WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2160/98 by Katerina DASKALAKI to the Commission. Discrimination concerning the parents of large families
C 31/128 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 5. 2. 1999 (1999/C 31/177) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2159/98 by Katerina Daskalaki (UPE) to the Commission (13 July 1998) Subject: Danger facing the oldest monastery in the world situated in Turkey The Mar Gabriel Syrian Orthodox monastery, the oldest monastery in the world, is situated in an area of southern Turkey affected by the Kurdish conflict. The local authorities are preventing the training of novices at Mar Gabriel and refusing to allow any conservation work to be carried out, with the result that the historic monastery, which is already suffering from neglect, is falling into a state of total disrepair. Can the Commission make representations to the Turkish authorities with a view to ending the deterioration of this sixteen-hundred-year-old Christian monastery and the infringements of the rights of the very few monks remaining there? Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (14 September 1998) According to the Commission¢s information, the Turkish Minister of the Interior was recently questioned by a member of the Turkish parliament concerning the matter raised by the Honourable Member. In his reply, the Minister stated that the Government had no intention of prohibiting religious instruction by the Syrian Orthodox community, or of interfering with or restricting its freedom of worship. With regard to the building renovations, they must receive prior approval from the Ministry of Culture and be in accordance with the prevailing regulations on historic monuments. The Luxembourg European Council in December 1997 stated that closer ties between the EU and Turkey would depend on the continuation of political and economic reforms undertaken by Turkey, particularly with regard to aligning its human rights standards and practices on those in the EU. The Council added that closer links also depended on Turkey¢s respect for and protection of minorities. Despite Ankara¢s decision to suspend all political dialogue with the EU, the Commission intends to continue to share its concerns regarding such matters with its Turkish interlocutors, including the matter raised by the Honourable Member. (1999/C 31/178) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2160/98 by Katerina Daskalaki (UPE) to the Commission (13 July 1998) Subject: Discrimination concerning the parents of large families It is a known fact that the European Union is facing serious demographic problems, particularly in certain Member States, for example Greece, a European country characterized by an ageing population and falling birth rates. Despite this, little is being done to provide incentives to resolve the problem. On the contrary, large families are actually being affected by a particular form of discrimination directed against single fathers. The mother of a large family receives allowances until her youngest child is 23 years of age and from then on receives a pension for life. However, a father who is widowed or divorced and has custody of a large number of children is not entitled to a pension. Does such discrimination not infringe the principle of equal treatment for men and women, all the more so when, as in the present case, it affects those generally belonging to the less affluent sections of society? Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (11 September 1998) The Commission is unable to intervene in the case described by the Honourable Member concerning unequal treatment for fathers of large families in the event of the death of, or separation from, their spouse, compared with mothers in the same situation