WRITTEN QUESTION P-3473/03 by Daniel Cohn-Bendit (Verts/ALE) to the Council. Statements made by the Presidency at the EU-Russia Summit of 7 November 2003.
Date: 2003-11-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Union, Russia, cooperation policy, democratisation, human rights, presidential election, rule of law, summit meeting, war of independence

C 84 E/238

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

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.’

3.4.2004

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/239

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?

Joint answer
to Written Questions P-3415/03 and P-3473/03

(9 March 2004)

The Council underlines that it is not for the Council to comment on the declaration quoted at the end of
the question.

Regarding the situation in Chechnya, it was discussed in detail during the EU-Russia summit in Rome on
6 November 2003. The absence of a reference to Chechnya in the joint statement from the summit
reflected the persistent disagreement between the EU and Russia on the situation there. The EU in
particular regretted and rejected the linkage made by Russia between the situation in Chechnya and the
situation of the Russian minorities in the Baltic states. The agreed Council position, as quoted in the
question, has therefore not changed as a result of the summit.

(2004/C 84 E/0283)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3440/03

by Koenraad Dillen (NI) to the Council

(20 November 2003)

Subject: Human rights in China

At the European-Chinese summit between Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi and his Chinese counterpart
Hu Jintao, trade agreements relating to cooperation between China and Europe in the field of satellite
navigation were discussed. It was the European Commission which launched the Galileo programme
concerning this.

A new report by Amnesty International now states that human rights are being persistently and seriously
violated in China. Torture, executions and repression are still commonplace. Amnesty International reports
that more than 300 000 political prisoners are being held in special camps in China.

According to various newspaper reports, not a word was spoken about the human rights situation in
China at the summit meeting between Berlusconi and Hu Jintao. Are these reports correct?

If so, is it ethically acceptable to hold trade talks with China without raising this issue? Is not progress over
human rights an essential condition for progress in relations between the EU and China?

What efforts has the Council made in the past to improve the human rights situation in China through
diplomatic channels?

Reply

(11 March 2004)

On a general

1.
declaration on China presented on the occasion of
December.

level, the Council

invites the Honourable Parliamentarian to refer to the Council
the European Parliament’s plenary session last

Contrary to sources quoted by the Honourable Member of Parliament, the Council

2.
informs the
Honourable Parliamentarian that human rights issues were on the agenda of the Summit meeting. Human
rights issues are raised regularly at all levels with China, including at the highest level. At the Summit
meeting which took place on 30 October in Beijing, the EU raised in particular China’s accession to the
Rome Statute on the International Criminal Court, freedom of expression, religious freedom and the death
penalty. Both sides had also addressed human rights issues in policy papers that were published shortly
before the Summit.