WRITTEN QUESTION E-1297/00 by Olivier Dupuis (TDI) to the Council. Withdrawal of Schengen-type visa from Mr Rakhimov.
13. 3. 2001 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 81 E/25 As underlined in answers to previous parliamentary questions, the Council and Member States of the Union have acted decisively on a number of fronts in order to contribute to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. The Council has also been constantly forthright in condemning the alleged human rights abuses in Chechnya. In the Council of Europe, when Ireland was the Chair in Office, Ministers met with Foreign Minister Ivanov to present their concerns. They continue to follow developments in Chechnya with the closest attention, and in June will report to the part-session of the Parliamentary Assembly, as requested in paragraph 24 of the EU proposed a Recommendation 1456. resolution on Chechnya that was adopted in the 56th session on 25 April 2000. The EU has again raised the subject of Chechnya at its summit with Russia on 29 May. In the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Such concerted pressure may be seen to have yielded some demonstrable results. In a statement made on 13 April 2000, President Putin undertook that áall facts of violations of human rights and abuses in the course of the anti-terrorist operation in the North Caucasian region of the Russian Federation, whoever commits them, are thoroughly investigated and, if confirmed, all the rigours of the law will be applied to the guiltyí. Access to the region has been granted to international visitors, including the fact-finding visits to Chechnya by EU ambassadors to Moscow and an ECHO assessment team. The State Duma of the Russian Federation has created a Commission on Human Rights, Displaced Persons and the Normalisation of Social, Political and Economic Situation in the Chechen Republic. Also, on 17 April 2000, the creation was announced of a National Public Commission for Investigating Crimes and Monitoring Human Rights in the North Caucasus, chaired by the former Minister of Justice, Mr Krascheninnikov, and supported by President Putin. these positive developments, In spite of there are no grounds for complacency. The international community faces difficult challenges such as achieving implementation of the commitments made by Russia, preventing the spread of conflict to neighbouring areas, and ensuring regional stability. To this end, the EU and its Member States are cooperating fully with the OSCE, of which Austria is the Chair in Office. For as long as it may take, the Council will continue to press determinedly for a durable and equitable settlement in Chechnya. (2001/C 81 E/028) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1297/00 by Olivier Dupuis (TDI) to the Council (27 April 2000) Subject: Withdrawal of Schengen-typeí visa from Mr Rakhimov In March 1998, following the publication of reports in sections of the Danish, French, English and Russian media of false information alleging that he was connected with criminal organisations involved in drugs trafficking, Mr Gafur-Arslanbek Rakhimov, an Uzbek businessman, had his Schengen-typeí visa withdrawn, despite the fact that the secretariat of the file monitoring commission of IOC-Interpol, when approached by the Committee for the Protection of Human Rights in Uzbekistaní (Uzbek branch of the International Society for Human Rights) has stated that it holds no information to back up the accusations that have been made, and that the Russian authorities had also indicated to them that they held no information on the individual in question. Can the Council say on what grounds the decision to withdraw the visa was taken? Will it also check that the decision was taken in accordance with the principles that govern the withdrawal procedure for Schengen-typeí visasí? If this is not the case, will the Council undertake to act to reinstate Mr Rakhimovís Schengen-typeí visa? C 81 E/26 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 13. 3. 2001 Reply (29 September 2000) The Council would inform the Honourable Member that the granting or refusal of a visa is a matter for which responsibility lies exclusively with the Member States. The procedure and possible remedies where a Member Stateís diplomatic or consular representation refuses to examine an application or to issue a visa are governed by the national law of that Member State. The Council is not authorised to take a position on a matter which does not fall within the scope of the powers conferred upon it by the Treaties. (2001/C 81 E/029) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1314/00 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission (27 April 2000) Subject: Degree of harmfulness of vegetable fats As a result of the recent adoption of the directive on cocoa, certain vegetable fats may now be used in the production of chocolate, in place of the 5 % cocoa butter that has hitherto been used. As regards Italy, Parliamentís vote has legalised what was previously ü under a 1976 law ü considered fraud. This begs the following question: is the above Italian law based on scientifically unsound data, or does the text adopted in Strasbourg perhaps offer sounder scientific assurances, in health protection terms, concerning the use of the following vegetable fats: shea butter, ilipØ butter, kokum butter, shorea butter, palm oil (or butter) and mango oil (or butter)? In Europe, these products are used to produce margarine, soap, animal feed and candles and as excipients in ointments and creams. They clearly have many uses, albeit not including food production. In order, therefore, to prevent undue speculation and to reassure consumers, can the Commission confirm the following: 1. whether it is certain that these products do not damage human health? 2. whether it has received assurances from its scientific bodies that these fats are not harmful? 3. failing this, whether it would be prepared to commission a specific scientific study into the safety of these tropical products for food production purposes? Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (29 June 2000) Article 14 of Council Directive 73/241/EEC of 24 July 1973 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to cocoa and chocolate products intended for human consumption (1) states that the Directive áshall not affect the provisions of national laws at present authorising or prohibiting the addition of vegetable fats other than cocoa-butterí. On this basis seven Member States have authorised the addition of vegetable fats other than cocoa-butter while eight Member States have prohibited it