WRITTEN QUESTION E-0632/00 by María Ayuso González (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Social and economic effects which the reduction in export refunds will have on the production and processing sectors.
26. 1. 2001 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 26 E/73 Is the Council aware of the press report of March 1999 by Dr Helena Ranta, a member of the team 2. of European Union forensic experts in Pristina assigned at the request of the OSCE who examined 40 bodies on 22 January 1999, in which she expresses serious doubts about the credibility of the then accepted view on the mass murder referred to in Question 1? Is the Council in possession of a more detailed report on this event by Dr Ranta and her team or 3. from another official source? Is this report, or are these reports, available to the public? 4. Can the Council say whether the implicit recommendation in Dr Rantaís report, that there should first be a thorough police investigation to give an overall picture of what happened in Racak, has been followed up? 5. If so, are the results available? If not, why have these recommendations not (yet) been followed up? Does the Council have copies of the reports on the post mortems carried out on the civilian victims 6. in Racak to which Dr Rantaís report refers? Is the Council prepared, 7. to press for the continuation of the investigation into the real circumstances surrounding the mass murder in Racak as far as possible and for the publication of they depart significantly from the interpretations made public at the time when the victims were discovered? if only to ease the tension in the area concerned, the findings, even if Reply (8 June 2000) The Council expressed at the time its outrage at the massacre in Racak. It is aware of press reports published in March 1999, stressing that there were no signs that the victims were anything other than unarmed civilians. Ms Carla Del Ponte, Prosecutor of the ICTY, stated on 29 September 1999, following her appointment, that the ICTY will continue investigating crimes committed during the armed conflict in Kosovo and that she is determined to prosecute those responsible before the Trial Chambers at The Hague. It is the understanding of the Presidency that the indictment, confirmed by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on 24 May 1999, of Mr Slobodan Milosevic, President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), Mr Milan Milutinovic, President of Serbia, Mr Nikola Sainovic, Deputy Prime Minister of the FRY, Mr Dragoljub Ojdanic, Chief of Staff of the Yugoslav Army, and Mr Vlajko Stojiljkovic, Minister of Internal Affairs of Serbia for murder, persecution and deportation in Kosovo also covers the massacre of Racak. The Council emphasises the resolve of the Member States of the EU to cooperate fully with the ICTY and to meet their obligations under relevant UN Security Council Resolutions. As recalled by the President of the ICTY on 31 May 1999, these obligations also include that all States and organisations in possession of information pertaining to alleged crimes within the jurisdiction of the Tribunal should make it available to the Prosecutor. The Council, to which the forensic experts mission reported, respected this obligation by transmitting the autopsy reports on the Racak massacre to ICTY under the German Presidency in the first half of 1999. The Council does not see fit to comment further on a pending legal procedure. (2001/C 26 E/091) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0632/00 by María Ayuso GonzÆlez (PPE-DE) to the Commission (3 March 2000) Subject: Social and economic effects which the reduction in export refunds will have on the production and processing sectors What effects will the reduction in, or the withdrawal of, export refunds have on the production or processing sector responsible for each of the various agricultural products affected? Have any plans been made for alternative arrangements or for aid of any kind to soften the resulting impact? C 26 E/74 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 26. 1. 2001 Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (14 April 2000) The Honourable Member is referring to the specific measures announced by the Commission in its communication to the Council (1) and to the fixing of export refunds for products not covered by Annex I to the Treaty for which the rates were reduced by 4,5 % on a flat-rate basis as from 1 November 1999. This reduction is to be replaced by the application of the abovementioned specific measures, which are intended to ensure that refunds continue to be made for goods not covered by Annex I to the Treaty within the framework of the budget appropriations agreed by the budgetary authority. The specific measures comprise savings and the creation of an additional facility to allow easier access to the inward processing arrangements to enable the Community processing industry to remain competitive on external markets. The rules for the application of this package of measures and their impact on the various sectors still have to be discussed with the experts of the Member Statesí delegations in the appropriate management committees. (1) COM(1999) 625 final. (2001/C 26 E/092) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0636/00 by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Council (2 March 2000) Subject: Repopulation of northern regions in Greece where minorities of Macedonian and Turkish origin are resident In January 2000 the Greek Parliament adopted a law concerning the return of Greeks coming from former Soviet republics. This legislation states that several thousand citizens are to be accommodated in the northern regions of Greece where sizeable minorities of Macedonian and Turkish origin (Lerin-Florina and Xsanthi regions) are resident. Can the Council provide detailed information on the practical arrangements for this transfer of population in a Member States of the European Union? Can the Council confirm that thousands of citizens are to be located in the northern provinces where there is a problem with minorities? Is the Council aware of the consequences that significant changes in the demographic situation can produce in sensitive regions? Reply (8 June 2000) The Honourable Memberís attention is drawn to the fact that it is not up to the Council to comment on matters which are the responsibility of a Member State. (2001/C 26 E/093) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0637/00 by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (3 March 2000) Subject: Recognition of Kurds as a minority and the accession of Turkey Since the Helsinki summit in December 1999 Turkey has been accepted as a candidate state for accession to the European Union. The conditions for membership are democratisation, improvement of the human rights situation and respect for the criteria of the Copenhagen Treaty. The latter implies recognition of the