WRITTEN QUESTION P-4060/03 by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission. European citizenship.
Date: 2004-01-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU migration policy, European citizenship, foreign national, free movement of persons, legal status, national, residence permit

C 78 E/906

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

27.3.2004

(2004/C 78 E/0957)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4052/03

by Christos Folias (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(12 January 2004)

Subject: Support for the various Churches

As part of the policy to protect the cultural heritage and the specific cultural characteristics of Member
through cultural or other
States, will
programmes,
icons and other church
treasures and the development of religious monuments?

for the restoration of places of worship, the conservation of

the Commission say whether it provides concrete funding,

If so, does it have at its disposal a qualitative and quantitative survey of the measures which have received
funding, broken down by action and country?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(12 February 2004)

The Commission does not administer any funding intended solely for the restoration or conservation of
churches or church treasures.

The Commission would also like to draw the Honourable Member’s attention to the fact that one of the
objectives of the Culture 2000 programme is to encourage measures which enhance, at European level, the
common cultural heritage of European significance, disseminate know-how and promote good practice
concerning its conservation and safeguarding.

This programme supports projects which are jointly run and financed by at least three operators from a
minimum of three countries participating in the programme.

The Honourable Member may wish to consult the website below for further information and a detailed list
of all projects supported by the Culture 2000 programme in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 (as well as the
bodies in receipt of funding, the partners involved and the amounts awarded) (http://europa.eu.int/comm/
culture/eac/index_en.html).

(2004/C 78 E/0958)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-4060/03

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(8 January 2004)

Subject: European citizenship

Article 8 of the draft EU Constitution guarantees ‘all citizens of the Union’ the freedom to move and reside
in the territory of the Member States, together with the other civil rights inherent in citizenship.

The article confines itself to defining Union citizens as those who are nationals of a Member States,
without adding anything regarding the issue (cid:1) much debated and fundamentally important (cid:1) of the
conditions and procedures for acquiring the status of citizen. The requirement of citizenship is in fact,
according to the letter of Article 8, the only distinction between those who reside and move freely on the
territory of Europe and the citizens of a third country. No mention is made of ‘intermediate’ legal positions
such as that of temporary residents, nor are the implications of immigration considered. Each Member
State continues to be responsible for the conditions governing the acquisition of national citizenship and
the policies regarding the entry, residence and integration of non-Community citizens, despite the fact that
immigration involves both the countries which constitute the external borders of the Community and the
transit and establishment. There are a number of questions related to the debate on
countries of
citizenship: the regulation of legal and illegal flows,
integrated border management, the fight against
organised crime, maritime borders, the new post-enlargement frontiers and the right of asylum. Each of

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Official Journal of the European Union

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these issues has until now all too often been tackled by making a distinction between the two kinds of
citizenship (cid:1) national citizenship and a parallel and secondary European citizenship (cid:1) and providing
different and non-coordinated solutions, which cause considerable administrative problems and enormous
disparities in treatment, despite the shared values which underlie the creation and growth of the Union.

In view of this apparent basic omission in the draft Constitution and the need to extend the debate on the
issues raised, so as to bring about as soon as possible the harmonisation of legislation in order to make the
rules on the subject the same for all the Member States, can the Commission say:

1. what

tangible measures have been taken to promote the harmonisation of

legislation on the

acquisition of national citizenship and the status of residents;

2. what developments there have been in the discussions on a uniform Community immigration policy;

3. what it thinks about the possibility of including the issue of European citizenship in the Constitution,

not least in view of its political, religious and social implications?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(12 February 2004)

Guidelines for a common immigration and asylum policy were set at the Tampere European Council in
October 1999. This policy includes the element of fair treatment of third country nationals residing legally
on the territory of the Member States. The European Council conclusions state that the legal status of
legally resident third country nationals should be approximated to that of Member States’ nationals and
third country nationals should be granted a set of uniform rights, which are as near as possible to those
enjoyed by EU citizens.

With regard to acquisition of national citizenship, it should be noted that the Community does not have
legal competence to introduce harmonising legislation nor has this competence been included in the
current draft EU Constitution, and the Commission is therefore not envisaging any legislative measures in
this field in the near future.

Concerning the development of a uniform Community policy on immigration and the legal status of third-
country nationals, the Commission has worked towards achieving the targets set in Tampere and to this
end a number of policy measures and directives have been proposed by the Commission to ensure free
movement and basic economic and social rights for third-country nationals. In particular the Directive
concerning the status of third-country nationals who are long-term residents (1), is harmonising the legal
status of third-country nationals, who are resident in the EU.

The Commission is of the opinion that civic citizenship (comprising a common set of core rights and
obligations for third country nationals) and the granting of political rights is important for the integration
process.

(1) Commission proposal of 13.3.2001, COM(2001) 127 final. The Proposal was adopted by the Council on the

25 November 2003.

(2004/C 78 E/0959)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4062/03

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(13 January 2004)

Subject: Health and safety of workers (cid:1) complaint 00/4404, SG(2000) A/3828/2

After examining complaint 00/4404, SG(2000) A/3828/2 and sending its representative to hold meetings
in Greece, the Commission reportedly decided to initiate an infringement procedure against the Hellenic
Republic and send it a letter of formal notice, to which the Greek Government has replied.