WRITTEN QUESTION E-0500/04 by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Protecting the dignity of Arab women.
Date: 2004-02-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU relations, Saudi Arabia, gender equality, position of women, women's rights

C 88 E/506

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

(2004/C 88 E/0517)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0500/04

by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(23 February 2004)

Subject: Protecting the dignity of Arab women

The Saudi Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdul-Aziz al Sheij’s recent condemnation of the country’s most powerful
businesswoman, Lubna Al Olayan, for daring to make a speech to a male audience, without wearing a veil,
has caused a stir in the EU media.

Al Olayan, who was attending an economic forum, was warned by the Grand Mufti of the serious
consequences which her outrageous behaviour could entail.

In a world as inter-related as ours, where ceaseless efforts are being made on behalf of securing the
acknowledgement of women’s basic human dignity, on an absolutely equal footing with males, what is the
Commission’s reaction to this condemnation by the Grand Mufti?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(23 March 2004)

The Commission shares the Honourable Member’s views on the importance of securing basic women’s
human rights and, in particular, the principle of equality and no discrimination all over the world.

As the Honourable Member is well aware, the situation of women in Saudi Arabia is of a particular nature.
As the specific case of Ms Lubna Al Olayan shows, there is an important domestic debate about women’s
rights and their role in society currently taking place in the country. Press reports have certainly
contributed to increasing European awareness of the issue and constituting hence, a positive development.
The Commission believes it is important to continue monitoring closely domestic debates and incipient
reforms taking place in Saudi Arabia, and some other countries in the area, so as to keep encouraging the
universality and indivisibility of human rights, and in particular, women’s rights. The Commission will
continue doing so through the Delegation it has just opened in Riyadh.

In addition, the Commission is currently negotiating a free trade agreement with the Gulf Co-operation
countries (GCC) that will include a human rights clause as an essential element and as a basis to encourage
governments to ensure the promotion and respect of human rights. Furthermore, human rights are an
essential component of the EU-GCC political dialogue, both at Ministerial and at Directors level. Within
this context, EU concerns on the specific situation of women in the area have continually been raised. The
Commission will not hesitate to raise this issue again at future occasions.

(2004/C 88 E/0518)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0516/04

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission

(24 February 2004)

Subject: Illegal transplantation of children’s organs in Albania intended for patients in EU countries

Reports have appeared in the Albanian press citing official Italian sources and stating that at a clinic in the
Albanian town of Fieri children’s organs are being removed and transferred for transplantation in Italy and
France. According to the same Albanian press report, Italian and Albanian doctors are involved in this
practice. The doctors contact Albanian networks which find the children and they remove the organs for
transplantation for a fee paid to the children’s parents. Finally, it is reported that 39 Albanian children
have gone missing without trace, and that no one (cid:1) not even their families (cid:1) have searched for them.