WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2353/97 by Roberta ANGELILLI to the Commission. The role of information in the affair of the Italian peace mission in Somalia
16. 4. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 117/13 (98/C 117/16) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2353/97 by Roberta Angelilli (NI) to the Commission (10 July 1997) Subject: The role of information in the affair of the Italian peace mission in Somalia The Italian media have recently made much of a scandal concerning the torture and abuse allegedly inflicted by Italian soldiers on Somali civilians during the international peace mission Restore Hopeí in Somalia. In addition to identifying individuals who may have been responsible for instances of violence incompatible with the humanitarian spirit of the mission, which should be the task of the military courts, the Italian media have treated the affair with excessive sensationalism, often highlighting unsubstantiated rumours and involving indiscrimi- nately all those who took part in the humanitarian mission. This coverage threatens to become an unacceptable smear campaign against the Italian armed forces. The affair is an outstanding example of the central role played by the media in modern society › it creates the impression that a peace mission turned into an endless series of torture and abuse from one day to the next. All this suggests that we should think seriously about the role of the media. Without prejudice to the right to freedom of information, instruments must be devised to guarantee the publicís right to information which is accurate, unbiased and free of sensationalism or the possibility of exploitation, on both issues involving the national interest and issues concerning individuals. There should be emphasis on the need to ensure that everyone is entitled not to be pilloried or subjected to trial by television. In view of all this can the Commission say: 1. what it thinks about this affair; 2. whether thought has been given at European level to the ethics and accuracy of information, and if so, with what tangible results? Answer given by Mr Pinheiro on behalf of the Commission (24 October 1997) The Commission is aware of the news in the press about accusations of ill-treatment of Somalis in connection with the United Nations’ operation Restore Hope. To the Commission, such conduct › if proved › merits condemnation but must not be allowed to obscure the positive outcome of UN action and the key role played in it by the Union and the contributing countries’ forces. (98/C 117/17) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2358/97 by Undine-Uta Bloch von Blottnitz (V) to the Commission (10 July 1997) Subject: Failure to implement the EU regulation on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora (338/97) in Germany The new EU Regulation on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora (338/97) (1) came into force on 1 June 1997. Article 16 of the Regulation calls on the Member States to introduce sanctions, seizure and confiscation in the event of infringements of the new regulation. Germany has as yet failed to do so although it has had adequate time and warning before the regulation came into force. Species of fauna and flora considered by the EU to need special protection may therefore from now on be imported or exported scot-free. Nor are the purchase, offer to purchase, acquisition for commercial purposes, use for commercial gain, display to the public for commercial purposes, or the sale, keeping for sale, offering for sale or transporting for sale of the species listed in Annexes A or B of the regulation subject to sanctions, as they should be under the Regulation. In all these cases the German Customs have not been given the power to act