WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2876/97 by Olivier DUPUIS to the Commission. Radio broadcasting of information for Tibetans
C 102/142 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 3. 4. 98 (98/C 102/213) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2874/97 by Kenneth Coates (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (11 September 1997) Subject: Freedom of movement Under the Jobseekerís Allowance in the United Kingdom, unemployed people may only continue to claim benefit when they travel áabroadí elsewhere in the European Economic Area, if they go abroad specifically to seek work. They cannot take a holiday elsewhere, in the EEA, or travel to attend a funeral of a member of their family, and retain their benefit. No such restrictions apply to employed or self-employed persons. What can the Commission do about this discrimination against unemployed citizens of the European Union residing in the United Kingdom, which fails to conform with the provision áto guarantee within the Community equality of treatment under the various national legislations. í? Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (15 October 1997) Under the Job seekerís allowance regulations 1996, a claimant is permitted two weeks holiday without loss of benefit or sanction, but this holiday is subject to conditions. In order to obtain this benefit, a person must be both actively seeking employment and available for work. Under regulation (19(1)(p) ( Circumstances in which a person is to be treated as actively seeking employmentí) a claimant must be treated as actively seeking employment for a maximum of two weeks, even if he is not actually seeking employment because he is on holiday, provided he remains available for work. Therefore, the employment officer must decide whether the claimant is still available for work in order to continue to receive the job seekerís allowance and if the claimant spends his holiday outside the United Kingdom he is not considered to be available for work. The fact that the unemployed person may only claim unemployment benefit while looking for a job in another Member State under the conditions laid down in Article 69 of Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 on the application of social security schemes to employed persons and their families moving within the Community (1) is in line with the fundamental right of equal treatment and the freedoms foreseen by the EC Treaty (2). (1) Updated by Regulation (EC) No L 118/97 › OJ 28, 30. 1. 1997, lastly amended by Regulation (EC) No 1290/97 › OJ L 176, 1. 7. 1997. (2) Judgement of the ECJ, 16. 5. 1991. Case C-272/90, Van Noorden, 1991, I, p. 2543. (98/C 102/214) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2876/97 by Olivier Dupuis (ARE) to the Commission (1 September 1997) Subject: Radio broadcasting of information for Tibetans In the 1996 and 1997 budgets the European Parliament adopted item B7-702 Human rights and democracy in the developing countriesí, the remarks for which contained the following: áthis appropriation. is also intended to cover the financing of activities connected with monitoring respect for human rights. and information promotion, in particular radio broadcasting, by Tibetans, both exiles and those living in Tibet, in support of any non-violent initiative to secure the defence and promotion of human rights and of democracy and freedom in Tibet together with the initiatives taken in that connection within the European Unioní. Can the Commission explain the reasons for its delay in adopting a decision on the projects submitted for the 1996 financial year, which were not followed up, and the projects submitted for the current financial year, in respect of which no reply has yet been received, these being projects for the making and broadcasting of Tibetan-language information programmes intended for exiled Tibetans in India and Tibetans living in Tibet in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the budgetary authority?