WRITTEN QUESTION E-0980/04 by Luigi Vinci (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Instructions from the Army High Command in Turkey.
Date: 2004-03-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU relations, Türkiye, accession to the European Union, freedom of opinion, secret service

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/261

The Commission is financing projects aimed at collecting data on obesity, nutrition and physical activity
within the Public Health Action Programme (2003-2008) (1) and its 2003 and 2004 Work Plans.
Moreover, a major project aimed at preventing obesity in children will be supported under the
programme.

The Council Conclusions on Healthy lifestyles from December 2003 underline the need for an integrated
approach to fostering health, an approach which combines the promotion of healthy lifestyles with actions
aimed at addressing social and economic inequalities and the physical environment, and with a
commitment to pursue health objectives through other Community policies. This is very much in line
with the approach taken by the Commission with the Public Health Action Programme, and will include
action on promoting healthy nutrition and preventing obesity.

A specific working group has been established to deal with ‘health information’ aspects of lifestyles. The
purpose is to bring together the various projects dealing with lifestyle related indicators and data and to
consider what additional elements need to be addressed.

The Commission has actively supported the Irish Presidency’s initiatives on cardiovascular diseases and
obesity. This process is now leading to Council Conclusions on Promoting Heart Health. In the draft
proposal, the Commission is invited to bring forward a Proposal for Council Recommendations on health
determinants of major importance for the promotion of cardiovascular health; the prevention of obesity
will be an essential element in any such measure.

2.
The Commission does not have any plans regarding setting maximum levels on sugar/salt content in
food products. Regarding labelling, it is obligatory to list sugars and salt in the list of ingredients if they are
used in the manufacture of a food product and in decreasing order of weight. In addition, the Commission
has submitted for adoption to Parliament and Council a proposal for a Regulation (2) to harmonise the
rules on nutrition and health claims in the labelling, presentation and advertising of foods. Specific
conditions relating to nutrition claims regarding sugars and salt are proposed therein.

(1) Decision No 1786/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2002 adopting a

programme of Community action in the field of public health (2003-2008), OJ L 271, 9.10.2002, p. 1.

(2) COM(2003) 424 final.

(2004/C 88 E/0266)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0980/04

by Luigi Vinci (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(30 March 2004)

Subject: Instructions from the Army High Command in Turkey

In January, with the subsequent approval of Military Headquarters, the Army High Command in Turkey
instructed its own intelligence services and provincial governments to gather information on members of
the public and organisations in favour of Turkey entering the European Union, in favour of the United
States or with Satanist and Masonic links and on Internet groups, minorities, children of well-off families,
etc. In the High Command’s view, all such persons and organisations could become involved in separatist
or subversive activities.

This initiative has been fiercely criticised in the Turkish press.

Despite the brutally anti-democratic nature of this intrusion, which is hostile to Turkey’s entry to the
European Union and, furthermore, is in breach of Turkish law, The Turkish Government does not appear
to have raised any objections.

What are the Commission’s views on this matter, and what action does it intend to take in response to this
behaviour with a view to upholding the Copenhagen principles in general and to facilitating the
democratisation process within Turkey agreed between the Turkish Government and the European Union?

C 88 E/262

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.4.2004

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(30 April 2004)

The Commission is aware of the events to which the Honourable Member refers.

Under the revised Accession Partnership as adopted by the Council of Ministers on 19 May 2003, there is
a priority for Turkey to align civilian control of the military with practice in Member States.

In its last Regular Report of November 2003 (1), the Commission noted that ‘the Armed Forces in Turkey
exercise influence through a series of informal mechanisms. At various occasions, military members of the
National Security Council expressed their opinions about political, social and foreign policy matters in
public speeches, statements to the media and declarations.’

On 16 March 2004, the Turkish General Staff published a Statement concerning the above-mentioned
facts denying any intention of the army to give specific orders to compile any blacklist of people according
to their political view or lifestyle. The statement indicated however that it was the duty of the Armed
forces to carry out activities against ‘separatist and fundamentalist threats’. These facts triggered a debate in
the Turkish Parliament in the course of which the question was raised of the compatibility of this type of
intelligence gathering with the principle of freedom of thought.

The Commission will continue to follow the developments related to civil-military relations in Turkey in
light of the Copenhagen political criteria and where necessary raise it directly with the Turkish authorities.

(1) COM(2003) 676 final.

(2004/C 88 E/0267)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0981/04

by Giovanni Pittella (PSE) and Guido Sacconi (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Protection and conservation of the marine environment

(30 March 2004)

On 19 June 2003 Parliament adopted a resolution on the Commission communication:
‘Towards a
strategy to protect and conserve the marine environment’ (P5_TA(2003)0295). In the resolution Members
called for greater integration of environmental protection considerations into decision-making processes
and for the protection and conservation of marine ecosystems, which are of vital
importance in
safeguarding biodiversity.

Parliament also called on the Commission to put forward, as soon as possible, a consistent and harmonised
thematic strategy on the marine environment, not least in view of the current critical state of some marine
ecosystems.

Can the Commission state whether, when it drew up the strategy, it took due account of the following:

(cid:1) the precautionary principle;

(cid:1) the concept of sustainability;

(cid:1) a strategic environmental assessment;

(cid:1) an integrated approach to address threats caused by all human activities affecting the marine
environment and a careful assessment of their impact on this environment and the mutual influence
and dependency of such impacts;

(cid:1) an integrated approach regarding coastal and offshore marine management;