WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2142/98 by Graham WATSON to the Commission. International Criminal Court
C 13/150 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 18. 1. 1999 The Commission has however accepted the need for flexibility in some cases. Regulation (EEC) 3887/92 provides for Member States to allow claims for area aid to be adjusted without sanctions in cases of genuine error which have to be recognised as such by the Member Statesí authorities. The responsibility for recognizing an error lies with the Member States. In addition to the existing rules, the Commission has recently proposed a modification of Regulation (EEC) 3887/92 by introducing a clause allowing farmers, under certain conditions, to correct information in their applications which could lead to the imposition of penalities. (1) OJ L 391, 31. 12. 1992. (1999/C 13/213) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2142/98 by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission (13 July 1998) Subject: International Criminal Court Will the Commission lend its support to moves to define as a war crime the recruiting and use of children below the age of 15 as soldiers in the current negotiations to establish a permanent International Criminal Court? Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (3 September 1998) The establishment of an International Criminal Court is not a matter falling within the competence of the Community, which has observer status at the United Nations but does not participate directly in the current negotiations on setting up the Court and has therefore been unable to state its views directly on the wording of the different definitions of war crimes presented as options. Clearly, however, the Community supports the initiative to define as war crimes the activities to which the Honourable Member refers. (1999/C 13/214) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2185/98 by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Commission (7 July 1998) Subject: Romanian orphanages Recent reports have highlighted the continued abuse of many children in Romanian state orphanages. In one orphanage in Braila, Sectia RMPSC, children are reported to be subject to systematic abuse by the orphanageís director, Dr Stefan Bobecescu and his staff. Since June of last year British aid workers and a Romanian speech therapist have been forced to leave Braila following growing concerns about the regime implemented in the orphanage. The death rate at the orphanage is alarming. Out of 47 children, at least seven have died in the last 18 months while the last available reports dating from January this year indicated that another three were deteriorating. What action will the Commission take to raise these reports with the Romanian authorities? Will the Commission bring pressure to bear on the Romanian authorities to allow EU aid workers into the orphanage to assess the welfare of the children? What measures has the EU taken to monitor Romanian orphanages since the 1989 revolution when concerns about Romanian orphanages were first expressed?