WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3904/97 by Cristiana MUSCARDINI to the Council. Tourist massacre in Egypt
2. 10. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 304/3 Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (9 February 1998) In 1986-91, Andalusia received approximately ECU 25 million under the Community Initiative Valoren for 126 projects to promote local production of alternative energy (solar, wind power, biomass) and to improve the use of energy. In 1994-99, the Commission is granting assistance from the European Regional Development Fund of ECU 118. 3 million for a global grant managed by IDAE (Instituto para la diversificacio·n y el ahorro energe·tico) covering all the Spanish areas eligible under Objective 1 for the same purposes as the assistance mentioned above. Since this is a programme depending on applications received, a regional breakdown of the figure given is currently not possible. The operational programme for Andalusia also provides, over the same period and in the field of alternative energy, for several aid schemes part-financed by the ERDF with a volume of approximately ECU 14 million. The Cohesion Fund has not supported any projects of this kind in the region, as the scope of this Fund is to finance projects in the field of the environment and transport infrastructures of common interest. (98/C 304/04) WRITTEN QUESTION E-3904/97 by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Council (10 December 1997) Subject: Tourist massacre in Egypt In the wake of the massacre of tourists in the Valley of Queens in Egypt at the hands of Islamist terrorists organized along the lines of a full-scale revolutionary army, Europe cannot postpone the following decisions: 1. 2. 3. to assist President Mubarakís government in taking drastic and resolute action against terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism; to obtain guarantees of the safety of all those visiting Egypt for the purposes of business or tourism in order to ensure that it retains its links to the West; to protect the architectural and cultural heritage of Egypt, whose history belongs to and must be safeguarded by the international community as a whole. Will the Council say what specific measures it intends to promote in order to combat collusion in the EU Member States between international terrorist groups, specifically Islamist terrorists? Answer (28 May 1998) 1. The Council condemns terrorism in any form and supports Egypt in its fight against it. 2. The internal and external threats posed by terrorism to the European Union are regularly reviewed by the Council bodies. On 15 October 1996, the Council adopted a Joint Action concerning the creation and maintenance of a Directory of specialized counter-terrorist competences, skills and expertise to facilitate counter-terrorist cooperation between the Member States of the European Union (1). On the basis of the arrangements concluded for the exchange of operational information in this area, meetings and seminars are regularly held to help combat all aspects of terrorism. 3. In the light of the expected entry into force of the Europol Convention, the Council agreed on 19 March 1998 to take a decision on the extension of the mandate of Europol to cover the fight against terrorism as soon as possible after Europol takes up its activities (Article 2 of the Convention). (1) OJ L 273, 25. 10. 1996, p. 1