WRITTEN QUESTION E-3671/03 by Joost Lagendijk (Verts/ALE)and Arie Oostlander (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Further cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
Date: 2003-12-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Türkiye, police cooperation, terrorism

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/625

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(28 January 2004)

The Commission is aware of, and concerned by, the humanitarian situation in the north Caucasus.
The impact of the ongoing conflict in Chechnya on ordinary citizens (cid:1) and in particular children (cid:1) is
deeply disturbing.

The Commission (cid:1) via the European Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) (cid:1) is the largest donor of
humanitarian aid in the north Caucasus, with EUR 110 million committed since 1999. Significant funding
has already been allocated for efforts to improve the poor health infrastructure in Chechnya as well as to
provide safe drinking water and improve sanitation conditions for local
inhabitants. Specific health
programmes for children are going on in four locations in Grozny. This will continue and will soon be
expanded to six locations. It is certainly hoped that these efforts will over time contribute to improve the
very poor state of health of the civilian population in Chechnya, but as long as the population continues
to live in such poor conditions, the impact of these programmes on the general health situation will be
limited.

The Commission notes that the Member of the Commission responsible for Development and Humani-
tarian Aid visited the north Caucasus in 2000. It regrets that (cid:1) due to difficult security conditions in this
area (cid:1) more high-level visits have not been possible so far. It takes this opportunity to underline the fact
that ECHO tries to undertake regular missions to Chechnya to assess in detail and at expert level the needs
of the population there, in order to consider how best it can help to improve the humanitarian situation,
in particular with regard to children. The extent of the programmes undertaken in Chechnya and the
regularity of visits there, are however, highly dependent on security conditions in the region.

(2004/C 78 E/0660)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3671/03

by Joost Lagendijk (Verts/ALE)
and Arie Oostlander (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(9 December 2003)

Subject: Further cooperation in the fight against terrorism

Turkey recently suffered terrorist attacks on two synagogues on 15 November and on the British Consulate
and the HSBC headquarters in Istanbul on 20 November 2003.

Does the Commission see any further possibility of extending cooperation with Turkey in the fight against
terrorism, given that these attacks could impede the reform process in Turkey?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(29 January 2004)

The Commission is already providing assistance in a number of the areas defined by the United Nations
(UN) as essential in the fight against terrorism, notably capacity building for the police, border control,
customs and immigration services. In addition, the co-operation with Turkey in the fight against terrorism
will be further extended through a twinning project which will start in early 2004 to strengthen the
Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK). This body has administrative, regulatory and supervisory
powers concerning the identification of suspicious transactions related to money laundering and the
financing of terrorism.

The twinning will analyse current Turkish legislation on money laundering, confiscation and forfeiture of
proceeds related to financing of terrorism and draft proposals for improvements, will develop co-operation
between all agencies involved in the fight against money laundering, and will train personnel.

C 78 E/626

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

A further twinning entitled ‘Strengthening the struggle against money laundering, financial sources of
crime and the financing of terrorism’ with the Turkish National police will commence in late 2004. This
twinning is intended to eliminate any legal or practical difficulties in the freezing and confiscation of
terrorist assets, to assist the Turkish authorities to provide the widest possible range of assistance to other
countries’ law enforcement and regulatory authorities for terrorist financing investigations and to ensure
that entities, in particular non-profit organisations, cannot be misused to finance terrorism.

(2004/C 78 E/0661)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3672/03

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(9 December 2003)

Subject: Situation at the Sorefame company

is known for its high
The Sorefame company, which commenced operations in Portugal
standards in terms of quality, capacity and technology in the manufacture and construction of large-scale
equipment, notably rolling stock.

in 1943,

Currently owned by Bombardier, it employs 550 workers directly and provides a further thousand jobs via
subcontracted enterprises.

However, Sorefame is now passing through difficult circumstances, despite the skilled workers and
operatives who enable it not only to manufacture rolling stock but also to plan and design that equipment,
representing a major economic and technological asset and ensuring the company recognition in terms of
quality and competitiveness.

Orders are now in short supply: the Bombardier group claims to be in a phase of global restructuring, and
is already hinting at closure of the Sorefame plant in Amadora (Portugal), should orders not begin to pick
up.

A number of plans are on the drawing-board in Portugal which, if acted on, could resolve this problem.
One of these is the strategic plan for more trains for the Lisbon and Oporto underground systems, as well
as for Oporto’s commuter train services and other networks.

Given the above, as well as comparable developments in other Member States:

1. What measures will the Commission take to support the normal functioning of Sorefame/Bombardier
in Portugal, in the light of the company’s contribution to employment and regional development?

2. Will the Commission support a policy of channelling Portuguese orders to this company, with a view
to preventing the short-term paralysis of its production line, given the impact that would have on its
workers’ jobs and recalling that unemployment is now rising faster in Portugal than in any other EU
Member State?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(30 January 2004)

We must inform the Honourable Member that implementation of appropriate measures for sectors in crisis
in Portugal is a responsibility of the national authorities alone, which have in fact reached agreement with
us on introduction of support mechanisms for enterprises in the sector to which she refers and for public
investment (under the Economy and Transport Operational Programmes we have approved (1)).

On the question of Community support for new Portuguese orders placed with the enterprise to which she
refers, we must remind her that it is each Member State’s responsibility to ensure that the Community
Directives on public contracts are respected.

(1) C (2000) 1774, 28.7.2000; C (2000) 2382, 28.7.2000.