WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2175/98 by Nikitas KAKLAMANIS to the Commission. Exclusion of AEK football team from UEFA Cup
C 31/130 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 5. 2. 1999 participant comes to the view that an individual property for which an investor has applied for government commercial assistance was expropriated in contravention of international law. Only under these circumstances is it envisaged that the participating governments will make joint or co-ordinated diplomatic representations to the expropriating state; deny government support for covered transactions in illegally expropriated properties; deny governmental assistance for covered transactions in illegally expropriated properties; and publish an enumeration of illegally expropriated properties and make public statements discouraging covered transactions in the properties enumerated. Investments made before 18 May 1998 will not be affected by the agreed disciplines. The full implementation of this understanding depends, inter alia, on the support of the American Congress. The Community and Member States as well as the United States will, however, implement the deal once the presidential waiver authority under Title IV of the Helms-Burton Act is adopted and exercised allowing European companies to operate without the threat of sanctions under the Helms-Burton Act. (1) OJ C 386, 11. 12. 1998. (2) Debates of Parliament (June 1998). (3) Debates of the Parliament (July 1998). (1999/C 31/180) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2175/98 by Nikitas Kaklamanis (UPE) to the Commission (10 July 1998) Subject: Exclusion of AEK football team from UEFA Cup On 19 May 1998, the Executive Committee of UEFA met in Amsterdam and decided that it was not possible for two clubs with the same owner to take part in the same cup competition áon grounds of credibilityí. This decision has caused problems for AEK Athens and Slavia Prague, whose majority shareholder is ENIC, as one of the two teams will have to be excluded, even though they have qualified. Subsequently, UEFA took another arbitrary decision and opted to exclude AEK Athens. The supporters of this historic club, AEK, are not remotely interested in who owns their team and are deeply aggrieved by UEFAís arbitrary, retroactive decision. If this decision ultimately applies for the 1998-1999 season, it will be a disaster for this historic club. How will the Commission intercede with UEFA to resolve this situation so that the decision applies from the 1999-2000 season for all the European cup competitions organized by UEFA? Answer given by Mr Oreja on behalf of the Commission (15 September 1998) It is not for the Commission to express an opinion on this matter. The Commission assumes, however, that the Honourable Member is aware that on 17 July 1998 the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), a body primarily concerned with settling disputes between sports organisations, decided to suspend the decision taken by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to exclude AEK Athens for the 1998/99 season. The Honourable Member is also referred to the answer which the Commission gave to Oral Question H-661/98 put by Mr Monfils at Question Time during the July 1998 part-session. (1) (1) Parliamentary Debate (July 1998)