WRITTEN QUESTION P-3414/03 by Marianne Eriksson (GUE/NGL) to the Council. Estonia and directives on equal opportunities.
Date: 2003-11-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Estonia, accession criteria, accession to the European Union, equal treatment, gender equality, national implementing measure

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/237

fishing gear, voluntary departure from fishing grounds, real-time area closures and also the measure
indicated by the Honourable Parliamentarian, i.e. the introduction of by-catch quotas.

5.
Such measures should be seen in the context of the on-going examination of multi-annual fisheries
management and the establishment of recovery plans for endangered stocks as provided for in the reform
of the Common Fisheries Policy.

6.

The Commission is currently preparing an assessment of fishery resources in third country waters.

The Community has taken the lead in the international action plan to eradicate illegal, unreported

7.
and unregulated fishing (IUU). There has been no specific call for an action plan on by-catches.

(2004/C 84 E/0280)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3414/03

by Marianne Eriksson (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(12 November 2003)

Subject: Estonia and directives on equal opportunities

It has come to my notice that Estonia has yet to transpose the EU directives on equal opportunities into
national legislation. This would seem remarkable, particularly since the Commission publicly criticised the
enlargement countries on 6 November for not meeting requirements ahead of EU accession. On that
occasion, however, there was no mention of Estonia and the absence of legislation on equal opportunities.

Can the Council confirm that Estonia has not implemented the directives on equal opportunities?

Can the Council explain why it was not made a requirement for accession to the EU?

What action will the Council take?

Reply

(9 March 2004)

Although Estonia has reached a high level of alignment with the acquis in most policy areas, the Council
can confirm that Estonia has not yet transposed legislation in the field of equal treatment of women and
men. In this context,
it should be noted that the Commission’s comprehensive monitoring report of
5 November 2003 on Estonia’s preparations for membership clearly identifies this issue as a matter of
serious concern, where Estonia must take immediate and decisive action if it is to be ready by the date of
accession. The Council shares the analysis of the Commission in this regard. It should also be noted that
alignment with the acquis in the field of equal opportunities is indeed a requirement for accession (as is
the EU acquis as a whole), and that Estonia will achieve this through the adoption of the Gender Equality
and Equal Treatment Act and the Employment Contract Act. Estonia is now required to address urgently
the substantial delays in the adoption of these two legal acts compared to the original legislative timetable.

In general terms, it should be recalled that the Council has underlined the importance of the process of
monitoring the state of preparedness for EU membership of the ten acceding States. This process is an
ongoing exercise, which will continue until the date of accession. In this regard, the Council, at its meeting
on 17 November 2003, noted that the Commission, taking full advantage of the expertise of the Member
States, will continue to follow the acceding States’ progress closely using all the means at its disposal to

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3.4.2004

ensure the proper implementation of the Union’s rules and policies. Taking into account the Commission’s
role to safeguard the smooth functioning of all EU policies upon and after accession, the Council also
noted the Commission’s determination to take, wherever necessary, all appropriate measures for this
purpose. Furthermore, the Council took note of the Commission’s intention to keep the Council fully and
regularly informed on any remaining concerns and on the appropriate measures that it will take in this
regard.

(2004/C 84 E/0281)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3415/03

by Francesco Rutelli (ELDR) to the Council

(12 November 2003)

Subject: Statements made by the Presidency at the EU-Russia Summit of 7 November 2003

The Joint Statement of 31 May 2003 issued at the EU-Russia Summit in St Petersburg expressed the hope
that ‘the recently started political process as well as the economic and social reconstruction will lead to the
restoration of
thus promoting the protection of human rights, and to a genuine
the rule of
reconciliation in Chechnya’.

law,

The Declaration of 8 October 2003 made by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the
presidential elections in Chechnya stated that ‘the EU had already noted negative developments as, inter
alia, the lack of real pluralism of candidatures to the presidency and the absence of independent media’ and
that ‘considering these developments, the EU expresses serious concerns regarding the conditions in which
these elections were held.’

In the same Declaration the Presidency said ‘the EU once again would like to express its hope that
commitments will be followed by their implementation and that an immediate, significant improvement of
the human rights situation in Chechnya will bridge the divide between the authorities and the population.
The EU urges the Russian authorities to do their utmost to advance a genuine political process and to
intensify its cooperation with international organisations, and in particular with OSCE, as agreed in the
EU-Russia Joint Statement at St. Petersburg.’

Can the Council say what new facts the Presidency has in its possession that allowed Mr Berlusconi to
claim that the problems linked to Chechnya can be considered as ‘tales’ put about by the international
press?

(2004/C 84 E/0282)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3473/03

by Daniel Cohn-Bendit (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(17 November 2003)

Subject: Statements made by the Presidency at the EU-Russia Summit of 7 November 2003

The Joint Statement of 31 May 2003 issued at the EU-Russia Summit in St Petersburg expressed the hope
that ‘the recently started political process as well as the economic and social reconstruction will lead to the
thus promoting the protection of human rights, and to a genuine
the rule of
restoration of
reconciliation in Chechnya’.

law,

The Declaration of 8 October 2003 made by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the
presidential elections in Chechnya stated that ‘the EU had already noted negative developments as, inter
alia, the lack of real pluralism of candidatures to the presidency and the absence of independent media’ and
that ‘considering these developments, the EU expresses serious concerns regarding the conditions in which
these elections were held.’

In the same Declaration the Presidency said ‘the EU once again would like to express its hope that
commitments will be followed by their implementation and that an immediate, significant improvement of
the human rights situation in Chechnya will bridge the divide between the authorities and the population.
The EU urges the Russian authorities to do their utmost to advance a genuine political process and to
intensify its cooperation with international organisations, and in particular with OSCE, as agreed in the
EU-Russia Joint Statement at St. Petersburg.’