Parliamentary questions
13 April 2007
E-1983/07
WRITTEN QUESTION by Alessandro Battilocchio (NI) to the Council

 Subject: Nicaragua and legislation on abortion
 Answer(s) 

On 26 October 2006 the Nicaraguan Parliament unanimously amended the penal code in order to limit the number of abortions. The Federal German Minister for Cooperation and Economic Development, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, said ‘The international community of the donor countries clearly expressed to President Ortega that there will be immediate consequences in terms of development cooperation, if this national piece of legislation is not be repealed’.

Since abortion is an integral part of European policies to combat poverty but it has not yet been legalised in all the EU Member States and beneficiary countries are thus not asked to make such a commitment, can the Council say whether:

— this legislation will have a direct impact on EU development aid in Nicaragua;
— it is aware of the views expressed by the EU representative in Nicaragua and to what extent these opinions are official and thus legally binding at national and European level and for third countries;
— it considers the statements issued by the president of the Council responsible for aid and external development, Mrs Wieczorek-Zeul, constitute direct interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign State?

Original language of question: IT 
Last updated: 27 April 2007Legal notice