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Doc. 8628
24 January 2000
Parliamentary questions for oral answer
Discussion of the communication on the activities of the Committee of Ministers1
1. Mrs Ojuland,
To ask the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers,
How the Committee of Ministers envisages following up the commitments made by Russia on joining the Council of Europe.
2. Mr van der Linden,
To ask the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers,
If he could explain the role the Committee of Ministers is playing in the Chechnya conflict, the initiatives it has taken and what has been or could be the result.
3. Mr Davis,
To ask the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers,
What action has been taken by the Committee of Ministers as a result of the Declaration on Chechnya by the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly on
13 December 1999.
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4. Mr Solonari,
To ask the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers,
Whether, in the Committee of Ministers' view, recent developments in Ukraine and the call for a referendum by the Ukrainian president, Mr Koutchma, on constitutional matters, present a threat to the future of democracy in this country as well as in the whole region and whether these developments are being followed by the Committee of Ministers.
5. Mr Iwinski,
To ask the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers,
Whether the Council of Europe is ready to deal with the present situation in Ukraine where last week two “parallel” parliaments were formed and the referendum on the future of the legislative body is to take place.
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6. Mr Popovski,
To ask the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers,
What the opinion of the Committee of Ministers is on the long-term future status of Kosovo and its integral impact on the region.
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7. Mr Valk,
Considering the programme presented to the Committee of Ministers on Ireland’s chairmanship (doc. AS/Inf (1999)8),
Considering also that many subjects that have been deliberated and decided within the Council of Europe are also on the agenda of United Nations,
To ask the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers,
Whether it would not be appropriate for him to co-ordinate the activities of delegations of member states in New York during the General Assembly of the United Nations, especially regarding items on the agenda of the Third Committee (human rights) and the Sixth Committee (international public law); and furthermore,
To ask whether he is willing to seek co-operation with the chairmanship-in-office of the European Union, which does in fact co-ordinate such matters amongst its fifteen members (all members of the Council of Europe), such as – during the last General Assembly – regarding a draft resolution on the abolition of capital punishment.
8. Mr John D. Taylor,
To ask the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers,
Which parties to the Belfast Agreement of Good Friday 1998 have honoured their obligations;
Which issues remain outstanding;
And if he will make a statement.
9. Mr Atkinson,
To ask the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers,
What input the Council of Europe is making to the final status issues being negotiated between Israel and the PLO.
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10. Mr Jurgens,
Noting that there is still no answer to the written question submitted on
25 October 1999 regarding the absence of any execution measure in favour of M. Hakkar by the French authorities in order to repair the serious violation of his right to a fair trial found by the Committee of Ministers, more than four years ago;
Insisting on the fact that the applicant continues to proclaim his innocence;
To ask again the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers,
What measures have been presented by the French authorities to remedy this situation or, if no concrete measures have yet been decided, what action the Committee of Ministers intends to take to ensure a correct execution of the case.
11. Mr Haack,
Noting that next Friday it will be exactly two years since the Parliamentary Assembly adopted a Recommendation on the European Social Charter (Recommendation 1354, 1998),
Considering that in the Recommendation, the Committee of Ministers is called upon to promote a campaign for ratification of the Revised European Social Charter as well as the corresponding Additional Protocol and to work for the establishment of a European Social Court,
Noting that thus far there has been no decision by the Committee of Ministers on this Recommendation,
To ask the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers,
How far advanced the consultations on this Recommendation are and when can the Assembly expect a result,
Whether the Committee of Ministers shares the view that given the ongoing consultations on the contents of a European Charter on Fundamental Rights there is an urgent need for the Committee of Ministers to underscore the importance of the European Social Charter for the European fundamental rights process by taking a corresponding decision in the near future.
12. Mr Jaskierna,
Noting that during its last part-session, in September 1999, the Parliamentary Assembly elected Mr Gil-Robles as the first Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe; in its opinion on the draft terms of reference, the Assembly recommended that the necessary resources be put at the disposal of the Commissioner;
Considering that if this were not the case, the setting up of this function would amount to a waste of money and energy;
To ask the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers,
If he could inform the Assembly about the resources which will be put at the disposal of the Commissioner in 2000.
13. Mr Demetriou,
Taking into account that it has been nearly four months since the adoption of the interim resolution on the Loizidou V Turkey decision by the European Court of Human Rights, whereby the Committee urges Turkey to pay just satisfaction to Mrs Loizidou,
To ask the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers,
Whether the Committee of Ministers has received information from Turkey in relation to the steps that Turkey intends to take in order to implement and pay to the applicant the just satisfaction, and when she intends to do it and in the absence of any reaction by Turkey, can the Chairman inform the Assembly of any further steps the Committee of Ministers intends to take to ensure compliance by a member state of the Council of Europe with the decisions of the ECHR.
14. M. Clerfayt,
Noting that the Committee of Ministers has been seized by the problem posed under the European Convention on Human Rights by the unreasonably lengthy proceedings before the Italian courts for more than ten years and that still the number of complaints and violations show no stable sign of decreasing and that the reforms presented to the Committee of Ministers do not, accordingly, appear to have the necessary efficiency,
Observing that the continuation of this situation prevents the new Court from adequately following up new complaints regarding other violations of the democratic order protected by the Council of Europe through the European Convention on Human Rights,
To ask the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers,
What action it intends to take to ensure that this intolerable situation ceases.
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15. Mr Goulet,
In view of the tragic events of the last few weeks and the black tide caused by the Erika shipwreck, which appeal to our environmental consciousness and urge immediate action in an effort to head off risks which, as everyone knows, it will not be possible to control absolutely;
Recalling the Amoco Cadiz accident whose effects on the ecosystem still linger, and considering the further oil spill sullying the French coasts as yet another looms in the Sea of Marmara;
Observing that the introduction of international oil industry compensation arrangements (Fipol international oil pollution compensation funds), which can disburse up to 1.2 billion FRF for anti-pollution measures, has diverted politicians from their true responsibilities since, in their concern for redress of the damage caused by disasters, they fail to take remedial and preventive action against the causes;
Considering the urgency of measures to prohibit and regulate certain practices and to identify clearly the line of responsibility,
To ask the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers,
Whether he can give an assurance that the Committee of Ministers will take action as a matter of urgency to:
i. list the relevant legislation in the member states;
ii. initiate encounters with all the main parties directly concerned in order to obtain their suggestions;
iii. urge member states to lose no time in taking appropriate measures to prohibit certain practices such as the use of vessels flying flags of convenience.
16. Mr Akçali,
Noting that following the two recent alarming events of oil spill off the French coast and in the sea of Marmara, the Committee on the Environment, Regional Planning and Local Authorities is concerned by the lack of action on behalf of the European governments to fully implement the international legal instruments - such as the Marpol, Oslo and Paris conventions and to enforce the respect of the safety norms established by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO);
Noting that to this regard, the Parliamentary Assembly made some concrete proposals to the Committee of Ministers on several occasions in the past, for example:
- Recommendation 1079 (1988) on Protection of the North Sea against pollution
- Recommendation 1132 (1990) on Protection of the North Sea and the Atlantic Seaboard
- Recommendation 1227 (1993) on Pollution of the seas
To ask, on behalf of the Committee on the Environment, Regional Planning and Local Authorities, the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers,
What action has been taken in response to the above mentioned Recommendations.
17. Mr Evin,
To ask the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers,
What initiatives the Committee of Ministers intends to take to strengthen the regulation of maritime transport and to ensure that such regulation is applied, so as to avoid an ecological disaster arising from oil pollution.
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18. Mr Rodeghiero,
Noting that since 11 October 1999 there has been no news of
Mr Nerio Campagnolo, an Italian national born in S. Giorgio in Bosco (Padua province) who disappeared together with his vehicle at Miculov (Czech Republic), the vehicle having been found later;
Considering that, according to the information released by the press, there are credible reasons to suppose that Mr Campagnolo has been the victim of a criminal organisation specialising in armed robbery committed against road transport drivers with intent to re-sell the stolen vehicles; certain drivers having subsequently been found dead;
To ask the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers:
Whether he is aware of the aforementioned case or whether he can rapidly supply information about it, and what action has been taken by the Czech authorities to guarantee the safety of persons transiting though the Czech Republic, in the light of its undertakings as a Council of Europe member state.
19. Mr López Henares,
To ask the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers:
What is the nature of the action taken by the Committee of Ministers to give effect to the Recommendations which the Assembly adopted in September 1999 on anti-terrorism measures and international co-operation.
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20. Lord Judd,
To ask the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers,
If he is satisfied with the record of attendance by ministers themselves rather by their representatives at the Committee of Ministers and whether records of attendance could in future be made available.
21. Mr Schreiner,
Noting the Organisation's zero budgetary growth in real terms, we can consider ourselves comparatively well satisfied in managing to secure a slight increase of
167 700 Euro (about 1 100 100 FRF) in our budget,
Considering that this will enable us to continue the activities under the Assembly's programme of co-operation and monitoring of commitments, which enable us to strengthen the values expounded and upheld by our Organisation;
Observing that the presence on the ground and the implementation of specific activities within the Council of Europe can only be developed and realised if the Organisation has fit financial resources to carry through the activities undertaken;
Noting, alas, that yet again we are dissatisfied with the dearth of practical proposals in staff matters;
Considering that the persistence of such decisions is detrimental to the regular career development of deserving staff members, as the continuation of a policy liable to disrupt harmonious working relations has a de-motivating effect on the Secretariat and may before long cause serious malfunctions in the Organisation,
To ask the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers,
Which measures the Committee of Ministers will adopt for the concurrent application of the recommendations in the "Optimum Report" (redeployment; staff mobility) and of Resolution 92 (28) (on special measures relating to the termination of service of certain staff members), in compliance with the recommendations of the Committee of Wise Persons (competent, efficient, mobile staff).
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22. Mrs Isohookana-Asunmaa,
Noting that the amending Protocol to the European Convention on Transfrontier Television should enter into force as soon as possible to ensure a coherent regulatory regime for transfrontier television services in Europe;
Observing that however, although most countries have launched the necessary ratification procedure, only two states have so far accepted the Protocol ; there is therefore a growing risk of the Protocol not entering into force by the deadline of 1 October 2000;
To ask the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers,
What measures have been undertaken to ensure that this deadline will be met.