WRITTEN QUESTION E-0143/04 by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission. Trafficking in human organs — Mozambique.
Date: 2004-01-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Mozambique, cooperation policy, customs inspection, fight against crime, illicit trade, judicial cooperation, police cooperation, trade in organs

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/169

(2004/C 88 E/0177)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0143/04

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

Subject: Trafficking in human organs (cid:1) Mozambique

(26 January 2004)

Since my recent question to the Commission and Council, there have been fresh developments, notably the
fact that the Prosecutor-General of the Republic Mozambique, Dr Joaquim Madeira, has acknowledged in
the media that there really is trafficking in human organs going on. The Prosecutor-General confirmed
some days ago on Portuguese language radio, RDP-Africa, that the accusation lodged with the State
Prosecutor’s Office had been submitted by the President of the Human Rights League,
in the wake of
Brazilian Missionary, Elilda dos Santos reporting eight possible cases of organs removed from children in
Nampula. The Prosecutor-General’s investigation team is now examining the cases brought forward in the
provinces of Manica, Maputo and Nampula has already taken various statements on the issue. Alarmingly,
mention has been made, at the same time, to the presence of this monstrous trade in other African
countries.

Yesterday, 14 January,
the main news broadcast of RTP 1 (the Portuguese public service television
channel), devoted a lengthy report to the situation in Mozambique, confirming the accusations and
demonstrating the blatant contradictions between the local police (who deny them) and the Prospector-
General (who confirms both the facts and the cases now in hand).

In a further interview on Mozambique television, the Prosecutor-General has apparently called on the
people of Mozambique to close ranks in fighting this crime. Three people have already been arrested in the
central province of Manica, accused of trafficking in organs, and a foreign couple, suspected of attempting
to kidnap minors for the purpose of removing organs, are on bail in Nampula. The Brazilian missionary
responsible for making the initial accusations, who lives in a monastery in Nampula which looks after
poor children and orphans, believes that there is evidence to suggest that in recent months further minors
have been killed for the sake of their internal organs.

For this reason, and reiterating my previous question (E-0072/04) will the Commission tell me:

(cid:1) whether contact has been established with the Mozambique authorities in this connection? Is any

support, assistance or police cooperation action already underway?

(cid:1) whether it has any information as to the existence of trafficking in human organs from other African

countries?

(cid:1) whether, in order to fight this ghastly trade, it is prepared to provide not only emergency aid in
Mozambique and any other countries which request it, but also information and training, both for the
authorities and relevant bodies representing civil society which find themselves confronted with
abominable crimes of this nature?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-0072/04 and E-0143/04
given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(19 March 2004)

The Commission shares the concerns of the Honourable Member about these abominable crimes relating
to the trafficking of human organs, in particular of children in Mozambique.

The Commission, fully aware of the seriousness of the situation through its Delegation in Maputo, has
already contacted the Republic’s General Prosecutor in respect of these crimes. The latter has, as mentioned
in the Honourable Member’s question, confirmed that a case was reported in Nampula and a full
investigation is underway not only in this region but also in other regions of the country. At present the
General Prosecutor has not expressed the need for any additional assistance from the Commission or any
other donor.

The EU Head of Missions and the EC Delegation have been discussing these cases and they will raise this
issue within the framework of the EU-Mozambique political dialogue.

C 88 E/170

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

Mozambique has been benefiting from assistance to the judiciary system (Strategic Planning, Strategic
Planning, access to justice, human rights, prison reforms, legal training, Maputo Civil Court, Police of
Mozambique) by the EU (Denmark, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands), Norway, the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Agency for International Development
(USAID).

the Police of Criminal

Support to this sector is foreseen in the EC-Mozambique Country Strategy Paper, and a programme of
EUR 10 million is in the process of being approved by the Commission. The strategy of this programme is
to complement the activities financed by other donors and, based on the fact that problems affecting penal
justice have to be tackled in a systemic way, include all the actors involved, as elements of the ‘penal
justice chain’:
the
correctional sector, the legal defence, as well as civil society which has a major role to play in areas such
as crime prevention (through Community based activities) and advocacy against human rights violation.
imbalances in the system and
The second critical area, decentralisation, aims to correct geographical
facilitate access to justice, particularly at district and local level. The strategy is based on a rights and
service delivery approach. The programme itself focuses on policy objectives for which different and
independent institutions have to concur. The activities foreseen in the programme include institutional
support, exploration into prison alternatives, media and awareness campaigns, research and surveys,
training, creation of specific support funds for human rights, rehabilitation and supply of equipment.

the Attorney-General’s Office,

Investigation,

the Courts,

With regard to the situation within the EU, a considerable number of measures to improve cooperation
between Member States’ police services and customs administrations and to strengthen external borders
in February 2003, Greece
have been adopted. Regarding in particular, trafficking in human organs,
presented an initiative for the adoption by the Council of a Framework Decision concerning the prevention
and control of trafficking in human organs and tissues. The aim of the proposal is to define which types of
conduct should be punishable in all Member States and the minimum penalties which should apply to
such offences. The Commission welcomed the proposal
in principle. The Commission has sought to
support the initiative of Greece by inviting applications for the funding of further projects in this area
under its 2004 AGIS programme for police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters.

Furthermore, Europol’s mandate has been extended to include illicit trade in human organs and tissues
since 1 January 2002. Europol is currently collecting information from Member States concerning the
situation within the EU.

(2004/C 88 E/0178)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0154/04

by Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission

(29 January 2004)

Subject:

‘Kleptocrat tax’

The business world claims to be going through hard times. Restructuring is common, people are losing
their jobs, and losses are being recorded. None of this is their fault, say company directors, because the
economy is simply in a bad way and salaries are lower. Painful measures have to be taken. We are all
feeling the pinch, so we should all tighten our belts and bear the burden together. If everyone pulls
together, we shall win through. But anyone taking a good look at the salaries of CEOs in the Netherlands
will come to the conclusion that they are still drawing huge salaries through share-option schemes,
redundancy packages, bonuses and loans. This ‘belt-tightening’ obviously does not apply to them.

Given that the proposals made by the Balkanende Government and the Tabaksblat Commission cannot
properly curtail
these high sums, the Dutch Trade Union Confederation FNV came up with other
measures. The confederation wants the Netherlands Government to ‘skim off’ top incomes through income
tax. This means that, above a certain amount, for example EUR 500 000, a rate of tax higher than the
current rate of 52 % would apply. The extra revenue that this would generate could be used to provide
financial assistance to those duped by the restructuring carried out by the gentlemen concerned.