92003E1415

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1415/03

by Joan Vallvé (ELDR) to the Commission

(23 April 2003)

Subject: Closure of the newspaper Egunkaria

On 20 February this year the newspaper Euskaldunon Egunkaria was closed down in an operation ordered by the judge of the Spanish National Court Juan del Olmo. The Civil Police Force arrested 10 people responsible for the newspaper, among them its director, Martxelo Otamendi, because of his presumed entanglement with ETA. At present, three of them are still in prison.

On 10 March the same judge of the National Court decided to close temporarily for six months the trading companies Egunkaria Sortzen SL and Egunkaria SA and the daily newspaper Euskaldunon Egunkaria, and its premises, headquarters and establishments, and to suspend its activities for the same period. The magistrate justified his decision arguing that the whole framework or project is supposedly managed and generated by ETA and responds to a terrorist strategy. The charge that the newspaper is part of the project and of the economic and cultural framework of the etarra cupola is based on documents that had been seized from terrorists during 1992 (date of foundation of the newspaper).

Egunkaria was the only newspaper published completely in Euskera. The legal and political decision to close it can entail a breach of freedom of expression if there is no specific evidence. Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU on freedom of expression and information reads as follows: 1. Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. 2. The freedom and pluralism of the media shall be respected.

On 26 March the Association of minority daily newspapers in Europe, which includes 32 newspapers, gathered in Brussels. The Spanish authorities banned the director of Egunkaria, Martxelo Otamendi, from attending.

Only two years ago the EU held the European Year of Languages, of all languages, with the aim of promoting linguistic diversity. Today, in view of this situation, we regret that a minority language such as Euskera is suffering an additional problem and is encountering difficulties with expressing its identity after the closure of the only newspaper published completely in this language at that moment. I would like to point out the special importance that having a newspaper in your own mother tongue has for this type of minority communities.

In view of this situation I would like to know: has the European Commission so far asked the pertinent Spanish authorities for explanations, or is it planning to do so in the near future, in order to make sure that no fundamental right is being violated and that this action has not been contrary to the EU policy of promotion and respect for linguistic diversity in the Member States?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(4 June 2003)

The Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its joint answer to Written Questions E-0641/03 and E-0672/03 by Mr Ebner and others(1).

(1) See page 75.