92003E0081

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0081/03

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(23 January 2003)

Subject: Pressure on the EU to withdraw a diplomatic passport used for a visit in support of the Palestinian territories

1. Is the Council aware that a number of organisations which, for various reasons, have strong links with the Israeli government, have described as anti-Semitic a visit by a delegation from the Netherlands Stop the Occupation committee to Yasser Arafat, aimed at providing support for people in the Palestinian areas colonised and occupied by Israel since 1967 and bringing their situation into line with that in neighbouring Israel, among other things by ending the restrictions on the democratically elected administration, the destruction of housing and infrastructure, the confiscation of land for colonisation by non-Palestinians and the killing or wounding of the inhabitants?

2. Is the Council also aware that as a result of the visit referred to in paragraph 1, Gretta Duisenberg, the wife of the President of the European Central Bank, has become the butt of criticism because she travelled to Israel and the Palestinian territories on the diplomatic passport issued to her because of her husband's position?

3. Can the Council confirm that when diplomatic passports are issued the ordinary passport is kept by the Member State concerned for the period in which the diplomatic passport is valid, which means it can no longer be used? Does the position in this regard differ from one Member State to another or does this rule apply only in the Netherlands?

4. Does the presentation of an ordinary passport instead of a diplomatic passport mean that peaceful but unwelcome visitors who are nationals of an EU Member State have less chance of being allowed to enter countries outside the EU, so that in this case a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories might not have been possible without a delegation member holding a diplomatic passport?

5. Can the Council give an assurance that it will in no circumstances bend to pressure on the EU from organisations, such as the US Anti-Defamation League and the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, to have diplomatic passports withdrawn in this or similar cases?

Reply

(8 May 2003)

The Council informs the Honourable Parliamentarian that although Mrs Gretta Duisenberg has kept the Council informed on many of her activities, details on her visit referred to in the question were not brought to its attention.

On the more general question of the issuance of any type of national passport the Council recalls that this falls entirely under the competence of each Member State, therefore it is not in a position to comment on the question raised.

None of the remaining issues mentioned by the Honourable Member, have been brought to the attention of the Council.