WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3104/97 by Rijk van DAM to the Commission. Uzbekistan
30. 4. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 134/83 Similarly, accreditation to Parliament is not valid for meetings of the Council, whereas accreditation to the Commission covers access to Council meetings in both Brussels and Luxembourg. Would it not be in the interests of an open and effective information policy to make provision for uniform press accreditation for all the institutions of the European Union? Answer given by Mr Santer on behalf of the Commission (10 November 1997) The rules governing the accreditation of journalists to the Commission are set out in the Practical guide for journalists, published by the Commission, a copy of which has been sent to the Honourable Member and to Parliament’s Secretariat. It should be pointed out that accreditation is a purely practical arrangement for issuing passes to correspondents of the press and radio and television who pay frequent › even daily, visits to the press room at the Commission. Accreditation also gives them access to the Council and Parliament. Apart from this accreditation which is common to the three institutions, the Council and Parliament apply their own rules. Accreditation is in no way evidence of professional qualifications and all journalists have access to the Commission press room on presentation of their national press card. (98/C 134/107) WRITTEN QUESTION P-3104/97 by Rijk van Dam (I-EDN) to the Commission (3 October 1997) Subject: Uzbekistan In reply to the questions (E-2333/97 (1) and E-2449/97 (2)) concerning the confiscation of 25 000 bibles in Uzbekistan and obstacles to the activities of the Uzbek Bible Society, the Commission has said that it has no information on the subject and has not yet received any specific particulars about it from the Uzbek authorities either. However, we have heard from various sides that the bibles remain confiscated, that the Uzbek authorities demand that the bibles be sent back and that Uzbek Railways is even charging the Uzbek Bible Society around $ 13 000 (a sum which is growing daily) for storage of the confiscated bibles. 1. Does the Commission not agree that the Uzbek authorities should repeatedly and urgently be asked to explain this action, which violates the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Uzbekistan? 2. What action will the Commission take vis-a‘-vis the Uzbek authorities, and how soon, with a view to obtaining the release of the bibles and cancellation of the claim for storage costs, and permitting the Uzbek Bible Society to operate freely? (1) OJ C 60, 25. 2. 1998, p. 128. (2) OJ C 60, 25. 2. 1998, p. 132. Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (17 October 1997) The Uzbek authorities have informed the Commission that there is no longer any obstacle to the importation of bibles into Uzbekistan. This has been confirmed by the Uzbekistan Bible Society