A parliamentary committee yesterday began debating the media and press bill developed by Press Minister Evangelos Venizelos. The bill, drafted after exhaustive consultations with other political and third parties, regulates the operation of privately-owned press and media and introduces guarantees of transparency in the operation of TV and radio enterprises in Greece as well as commitments concerning respect for the viewer and listener.
Opposition parties have criticised the government for presenting the bill at the summer recess committee and not at a Parliamentary plenary session, claiming it is a political bill with implications for individual rights. The government, however, has rejected the criticism and stressed that, according to the Council of State's legal interpretation and article 15 of the Constitution, the bill does not establish individual rights and consequently it is being legitimately discussed at the summer recess committee.
The bill attempts to restrict the concentration of media ownership and creation of media monopolies and the existence of vested interests, explicitly prohibiting participation in a mass media company by any firm assuming public works or state procurements. It also details restrictions on foreign capital participation.
Clauses anticipate the naming of shareholders and prohibits the simultaneous participation in more than two media categories, such as both television and print. Individuals can not own more than a 25 per cent stake in a television station. The above prohibitions are extended to spouses and relatives.
Continuous control is anticipated of all information concerning the administration, operation and management of stations while owners and journalists will be subject to sources of income checks - as are parliamentary deputies - by a standing parliamentary committee.
TV enterprises will have to have actual share capital amounting to one billion drachmas on a nation-wide scale. Complete control will be applied for share transfers and loans concluded by radio and TV enterprises.
Licences for radio or TV stations will be issued for four years and will be compulsorily reconsidered at the end of the period.
Children will be protected from scenes of gratuitous violence and sex and the rights of the viewer and viewer unions will be recognised. "Hot lines" (advertisements for telephone conversations of an erotic nature) are forbidden under the bill.
Another commitment will be the compulsory broadcasting of radio and TV programmes in the Greek language: the bill requires the transmission of at least 25 per cent of programmes in Greek. It also establishes the obligation to broadcast social and community messages and establishes the right of reply to a party harmed by a radio or TV programme.
Thirteen British MPs have tabled a resolution praising Greece's role in the release of United Nations troops and personnel during May's hostage crisis in war-torn Bosnia.
The draft resolution, submitted by both Conservative and Labour deputies, hails the successful efforts of Greek Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias and Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis, who mediated the release of dozens of UN troops last month.
Over 400 UN troops and observers were snatched by Bosnia Serbs as hostages in May in retaliation for NATO air strikes against their positions.
The draft resolution also praises Greece for its significant role in the Balkans and urges the British government to closely co-operate with Athens, taking advantage of "the catalytic role which it can play in the Balkans."
Uros Klikovac, justice minister and Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, began an official visit to Greece yesterday, at the invitation of the Greek Justice Ministry and the Thessaloniki Bar Association.
While in Greece, Mr. Klikovac will participate in a meeting of the general directors of Balkan news agencies in Thessaloniki.
Secretary-General of the Cyprus Communist Party (AKEL) Dimitris Christofias met separately with main opposition New Democracy Deputy President Ioannis Varvitsiotis and opposition Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras yesterday on developments in the Cyprus problem.
Mr. Christofias is currently visiting Greece for talks with the political leadership.
Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou flies to Cannes, France today to attend a summit of European Union state leaders.
Mr. Papandreou will attend a pre-summit meeting of European Socialist leaders tomorrow and Sunday before taking part in the two-day EU summit beginning Monday.
Main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert yesterday called on Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou to raise Greece's national issues at the EU summit in Cannes early next week and demand that the EU take a stance on Turkish threats against Greece.
"Turkey's provocative actions cannot be allowed to continue without a reply from Greece at international fora and without the prime minister demanding that the EU take a stance," Mr. Evert said.
"It is not possible for an EU member state to be at the receiving end of such threats and the other member states not to take a stance. Mr. Papandreou must also raise the issue of the (EU-Turkey) customs union, since Turkey fails to respect human rights, international law and UN resolutions. It is inconceivable that Turkey should have the intention of joining the EU with this stance," Mr. Evert added.
The ND leader accused Mr. Papandreou of going to the twice-yearly summit "unprepared", and criticised the premier for not briefing political party leaders on Greece's positions on the revision of the Maastricht Treaty.
"Greece will appear (at the summit) without a single national foreign policy on an issue which will decide the fate and future of the European Union and our country for the next 50 years," Mr. Evert said.
UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali said he did not intend to discuss Greek-Turkish differences over the Aegean during his visits to Athens and Ankara and nor would he assume a mediating role unless both countries requested this of him.
In a long interview with Turkish correspondents at the UN, Mr. Boutros- Ghali said: "I am not ready to assume a mediating role unless both countries request this of me. If they request this of me, then I will be obliged, because the UN was created to serve member-states. However, if only one country says a mediator is necessary and the other says no, then we can do nothing." "I will not raise the issue in my talks unless the parties do," he added.
The UN chief will be in Athens in early July to receive the "Onassis Prize for International Understanding and Social Achievement" for contributing "to the initiation of certain solutions to a number of international problems concerning the wider Mediterranean area". The award carries the sum of $US 250,000.
Asked by a questioner what he will do with the prize money, Mr. Boutros- Ghali said "I intend to establish a foundation in my country (Egypt). I spent 30 years of my life as a professor. I feel I owe something to the students of my country."
President Kostis Stephanopoulos will present the prizes at awards ceremony on July 11 at the Pnyx Hill near the Acropolis.
The government said yesterday that Turkey's response at the United Nations on the issue of Greece's right to extend its territorial waters constituted proof that it was in violation of the UN Charter.
The Turkish claims were contained in a four-page letter handed to UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali by Ankara's permanent representative to the UN, Inal Batu, replying to a Greek letter on the issue from Mr. Batu's counterpart, Christos Zacharakis.
In his letter to Mr. Boutros-Ghali, Mr. Zacharakis said Greece intended to exercise its right to extend its territorial waters up to 12 miles in accordance with international law, when this was considered appropriate.
Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said that Turkish provocations were now being brought before the United Nations.
Speaking yesterday, Mr. Venizelos said the Turkish response was formal and self-declared proof that Turkey was "flagrantly" violating the charter of the United Nations by making war threats which rendered it liable to account before the international community.
"Turkey is obliged to realise that this stance widens the distance between it and Europe and makes even more acute the ongoing problem of violations of international law and human rights by this country," he said.
Describing the content of the Turkish letter as "unacceptable", foreign ministry spokesman Costas Bikas reiterated a statement by Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias who said that "Turkey must take many steps in order to approach European targets and the political leadership of Ankara must take this into serious consideration instead of criticising Greek foreign policy".
In the Turkish letter, Ankara threatens that if Greece extends its territorial waters to 12 miles, "Turkey will be forced to take all the necessary measures as dictated by the circumstances."
"We sincerely hope," Mr. Batu says in the letter, "that neighbouring Greece will not employ an adventurist policy and will realise the long term benefits of a lasting settlement of bilateral relations, friendship and co-operation between Turkey and Greece."
Referring to the resolution passed by the Turkish National Assembly empowering the Ankara government to take all necessary measures including military steps to guard the interests of the state, Mr. Batu said it was expressing "Turkey's legal concerns to confront Greek designs in the Aegean."
In his letter, Mr. Batu refers to a statement by European Affairs Minister George Mangakis that the "(Law of the Sea) Convention is of a truly national importance, providing Greece with a weapon to defend its rights and national interests."
"The statement shows the way Greece perceives this issue of territorial waters," Mr. Batu says, adding that "it was within this framework the Turkish National Assembly endorsed the resolution..."
In his letter, the Turkish ambassador criticises Greece's position in the Bosnian crisis and describes as "hostile" the country's attitude towards Albania and Skopje. It adds that Turkey does not have "any claims against the Greek islands."
In a statement later, Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras expressed concern at the Turkish letter saying that "Turkey is being provocative once again, acting as an international terrorist with the tolerance and even coverage of the American government.
The European Parliament's Report Committee has rejected the European Commission's position that "in Turkey the rights of non-Turkish citizens, including Greek citizens, enjoy equal treatment."
The debate was sparked by a report by ethnic Greek lawyer Elpida Frangopoulou on the issue of property owned by Greeks in Istanbul.
The members of the Report Committee, following proposals by Greek Eurodeputies Nikos Papakyriazis and Alekos Alavanos, also refused to accept the Commission's position that "the rights of Turkish citizens of Greek origin are the same as those of all the other Turkish citizens."
The European Commission's representative proposed a recourse to the Human Rights Committee at the Council of Europe based on the additional protocol of 1952, article 1 anticipating the right to respect for property.
After an ensuing debate in the framework of the Report Committee, the European Commission was obliged to present new positions at the next Committee meeting in July.
However, the Commission accepted the position put forward by Greek Eurodeputies that the problem of Greek property in Istanbul must become a political issue to be resolved between the European Union and Turkey and be tackled before legal processes for Turkey's customs union are completed.
Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos yesterday backed Environment Minister Costas Laliotis in his exchanges with former Tourism Minister Dionysis Livanos who resigned yesterday over the Floisvos casino affair.
In his letter of resignation, Mr. Livanos said he was "automatically deprived of his ministerial post" when it was decided to annul the Floisvos bidding procedure, which awarded a concession to a consortium of Greek and foreign companies. He added that the approval of the particular area of the Paleo Faliro Athens suburb had been collective, and he considered criticism against him over the issue to be unfair.
Mr. Venizelos accepted the collective nature of the government's decision, but acknowledged that Mr. Laliotis had, in the past, expressed objections to the building of the casino under the particular terms during all government meetings.
In a statement yesterday, the environment minister accused Mr. Livanos of distorting reality every time he referred to his name in order create confusion and shuffle his personal responsibilities, and of a selective adoption of half-truths. He ended his statement with the phrase, "Goodbye and good luck Dionysis Livanos".
Political Spring leader Antonis Samaras will pay a four-day visit to Brussels beginning Monday for talks with European Commission President Jacques Santer and other European Union officials.
The leadership of the General Confederation of Workers of Greece (GSEE) yesterday submitted a package of proposals on how to best deal with the consequences of the recent quake in Egion to Environment Minister Costas Laliotis, Alternate Environment Minister Costas Yeitonas and Labour Minister Ioannis Skoularikis.
GSEE President Christos Protopapas, who visited the region for talks with representatives of industrial units and labour centres, predicted a rise in unemployment due to the earthquake last Thursday, which left 27 dead.
Mr. Protopapas said the GSEE would ask the government to include its proposals in a package of measures, due to be announced today, to meet the immediate needs of the victims and the restoration of the regions.
A GSEE announcement yesterday called upon the government to endorse for the Egion quake victims the same measures it took for those affected by the quake in Kozani and Grevena last month.
GSEE also asked the government to freeze the debts of quake victims, subsidise businesses in the region, include the region of Achaia in the special development incentives category and subsidise employees who lost their jobs because of the quake.
Coalition of the Left and Progress leader Nikos Constantopoulos left for Romania yesterday for talks that will include the issue of peace in Yugoslavia.
Speaking to reporters before his departure, Mr. Constantopoulos said he would broach the idea, developed by the Coalition, for a Greek initiative to create a "contact group" of Balkan countries to pursue peace in Yugoslavia.
Mr. Constantopoulos said Greece could play a creative role and promote the peace process in the region.
Replying to a questioner on the Cannes summit, Mr. Constantopoulos said the government should expose and denounce Turkish provocations over the issue of extending territorial waters to 12 nautical miles at the summit.
The general directors of Balkan news agencies begin a two-day meeting in Thessaloniki today which will culminate in the signing of the charter establishing the Union of Balkan News Agencies. Taking part in the meeting will be the general director s of the Yugoslav Tanjug news agency, the Turkish Anatolian agency, the Bulgarian BTA and VIP news agencies, the Slovenian STA agency, the Romanian Rompress agency, the Thessaloniki-based Macedonian Press Agency and the Athens News Agency.
The general director of the Albanian News Agency will be unable to attend the meeting due to prior commitments.
The main subject of discussion at today's sessions will be the creation of a data bank in Thessaloniki by the Macedonian Press Agency on behalf of the Union of Balkan News Agencies, to be funded by the European Union.
The union's charter will be signed at a special ceremony on Saturday to be attended by Press and Media Minister Evangelos Venizelos.
Macedonia and Thrace Minister Constantine Triarides last night was due to host a dinner in honour of the general directors.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry yesterday handed the Greek charge d'affaires a strongly - worded demarche condemning a meeting of a group of Greek deputies with Kurdistan National Liberation Front President Abdullah Ocalan "in Lebanon" earlier this month.
The Foreign Ministry official said that neighbouring countries must avoid such moves and asked that the Greek government adopt a stronger stand regarding such activities.
Saudi Arabia's oil giant ARAMCO has merged with Greek companies Motoroil and Avinoil, Greece's Commerce Ministry said yesterday.
The announcement was made after the European Commission approved the plan following a two-month review on the repercussions the deal may have on the Greek oil market.
Under the agreement ARAMCO acquired a 50 per cent stake in the two Greek companies, owned by the Vardinoyannis shipping family.
A report issued by the European Commission said the deal would not increase the companies' control in the Greek oil market in Greece.
"The merger is not expected to have serious effects in the Greek oil market. The Vardinoyannis group is still up against strong competition by state oil companies," it said.
The Council of State has asked the European Court of Justice to provide three interlocutory judgements in the dispute between Greece and Denmark concerning the use of the term 'feta cheese'.
The dispute arose in 1991 when Greek customs officials in the port of Piraeus confiscated an 850 kg consignment of cheese originating in Denmark, bearing the indication 'feta cheese from pasteurised cow's milk,' instead of 'white cheese'.
Greece holds the view that feta is produced either from sheep's milk or a mixture of sheep's and goat's milk, requiring a special process.
The importing company of Danish 'feta' filed a suit at the Council of State, which, in turn, asked the European Commission for details concerning its exact production method. In a subsequent judgement, the Council of State ruled that the information supplied was "inadequate", and is now asking the European Court for interlocutory judgements.
The substance of the questions submitted to the Court, is whether, from an interpretation of Articles 30 and 36 of the EEC Treaty, it can be deduced that "a member-state can refuse to allow the use for circulation of products bearing a certain trading name, produced and exported from another Community country, when these products differ so much in terms of composition or manner of production from other products generally known under this name in the Community, that they could not be considered to fall under the same category as similar to them."
The Olympic Airways board has approved the purchase of supplies worth 1.5 billion drachmas and an increase in seasonal technical staff by 112 per cent to face competition in the handling sector.
Agriculture Minister George Moraitis yesterday said he was satisfied with arrangements adopted by the Farm Ministers' Council for products of direct interest to Greece.
The most important of these arrangements are those concerning cotton wool, which provides for a 60 per cent increase in the maximum guaranteed quantity (MGQ) from 710,000 tonnes to 1,120,000 tonnes. The MGQ for Greece is 850,000, with target price set a t 1,063 Ecu per tonne.
The new regime concerning cotton wool will apply for six years.
The Commission has committed itself to including in its budget the credits securing stability of income for farmers, which will allow them to carry out the necessary investments and technical improvements.
The Council endorsed the freezing of farm prices envisaged in the revision of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), but also adopted special arrangements, which, Mr. Moraitis considers, provide effective solutions to serious problems in Greek agriculture.
These include a 19 per cent increase in the Greek milk quota to 625,000 tonnes, differentiation of supports for tobacco, favouring high quality Greek varieties, and flexibility regarding transfers and offsets of quotas within the same group of varieties , a mechanism designed to prevent sharp falls in tomato producers' prices and measures to counter the crisis in sheep farming.
The Council also adopted the much debated directive for the protection of live animals during tran-sportation, which includes clauses for sea transportation.