WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1134/98 by José APOLINÁRIO to the Commission. REGIS Community initiative
C 354/68 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 19. 11. 98 Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (4 June 1998) The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answer to written question E-762/98 by Mr Jarzembowski (1). (1) OJ C 323, 21. 10. 1998, p. 68. (98/C 354/111) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1131/98 by Jose· Salafranca Sa·nchez-Neyra (PPE) to the Commission (24 April 1998) Subject: Human rights in China Could the Commission explain the reasons why the European Union failed to support a resolution within the UN Human Rights Committee on human rights in China and what views on the matter were expressed by Mr Wei Jingsheng in his talks with the Commission? Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan on behalf of the Commission (8 May 1998) The Union is engaged in what it hopes will prove a constructive dialogue with China on human rights. The decision not to lodge or co-sponsor a resolution on China in the UN Human Rights Committee in 1998 was a response to encouraging signals from that country. China was, however, mentioned in the UK Presidencyís opening speech on behalf of the Union, which stressed the need for this dialogue to produce material results. The Union will be reviewing the results of its policy at regular intervals. At his meetings with the Commission, Mr Wei Jingsheng expressed reservations at the Unionís policy. (98/C 354/112) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1134/98 by Jose· Apolina·rio (PSE) to the Commission (24 April 1998) Subject: REGIS Community initiative In view of the specific nature of Portugalís Azores region (an extremely remote region which, as such, has a special status enshrined in the EU Treaty), how does the Commission account for its proposal to abolish the REGIS initiative? Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission (20 May 1998) So that future Community Initiatives may be made more effective, innovative and visible in the public eye, Article 19 of the Commission proposal for a general Council Regulation on the Structural Funds (1) provides that the Community Initiatives should concentrate on three topics genuinely reflecting the Communityís interest in cooperation and innovation. These are crossborder, transnational and interregional cooperation, rural develop- ment and, lastly, transnational cooperation on new means of combating all forms of discrimination in access to the labour market