WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2203/98 by Honório NOVO to the Commission. Express railway for Oporto - tendering procedure
C 13/152 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 18. 1. 1999 Community powers that have been adopted by the Council. The Commission is of course still readily available for any useful contacts and is prepared to examine any proposal enabling the various legitimate differences to be reconciled. It is here a matter of principle concerning the rule of law. (1) OJ C 100, 9. 4. 1994. (2) OJ L 103, 25. 4. 1979. (1999/C 13/216) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2191/98 by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission (10 July 1998) Subject: Death of Monsenor Jose Juan Gerardi Is the Commission aware of the tragic death of Monsenor Gerardi, Director of the Guatemalan Archbishopricís Human Rights Office in Guatemala City on 26 April this year? Will the Commission do all it can to ensure that the death is thoroughly investigated and those responsible are brought to justice? Answer given by Mr Marín on behalf of the Commission (3 September 1998) As it pointed out at the 14 May plenary in Strasbourg, the Commission was saddened to learn of the brutal murder of Monseæor Gerardi. This tragedy has obviously been a setback to the peace process, still fragile some eighteen months after the signing of the agreements for a firm and lasting peace. The fragility of the process is due mainly to its slow progress, the difficult obstacles in its way and the low level of involvement of the various sections of the population. The Commission will do everything in its power to ensure, in line with the peace agreements, that the shortcomings in the operation of the rule of law (especially the security forces and the judicial system) are overcome. This would enable the government to fulfil its declared desire to identify and bring to trial those responsible for the crime and to establish the kind of environment needed for peaceful coexistence. In the meantime, the Commission is closely following the police and judicial investigation and the work of the High-Level Commission (which includes the Foreign Minister, the Interior Minister, the Chief Prosecutor, the Private Secretary to the President and the Human Rights Prosecutor). One of the main reasons for the setting-up of the High-Level Commission was to ease communication with the international public over the crime and its perpetrators. (1999/C 13/217) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2203/98 by Honório Novo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (10 July 1998) Subject: Express railway for Oporto › tendering procedure I have in my possession the Commissionís replies to my written questions P-0591 and P-1659, for which I am grateful. I noted that, following the meeting scheduled for 15 June 1998 with the Portuguese authorities, the Commission was to decide whether or not to initiate the procedure under Article 169 of the Treaty. I also noted that the project would be financed by the European Investment Board. However, the Commission cannot disregard the fact that it will also receive significant financial assistance under the current Community Support Framework. Consequently, and taking into account the very real possibility that the complaint may simply be filed, would the Commission on this occasion answer a question which I have already asked but to which I have yet to receive a reply? Is the Commission willing to finance the additional costs of the delays (totalling over five months) which affected the project on account of the decision to suspend the tendering procedure? What specific financial and administrative measures is the Commission willing to provide in order to compensate for the adverse effects stemming from the delays?