WRITTEN QUESTION E-0516/04 by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission. Illegal transplantation of children's organs in Albania intended for patients in EU countries.
Date: 2004-02-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Albania, EU police cooperation, child protection, fight against crime, judicial cooperation in criminal matters in the EU, trade in organs

C 88 E/506

Official Journal of the European Union

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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.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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What actions does the Commission intend to take to bring pressure to bear on the Albanian government
to put an end to these grave incidents forthwith and on EU Member States to improve judicial and police
co-operation?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(6 April 2004)

The Commission is aware of allegations that a clinic in Fieri (Albania) is involved in the trafficking of
children’s organs to the EU. The Commission has been in contact with the EU Police Assistance Mission in
Albania, and has closely followed the reaction of the Albanian authorities in respect of this issue. The EU
Police Mission has confirmed that Albanian and Italian police forces are investigating the case. The
Albanian authorities have so far expressed doubts about the existence of this clinic. They claim that, to
their knowledge,
the technology and specialisation necessary to extract and transport organs for
transplantation is not available in the country.

Besides the results of the investigations in this particular case, trafficking in human beings,
including
children, remains a problem in Albania. The Commission is permanently exerting pressure on the
Albanian authorities, most notably in the framework of the ongoing negotiations for a Stabilisation and
Association Agreement (SAA) with Albania, in order that further efforts be made to address this issue
properly. While reports indicate that progress has been achieved by Albania in reducing the flows of illegal
migration/trafficking in human beings through the Adriatic, more determined action remains necessary to
solve this problem.

Regional and international co-operation are essential to tackle trafficking successfully. There is ongoing co-
operation between Albania and the EU in this area of Justice and Home Affairs. However, the Commission
has been stressing on every appropriate occasion that collaboration should be further strengthened,
particularly between Albania and its neighbouring countries, with the objective of improving results in the
fight against these criminal activities. The Commission has also emphasised how important it is for
Albania to take the necessary steps to prepare for conclusion of an agreement with Europol, as this would
also be a useful contribution to strengthening cooperation in the fight against organised crime. In this
context, it is important to note that Europol’s mandate has been extended to include illicit trade in human
organs and tissues since 1 January 2002, and Europol is currently collecting information from Member
States concerning the situation within the European Union.

With regard to the situation within the European Union, a considerable number of measures to improve
cooperation between Member States’ police services and customs administrations, and to strengthen
external borders, have been adopted. Regarding, in particular, trafficking in human organs, in February
2003, Greece presented an initiative for the adoption by the Council of a Framework Decision concerning
the prevention and control of such trafficking. 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
Greek initiative 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.

(2004/C 88 E/0519)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0518/04

by Elena Paciotti (PSE) to the Commission

(24 February 2004)

Subject: Violation of the fundamental rights of an EU citizen by the USA

Marco Fornari, an Italian citizen, son of career diplomats and therefore born in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia
where his father was posted, has studied at Suffolk University in Boston and is currently enrolled at
Lubbock University in Texas. Following the attacks of 11 September, his name was placed on the blacklist