisations and European wood industries. Contacts have also been initiated with potential
partner countries in major timber-producing regions of the world, with encouraging results. Discussions
with Indonesia are in a particularly advanced stage.

To facilitate engagement with Africa, the Commission also recently provided a EUR 500 000 grant to
support the Africa Ministerial Conference for Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (AFLEG), at which
more than 30 African nations set out their firm commitment to combat illegal logging.

To answer the additional specific points raised in the question:

1.

Implementation will be led by the Development and Environment Directorates General,
association with other Directorates General, notably External Relations, Trade,
Cooperation Office, Taxation and Customs Union, Enterprise and Internal Market.

in close
the Europe Aid

Initially, supporting resources will be made available from the tropical forest budget line. Funds are
also available from certain Country and Regional Strategies. The Commission will propose to
introduce forest sector governance into Country Strategy Papers in the course of the mid-term review
in countries where this issue is a priority.

2. The Commission intends to submit a proposal for a Regulation in 2004 to implement the Action Plan.
This Regulation would provide the basis for the voluntary partnership scheme to control illegal timber
exports. Dialogue and consultations have been initiated with wood-producing countries, and these will
continue with a view to forming the partnership agreements required to support implementation.

No further legislation is currently planned in connection with the problems addressed by the FLEGT
Action Plan. However, a study of potential additional legislative options will be launched in the near
future and this area will be looked at again in the light of the results of this work.

3. The accession countries lie outside the scope of the Action Plan. The Commission does not intend to
take specific measures on illegal logging before the accession countries join the Union, but rather to
develop a strategy based on their future participation within the EU Single Market. The Commission
will participate in the work of the Ministerial Conferences for the Protection of Forests in Europe
(MCPFE) on this subject, including an assessment of the extent of the problem in Europe, to be carried
out in 2004.

(2004/C 88 E/0133)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2995/03

by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(14 October 2003)

Subject: Damage to valuable relics contained in the temple of St Sophia

Recently the new director of the St Sophia museum, Serazitin Sachin, informed the Turkish Directorate-
General for Museums and the Cultural Heritage that 550 invaluable icons and relics (gospels and sacerdotal
vestments) had been severely damaged by damp whilst in storage in the temple of St Sophia having been
brought in from many orthodox churches in Turkey when they fall into disuse.