WRITTEN QUESTION P-2690/99 by Thierry La Perriere (UEN) to the Council. EU-Turkish relations, human rights, and Christian minorities.
3. 10. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 280 E/105 Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission (4 February 2000) Civil engineering works in particular affect the groundwater in a number of different ways, but normally only temporarily. Following extensive consultations, it has been concluded that a derogation from the general ban on discharges into the groundwater should be allowed for many of these effects. For this reason, both the amended proposal of the Commission of 17 June 1999 for a European Parliament and Council Directive establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy (1) and the common position of the Council of 20 October 1999 on a European Parliament and Council Directive establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy 9085/3/99 (2) allow the Member States to grant derogations in such cases. Since the Member States and their regions display variations in terms of geology, hydrology and water resources, it makes sense to leave this question to the Member States, but to lay down the criteria in Community legislation. The Commission does not share the view that materials in suspension consisting of natural clay minerals are in themselves harmful to the environment. Chemically and biologically inert materials in suspension can also cause considerable harm to the environmental quality of the water, e. g. by covering the biocoenoses of the microfauna and microflora in surface waters and by damaging spawning grounds. If Parliament and the Council adopt the proposal for a Directive as described above, it will be for the Member States to decide whether and to what extent In its opinion (first reading) of 11 February 1999 on a Directive establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy (3), Parliament attached particular importance to the criteria for derogations. The possibility for Member States to grant derogations from the prohibition on direct discharges into the groundwater in this and some other cases is contained in Article 11(3)(g) of the Councilís common position. they apply the derogations. (1) OJ C 342 E, 30. 11. 1999. (2) Not yet published in the Official Journal. (3) OJ C 150, 28. 5. 1999. (2000/C 280 E/108) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2690/99 by Thierry La Perriere (UEN) to the Council (3 January 2000) Subject: EU-Turkish relations, human rights, and Christian minorities In the negotiations on implementation of the Customs Union and Turkeyís application to join the European Union, the Council is focusing especially on the situation of the Kurds. There are other minorities in Turkey. Christians make up quite a substantial portion of its population. In the past, Christian Turks have suffered human rights violations on a massive scale, and their situation is still extremely precarious. Can the Council say whether, when conducting the ongoing negotiations with Turkey, focusing on the situation of the Christian minorities? it is likewise Reply (13 March 2000) The Helsinki European Council decided that Turkey is a candidate State destined to join the Union on the basis of the same criteria as applied to the other candidate States. Compliance with the Copenhagen political criteria is a prerequisite for the opening of any accession negotiations. The Council underlines that stability of institutions guaranteeing human rights and respect for and protection of minorities is one of the Copenhagen political criteria. This naturally includes the Christian minorities. C 280 E/106 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 3. 10. 2000 According to the Helsinki European Council conclusions, building on the existing European strategy, Turkey, like other candidate States, will benefit from a pre-accession strategy to stimulate and support its reforms. This will include enhanced political dialogue, with emphasis on progressing towards fulfilling the political criteria for accession with particular reference inter alia to the issue of human rights. This too naturally includes the Christian minorities. (2000/C 280 E/109) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2693/99 by Lucio Manisco (GUE/NGL) to the Council (3 January 2000) Subject: The Russian Federationís ultimatum to the city of Grozny The whole world has condemned the ruthless ultimatum given by the Russian Federationís political and military authorities to the 50 000 inhabitants and the resistance groups in the city of Grozny. However, the only reactions to this ultimatum on the part of the Presidency, the High Representative for the CFSP and the Commission have been verbal condemnations and expressions of concern, warnings and the ístudyingí of possible counter-measures. The changes to the terms of the ultimatum made on 7 December by the Russian authorities do not affect the threat of extermination faced by tens of thousands of civilians because it is virtually impossible to evacuate them under the bombardments. Does not the Council believe that actions speak louder than words and that it should suspend, temporarily but immediately, the partnership and cooperation agreements entered into with Moscow as well as any form of direct or indirect aid to the Russian Federation? Reply (13 March 2000) The European Council on 10 and 11 December in Helsinki strongly condemned the intense bombard- ments of Chechen cities, the threat levelled at the residents of Grozny and the ultimatum set by the Russian military commanders. In the light of the situation in Chechnya, the European Council decided that the implementation of the Common Strategy on Russia should be reviewed, the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement be partly suspended and the trade provisions applied strictly. On TACIS, the European Council asked the budgetary authority to consider the transfer of some funds from TACIS to the humanitarian assistance. Moreover, financing from the budget for 2000 should be limited to priority areas, including human rights, the rule of law, support for the civil society and nuclear safety. it has to be kept in mind that many of the cooperation programmes under the Common However, Strategy and the PCA are in the strong interest of the European Union, e. g. on nuclear safety, disarmament and non-proliferation, as well as democratic institution building and civil society. These decisions of the European Council were notified to Russia in a letter from Prime Minister Lipponen and Secretary-General/High Representative Solana to Prime Minister Putin on 11 December. On 24 January 2000 the General Affairs Council invited the Commission to re-focus the Tacis 2000 programme on core areas directly promoting democratic values, and to transfer uncommitted balances to humanitarian assistance and promoting networking in civil society, as well as to suspend consideration of the possible extension of additional GSP preferences for Russia. It expressed its concern about the increasing number of trade disputes originating in infringements by Russia of the PCA as well as sectoral agreements and noted the Commissionís intention to bring forward counter-measures against the Russian tax on exports of ferrous scrap. It invited the Commission to press ahead with similar action in other areas of EU concern