WRITTEN QUESTION E-0328/04 by Marco Cappato (NI), Maurizio Turco (NI),Marco Pannella (NI), Gianfranco Dell'Alba (NI),Benedetto Della Vedova (NI), Olivier Dupuis (NI)and Emma Bonino (NI) to the Commission. Chinese New Year parade in Paris.
Date: 2004-02-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: China, France, anti-discriminatory measure, competence of the Member States, freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, religious group

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/773

(2004/C 84 E/0869)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0328/04

by Marco Cappato (NI), Maurizio Turco (NI),
Marco Pannella (NI), Gianfranco Dell’Alba (NI),
Benedetto Della Vedova (NI), Olivier Dupuis (NI)
and Emma Bonino (NI) to the Commission

(10 February 2004)

Subject: Chinese New Year parade in Paris

On the occasion of the Chinese New Year parade in Paris, held on 24 January 2004, the mayor of the city
and its police bureau refused to allow the French Falun Gong Association to take part in the parade.

The French Falun Gong Association asked to take part in the parade with performances of the Lion Dance,
Chinese drummers, traditional dancing and decorated floats. Less than a week before the event, the City
Hall refused the application due to bureaucratic problems linked to the registration date. The truth is that
the documents were sent on time, back in October. Moreover, the French Falun Gong Association was not
given authorisations for other activities during the festivity it had applied for, such as performing
traditional Falun Gong exercises, and handing out information.

It seems that the Chinese Embassy threatened to cancel all of the festivities if the City of Paris allowed
Falun Gong to participate. Other non-official voices, which the Chinese authorities have repressed, have
also met with similar obstacles.

Is the Commission aware of the facts of what happened in Paris last week?

What does the Commission intend to do in order to avoid similar cases occurring again on EU territory?

Does the Commission intend to speak to the French Government, the City Hall of Paris and the Chinese
Ambassadors to France and the EU,
freedom of expression and
demonstration are basic human rights clearly protected by Article 6 of the TEU?

to remind them that

in order

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(6 April 2004)

The EC Treaty and the Treaty on European Union do not confer on the Community any general powers as
regards fundamental rights. The Commission is entitled to act only where such rights have been violated in
the course of applying Community law, which is not the case with the events referred to by the
Honourable Members.

As a general point, the Commission would like to stress that it regularly brings up the cases of individual
Falun Gong members whose fundamental rights have not been respected as a result of their belonging to
that organisation as part of the EU-China dialogue on human rights, most recently at the session held in
Dublin on 26/27 February 2004.

(2004/C 84 E/0870)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0331/04

by Miet Smet (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(10 February 2004)

Subject: Setting up of a regional coordination centre for social policy for the Balkans

Some considerable time ago the Commission announced the setting up, or joint setting up, of a regional
coordination centre for social policy in the Balkans. The establishment of the centre was scheduled for
spring 2004.