WRITTEN QUESTION E-2995/03 by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Damage to valuable relics contained in the temple of St Sophia.
Date: 2003-10-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Community acquis, EU programme, Türkiye, cultural heritage, cultural object, financing, heritage protection, museum, religion

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.

C 88 E/126

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

Since 1985 St Sophia has been classified as a World Heritage Site and the latest Turkish National
Programme for the implementation of the ‘acquis’ indicates that cultural works belonging to the world as a
whole are protected under law of 17 June 1987 so as to preserve them in perfect condition for future
generations. In view of this, will the Commission adopt a firm position on this matter?

Do the Turkish pre-accession and MEDA programmes include funding earmarked for cultural purposes, in
particular the preservation of cultural treasures such as those stored in St Sophia?

Does the Commission not consider that such a serious situation constitutes a backward step regarding
compliance with the Community ‘acquis’. What action does it intend to take in response?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(12 November 2003)

As already mentioned in the Commission’s recent reply to Written Question E-2962/03 by Mr Alavanos (1),
the Community’s financial assistance programme for Turkey does not allow provision of support for
conserving and restoring religious or cultural works, such as those stored in the Hagia Sofia. The
programme is designed primarily to support Turkey’s alignment with Union standards in the political,
economic and legislative areas. Project proposals are prepared by the Turkish Government and are subject
to approval by the Commission, which is given only for projects that contribute to meeting the priorities
of the Accession Partnership, as adopted by the Council of Ministers on 15 May 2003.

In addition, the Commission monitors very closely the progress achieved by Turkey in adopting the
relevant ‘acquis’ in the area of culture.

(1) OJ C 78 E, 27.3.2004, p. 771.

(2004/C 88 E/0134)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3013/03

by Marco Cappato (NI) to the Commission

(14 October 2003)

Subject: The case of the Tunisian journalist Néziha Rejiba

On 25 September 2003 the Tunisian customs authorities issued the Tunisian journalist Néziha Rejiba with
a summons because she had given a young Tunisian man EUR 170 in cash, an offence punishable by up
to five years’ imprisonment and a fine. However, the journalist has not broken the law, which sets a time-
limit of one week for changing foreign currency into Tunisian dinars.

Néziha Rejiba, who has published articles on the Internet denouncing violations of human rights
committed by the Tunisian authorities, writes for the on-line magazine Kalima (www.kalima.com), which
has been censored in Tunisia since it was first published in October 2000. For the last three years she has
been subjected to physical aggression and been continually harassed by the Tunisian police, her home is
under surveillance and her telephone is monitored or (as at present) cut off.

Has the Commission taken official steps to ask the Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia to clarify the
situation? What response has it received?

What steps will the Commission take to induce the Tunisian government to ensure that freedom of
expression and the right to a fair trial are respected by the Tunisian authorities in this case?

In view of the fact that the World Summit on the Information Society is due to be held in Tunis in
November 2005, what steps will the Commission take to help to ensure an end to the constant and
systematic violation of the freedom of expression of the Tunisian population?