WRITTEN QUESTION P-0642/00 by Andre Brie (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Commission's position regarding the arrest of Kurdish mayors in Turkey.
C 330 E/196 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 21. 11. 2000 Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission (7 April 2000) The Commissionís attention has been drawn to the plan to which the Honourable Member is referring. In the absence of social security harmonisation, each Member State is responsible for determining all the specific characteristics of its social legislation as long as, in doing so, it respects Community law. However, there are Community rules which coordinate the different national social security systems, contained in Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 (1) and its implementing Regulation No 574/72, and which aim to eliminate obstacles to the free movement of workers and members of their families, by guaranteeing certain fundamental principles such as equal treatment with nationals, exportability of social security benefits within the Community, aggregation of insurance periods and the prevalence of one applicable body of legislation. The above-mentioned rules for coordinating Member Statesí social security systems protect the rights of migrant workers in so far as they are nationals of the European Union or the European Economic Area. Moreover, Tunisian, Moroccan, Algerian and Turkish nationals who are legally residing in a Member State also benefit from equal treatment with respect to social security due to agreements between their country of origin and the Community. Nationals from non-member countries residing in Member States cannot refer to Community law in order to receive equal treatment with nationals. As a result, when the Austrian authorities introduce the conditions for entitlement and the new social security allowance, they will have to respect the principle of non-discrimination on the grounds of nationality, which implies that Commun- ity nationals and the nationals of the four above-mentioned countries will benefit from the allowance under the same conditions as Austrian nationals. In addition, in 1997, the Commission already proposed to extend the field of application of Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 and Regulation (EEC) No 574/72 to cover nationals of all non-member countries who are insured under a Member Stateís legislation and who are legally residing in the Community. The Council is still reviewing this proposal (2). Furthermore, the Commission also recently adopted a proposal to simplify and reform the rules for coordinating Member Statesí social security systems (3), which covers every person insured by social security legislation in a Member State and which also protects nationals of non-member countries. In accordance with the co-decision principle, Parliament and the Council are currently reviewing this proposal, which can only be adopted by a unanimous decision. (1) Latest consolidated version: Regulation (EC) No 118/97 (OJ L 28, 30. 10. 1997). (2) OJ C 6, 1. 1. 1998. (3) OJ C 38, 12. 2. 1999. (2000/C 330 E/226) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0642/00 by Andre Brie (GUE/NGL) to the Commission (28 February 2000) Subject: Commissionís position regarding the arrest of Kurdish mayors in Turkey At the European Parliament part-session on 1 December 1999, Commissioner Günter Verheugen, on behalf of the Commission, gave a positive assessment of political developments within Turkey with regard to the countryís status as an applicant for accession. In the light of the arrest of the Kurdish mayors of Diyarbakir, Siirt and Bingöl, Feridun Celik, Selim zalp and Feyzullah Kararslan, by the Turkish police and paramilitary special units on 19 February 2000: 1. 2. does the Commission stand by its positive assessment? does the Commission regard the intensified action by the Turkish authorities against democratically elected Kurdish representatives and the Kurdish party Hadep as part of these ápositiveí developments? 21. 11. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 330 E/197 3. or does the Commission assess these measures by the Turkish authorities differently? If that is the case, namely if the Commission agrees that a critical, negative assessment is to be given of the Turkish action against Kurdish politicians, what does it consider to be the implications for relations between the EU and Turkey, in particular with regard to implementing the regulations on the implementation of measures to promote economic and social development in Turkey and on the implementation of measures to intensify the EC-Turkey customs union, as well as to Turkeyís proposed accession to the European Union? What steps does the Commission intend to take in practice? Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission (27 March 2000) Having learned of the arrest on 19 February 2000 of three mayors belonging to the HADEP party, the Commission, in close co-ordination with the Presidency and the Member States, informed the Turkish authorities of its concern at the situation of the three elected representatives. The three men in question were released on bail on 28 February 2000, and were reinstated in their posts on 29 February 2000. It is not the role of the Commission to pronounce judgment on the character of the legal proceedings taken against these three elected politicians. However, the Commission was concerned that these events might further complicate the vital dialogue between the Turkish authorities and HADEP, a political party which has come to represent a large part of that section of the population which is of Kurdish origin. The Commission was also concerned for the consequences these events might have on Turkeyís preparations for accession to the Union. (2000/C 330 E/227) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0644/00 by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Council (25 February 2000) Subject: The behaviour of Belgium and France towards Austria For a number of days now Belgium and France have been pursuing an offensive policy of isolating Austria because of their fear that the FPÖís participation in the government could pose a threat to human rights and the protection of minorities in Austria. At the same time, Belgium and France are the only countries, apart from Turkey, which have neither ratified nor signed the Council of Europeís framework agreement on the protection of national minorities. Is there any justification for Franceís and Belgiumís behaviour given that the two countries have still 1. not ratified or signed the Council of Europeís framework agreement on the protection of national minorities and that the two countries do not guarantee the minimum European standard of protection of minorities? 2. Does every country, regardless of its own political history or circumstances (for example, Franceís áempty chairí policy in the 1960s or Great Britainís veto policy), have the right to isolate without any legal basis a trustworthy member of the European Union? Reply (2 May 2000) It would not be appropriate for the Council to take a view on actions which have been taken by one or more of the Governments of the Member States and which have no direct bearing on the work of the Council. Any such action is a matter for the Governments of the Member States concerned