WRITTEN QUESTION E-0463/04 by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission. Europe — terrorism.
Date: 2004-02-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, European security, Middle East, North Africa, action programme, area of freedom, security and justice, judicial cooperation, judicial reform, legal profession, police cooperation, powers of the institutions (EU), terrorism, vocational training

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/795

What conclusions has the Commission reached as to the best way to exercise more influence over
developments?

What specific measures has it taken or is it going to take in this respect?

Following the census establishing the electoral register, is the Commission providing human and material
support for the holding of legislative elections, so that they will be able to take place on the scheduled
date, 28 March 2004, and thus help provide the democratic solutions that will enable the country to get
out of the prolonged crisis into which it has been plunged? In what ways does the Commission intend to
do this?

(1) See page 731.

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(19 April 2004)

First, the Commission would like to stress that it certainly shares the assessment of the situation set out in
the Council conclusions to which the Honourable Member refers.

The conclusions arrived at following the consultations relate to the honouring of commitments made by
authorities in Guinea-Bissau, i.e. commitments concerning:

(cid:1) the transition programme and the holding of legislative elections (28 March 2004);

(cid:1) adoption of measures to put public finances in order;

(cid:1) confirmation of moves to restore an independent judiciary and re-establish civilian control over the

armed forces.

The EU will monitor the situation very closely over a period of three months, with regular monthly
reports.

The Commission will monitor and assess in detail, both inside and outside Guinea-Bissau, the authorities’
commitments discussed in the consultations, especially those commitments referred to above. Decisions
will not be taken until this monitoring phase is complete.

Cooperation will continue as usual during this consultation period.

With regard to Community support for legislative elections, the Commission started in July 2003 to
implement a financing agreement allocating EUR 1,2 million from the 9th European Development Fund to
support elections. Funding will go towards equipment, consumables,
logistical administrative support,
awareness-raising measures, training and technical assistance. The project is now underway and is being
implemented in accordance with the funding agreement.

(2004/C 84 E/0892)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0463/04

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(23 February 2004)

Subject: Europe (cid:1) terrorism

Replying to my question E-1992/03 (1), Commissioner António Vitorino said that Europe’s response to
terrorism went beyond merely assessing the existence of a threat, and highlighted the need to take into
consideration the factors underlying terrorism.

He believed that the Commission could play a more prominent role in this highly sensitive area, and that
the Union should use all the means available to it: development, trade, justice and home affairs policy and
other aspects of the Barcelona process to combat terrorism, alongside measures in the security field.

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3.4.2004

In practical and operational terms, what does the Commission believe its proper role should be? Does it
believe that there is agreement between the Member States on this?

How does the Commission assess the current use being made of the instruments available to the Union?
What does it think the priorities are with a view to optimising their use?

(1) OJ C 70 E, 20.3.2004, p. 70.

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(5 April 2004)

Role of the Commission in operational terms/ Consensus amongst Member States

Generally, the EU facilitates operational cooperation in the fight against terrorism through establishing
improved forms of information exchange among the police and intelligence communities tasked with the
fight against terrorism. Regarding its specific involvement in operational measures, the Commission
actively participates in the relevant working parties within the Council structures in which measures for
fighting terrorism are developed. The Commission participates, ‘inter alia’, in the Terrorist Working Group
(TWG) in the Council that assesses the terrorist threat to the EU every six months and is also tasked with
defining new co-operation instruments.

In the field of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA), several
legislative measures pertaining to operational
co-operation in the fight against terrorism have been adopted, for example the Council Framework
Decision of 13 of June 2002 on combating terrorism (1) and the Council Recommendation of 26 April
2002 on multi-national ad-hoc teams for exchanging information on terrorists (2)
in the pre-criminal
investigative phase.

The implementation of the Council Framework Decision will facilitate police and judicial co-operation by
aligning criminal
law in the Member States. It will also contribute to closer co-operation with third
countries and to the preparation and implementation of international instruments related to the prevention
and suppression of terrorism.

In conformity with the provisions of Title VI of the Treaty on European Union, such legal instruments are
always adopted unanimously by the Member States, which reflects consensus amongst the Member States.

In relation to co-operation with the countries of North Africa and the Middle East in JHA aspects,
following the recommendations of the Foreign Ministers at their meeting in Marseilles (November 2000),
a framework document on good governance and the rule of law was adopted by the Ministers of Foreign
Affairs of the EU and its 12 Mediterranean Partners during their meeting in Valencia in April 2002.
The document endorsed the idea of a regional programme in the field of justice, in combating drugs,
organised crime and terrorism as well as co-operation in the treatment of issues relating to the social
integration of migrants, migration and movement of persons.

The focus of the programme is to encourage reform of and co-operation between judicial systems,
combating organised crime and drugs, and ensuring a joint approach to the management of migratory
flows, without
the partnership, notably with regard to the
immigration issue.

the overall balance of

losing sight of

The programme has a total budget of EUR 6 million and will be implemented for three years.

Three types of actions will be covered by the programme:

(a) Training of magistrates,

lawyers and clerks and establishment of a permanent Euro-Mediterranean
network of legal training, aimed at directors of schools or Magistrates’ Training Institutes (Judges and
Prosecutors), of lawyers and justice officials, of legal administrative staff; or persons responsible for the
training of magistrates, lawyers and clerks. EUR 2 million from the programme were allocated for
these actions.

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(b) Training for police officers and other officials with relevant specialisations in regional police
co-operation, addressed to persons
services dealing with police and
responsible for central
international cooperation, directors of schools, academies or police training institutes. EUR 2 million
from the programme were allocated for these actions and a contract signed with the European Police
College (CEPOL) in the last week of February 2004. A first session ‘combating and fighting terrorism’
will take place in France in May. Police officers from Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Italy, Spain and France
will participate (as well as probably, from Egypt).

(c) Monitoring, analysing, and forecasting migratory flows in the EU and Mediterranean Partners with a
view to helping the Partners in their efforts to develop and implement migration policies. EUR 2 million
from the programme were allocated for these actions and a contract signed with the European
University Institute on 1 February 2004.

Evaluation of the current instruments/Improvement of them

The usefulness of counter-terrorism measures taken by the European Union is dependent on their
enforcement by the different Member States.

The Commission is soon to report on the implementation of the Framework Decision of 13 June 2002.

The recently established mechanism for evaluating the legal systems and their implementation at national
level in the fight against terrorism (Council Decision of 28 November 2003) in which the Commission
participates, identifies the capacities of the national legal frameworks to combat terrorism and assesses
the different Member States’ administrations and bodies relating to terrorist
co-operation amongst
activities,
It also assesses
law enforcement and intelligence services.
co-operation at international level and the implementation of the EU and United Nations (UN) measures to
counter terrorism, including the implementation of the EU Framework Decision on Combating Terrorism.

in particular between judicial,

(1) OJ L 164, 22.6.2002.
(2) Document 57156/02 Enfopol 19 Rev. 6.

(2004/C 84 E/0893)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0468/04

by Richard Corbett (PSE) to the Commission

(23 February 2004)

Subject: Competition in the glass sector

Is the Commission aware that EU glass manufacturers face two kinds of unfair competition? First, they face
competition from the plastics industry who have been set far lower recycling targets under the Packaging
and Waste Directives than those set for the glass industry. Secondly, from glass manufacturers in the
accession states who have a long-term derogation from having to meet environmental standards arising
from the implementation of the Kyoto Agreement.

Will the Commission be vigilant in ensuring that the implementation of these desirable Directives does not
cause unfair competition by allowing competitors to escape obligations that should equally be placed upon
them? If necessary, will the Commission propose the necessary rectifying legislation?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(31 March 2004)

The influence of recycling targets on the competition between various packaging materials does not
depend on the level of the targets but on the costs related to recycling. The recycling costs per tonne are