WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1049/98 by Jesús CABEZÓN ALONSO to the Commission. Release of four Cuban dissidents
C 354/58 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 19. 11. 98 Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (8 May 1998) On 15 December 1997, the Member States communicated their draft national programmes to improve the production and the marketing of honey in accordance with Article 2 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2300/97 on detailed rules to implement Council Regulation (EC) No 1221/97 laying down general rules for the application of measures to improve the production and marketing of honey, as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 758/98 (1). Accordingly, Greece notified to the Commission the list of representative organisations and beekeeping cooperatives which collaborated with the Greek authorities on drawing up the programme. The Federation of Greek Apicultural Associations was included in this list. Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1221/97 (2) stipulates that programmes shall be drawn up in close cooperation with the representative organisations and beekeeping cooperatives. The Commission cannot therefore give these organisations a larger say in implementing the programme because Council Regulation (EC) No 1221/97 provides only for participation in drawing up the programmes. (1) OJ L 105, 4. 4. 1998. (2) OJ L 173, 1. 7. 1997. (98/C 354/100) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1049/98 by Jesu· s Cabezo·n Alonso (PSE) to the Commission (6 April 1998) Subject: Release of four Cuban dissidents Various people and institutions have made representations to the Cuban authorities to obtain the release from prison of Marta Beatriz Roque, Rene· Go·mez, Vladimiro Roca and Fe·lix Bonne, Cuban citizens imprisoned for forming part of the internal political dissident movement in Cuba. I personally am aware of diplomatic moves by the Council and Commission to request the release of the four people named above. None of these representations has produced the desired result and the four are still in prison in Cuba. Has the Commission renewed its representations to bring about the release of these four Cuban citizens? Answer given by Mr Mar ·n on behalf of the Commission (11 May 1998) The Union has made repeated approaches at various levels to obtain the release of Cuban political prisoners, including the four members of the internal dissident movement referred to by the Honourable Member. Most recently on 23 February, the Union (with Commission involvement) made representations to the Cuban foreign ministry to try to get the four freed. The EU expressed disappointment that they and other dissidents had not been amongst those released following the Popeís visit to Cuba in January. Like the Honourable Member, the Commission regrets the fact that these moves have so far failed to have the desired effect but it is determined to press on with its action to help political detainees in line with the common EU position approved in December 1996 and extended in June and December last year