A4-0418/96

Resolution on the Communication from the Commission to the Council on the renewal of the San José dialogue between the European Union and Central America (COM(95)0600 - C4-0102/96)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Council, COM(95)0600 - C4-0102/96,

- having regard to its resolutions of 17 September 1987 on the Esquipulas II Conference and the peace plan for Central America ((OJ C 281, 19.10.1987, p. 129.)) and 30 October 1987 on the Anas Guatemala peace plan (Esquipulas II) ((OJ C 318, 30.11.1987, p. 147.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 11 March 1988 on the situation in Central America ((OJ C 94, 11.4.1988, p. 185.)),

- having regard to its opinion of 15 July 1993 on the proposal for a Council Decision concerning the conclusion of a Framework Cooperation Agreement between the European Economic Community and the republics of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama ((OJ C 255, 20.9.1993, p. 167.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 22 April 1994 on the economic and commercial implications for the Community of the situation in Central America ((OJ C 128, 9.5.1994, p. 455.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 15 December 1994 on support for the peace process in Guatemala ((OJ C 18, 23.1.1995, p. 186.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 18 July 1996 on progress in implementing the common foreign and security policy (January-December 1995) ((OJ C 261, 9.9.1996, p. 154.)),

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Policy and the opinions of the Committee on External Economic Relations and the Committee on Development and Cooperation (A4-0418/96),

A. whereas the success achieved in connection with the San José ministerial dialogue between the European Union and Central America, which began in September 1994, is one of the greatest achievements to date of the EU's common foreign policy,

B. whereas, of the successes to which the European Union has contributed, special mention should be made of the achievement of a secure, lasting peace in the region on the basis of the Esquipulas II agreements, the establishment of peace and stability in Nicaragua and El Salvador, the peace agreement in Guatemala, the continuation of the regional integration process, the existence of democratic governments and orderly transitions, the progressive demilitarization of society and the overall improvement in the human rights situation,

C. whereas, despite the progress made (macro-economic stability, renewed growth, the spread of democratic government), there continue to be threats to peace and democracy in certain countries; whereas the pockets of poverty in many of those countries have reached an intolerable size, and whereas there is a greater need than ever to offer the people hope and expectations for the future,

D. whereas the European Union should help to satisfy the expectations of peace and justice which have been aroused in the countries and peoples of the area and to guarantee the ultimate success of the measures which have already been adopted, and whereas the Union's responsibility cannot under any circumstances be regarded as being restricted merely to involvement in the various electoral processes,

E. whereas there is a need to establish balanced, consistent relations between the European Union and Central America which exclude any kind of unfair law and double standards and which are based on the legitimate interests (of any kind) of both parties,

F. whereas, in the trade and economic field, the cooperation framework agreement between the European Community and the signatory countries to the General Treaty on Central American Economic Integration (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua), together with Panama, which was initialled on 22 January 1993 and signed on 22 February 1993, represents a new chapter in relations between the EU and Central America,

G. whereas development cooperation with Central America should continue to be directed towards the most vulnerable social groups and whereas cooperation methods need to be improved so as to increase the involvement of local groups in programme management, speed up payments and ensure uniform impact in the various geographical areas,

H. whereas the Joint Committee must be made to operate effectively so as to ensure that concerted action is taken in respect of the various projects submitted by the governments in the region, that priorities are established from a regional point of view and that the involvement of social organizations, trade unions and NGOs operating in the region is secured,

I. whereas, in Central America, the phenomenon of impunity is particularly apparent in the difficulties faced by judicial bodies in their attempts to guarantee the rights of those detained by the police and the military and to bring members of those forces to trial,

J. whereas it must once again be ensured that budgetary resources are sufficient to match ambitions and whereas, despite the significant amount of aid received, the list of needs and objectives to be covered is so challenging in financial terms that greater resources are essential,

K. whereas the new cooperation framework agreement of 22 February 1993 does not guarantee any political debate whatsoever at parliamentary level or provide for any form of participation by the general public,

L. whereas the above agreement has recently been ratified by Costa Rica and Guatemala is to do the same in the near future, which means that the agreement can then be brought into force quickly, and whereas, if it is not revised, use could at least be made of the evolutionary clause contained therein for the purpose of adapting the agreement to the new requirements of the renewed dialogue process,

M. whereas the general public needs to be involved in the dialogue process through the holding of periodic conferences with the representatives thereof, both in the EU and in Central America, by granting those representatives observer status at inter-ministerial meetings and by facilitating the active participation of such people in the appropriate sectoral forums, committees and subcommittees at all discussion, negotiation and monitoring stages of the process,

N. whereas, in addition to allowing the involvement of other civilian, people's and trade-union organizations, the San José process should also accommodate the various integration and cooperation structures involving European and Central American NGOs which are already in operation (in the fields of the environment, youth, women's rights, etc.),

1. Expresses its satisfaction at the success achieved since the San José dialogue process was institutionalized in November 1985 and calls for the strengthening and realignment thereof;

2. Considers that the strengthening of the above dialogue process is a prime objective for a comprehensive, consistent and independent common foreign and security policy which requires the European Union to act responsibly and consistently and, at the same time, represents a moral commitment on the part of the Union;

3. Is in favour of extending the political dialogue to other topics such as social issues, the rules for applying the democracy clause, human rights, decentralization, trade policy and macro-economic policies and calls on the Member States to take steps towards debt cancellation for Central America;

4. Calls for a comprehensive, highly specific, well-defined and adequately funded CFSP action programme for Central America to be drawn up and calls on the Commission to submit to Parliament a detailed plan of its multi- annual programme for Central America and of the associated measures which will ensure better use of the available resources and effective financial and technical monitoring;

5. Reiterates its view that support for democratization in Central America entails democracy and respect for human rights, with an avoidance of double standards, and includes monitoring of and support for electoral processes, support for bodies and organizations which promote and defend human rights, support for refugees and returnees, respect for workers' rights, the signing, implementation and full application of ILO Convention 169 of 1989 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries, control of the armed forces by civil society and reductions in military expenditure in order to fund human development;

6. Welcomes the signing of the global agreement for a firm and lasting peace in Guatemala between the government of Guatemala and the URNG guerilla movement; calls on both parties to comply strictly with the agreements; calls on the Commission and Council to grant Guatemala, subject to full respect for human rights, financial assistance which is sufficient to ensure the success of the peace process, the satisfactory reintegration of the returnees and the reintegration of the combatants;

7. Calls on the European Union to contribute to the regional integration process in Central America by means of:

- exchanges of experience to create the institutional framework of the process;

- support for policy coordination and for devising regional policies in the areas of agriculture and stock farming, industry, trade, energy, services and customs, which will help the region to integrate into the world economy;

- support for regional compensatory funds to rectify social imbalances arising from the integration process;

- measures to promote and support cross-border cooperation in the region in matters of common interest;

8. Urges all the Central American states to continue their efforts to achieve regional integration, and to this end supports the implementation of the Social Charter for Central American Integration and the operation of the Sub-system for Social Integration set up at the presidential summit in San Salvador in 1995;

9. Considers it essential for the Commission's human and material resources, both in the region itself and in the central offices, to be significantly increased in terms of both quality and quantity and in this connection welcomes the opening of the Commission delegation office in Guatemala and the imminent opening of a delegation office in Nicaragua;

10. Attaches priority to measures designed to consolidate the rule of law through the creation of an independent judiciary which will be free from pressure and be able to judge and mete out punishments in case of impunity for crimes committed for political reasons, together with the modernization of the state, decentralization and municipal development, the promotion of concerted action between governments and the general public, the promotion of full and equal participation by women and the abolition of legal and economic discrimination against women, the protection of indigenous women and the environment and the carrying out of proper fiscal reform, which will enable the state to meet its basic obligations in terms of education and health care;

11. Reaffirms its full support for action against impunity; urges all state bodies in Central America to cooperate with the judicial bodies investigating this issue; supports the efforts of the United Nations 'Truth Commission¨ to curb the tendency to grant general amnesties for political crimes committed in the recent past; resolutely opposes any impunity for human rights abuses;

12. Welcomes the extension of the multi-annual programme for the promotion of human rights in Central America; supports the implementation thereof, especially among the security bodies and forces of the state, the armed forces, public institutions and judicial bodies; is in favour of setting up a permanent international criminal court to deal with the abhorrent phenomenon of impunity;

13. Calls on the Commission to devote particular attention to impunity as a serious infringement of the human rights clause in EU Agreements with third countries and urges it in this connection to draw up a proposal for an international convention against impunity and to forward it to the competent bodies;

14. Suggests that support should be provided for land distribution and registration processes for the benefit of cooperative members and small- scale peasant farmers as part of an agricultural reform process, and that there should be an increase in the resources allocated to social policy and to improving care and quality in health, basic services and education;

15. Fully supports the additional regional structures introduced in Central America to combat drug trafficking and calls for special funds to be allocated to anti-personnel mine defusion programmes;

16. Considers that the cooperation framework agreement (and future agreements of the same type) should in future be accompanied by a financial protocol which includes a substantial increase in the resources allocated to cooperation with the countries of Central America;

17. Proposes the extension to Central America of the new Generalized System of Preferences of which the Andean Pact countries are beneficiaries in the case of industrial products as well, and the involvement of the European Investment Bank and the EU Member States in the Central American Bank for Economic Integration; calls emphatically, however, for such measures to promote export-oriented agriculture and industry not to be allowed to result in further concentration of land and property ownership, which jeopardizes food security in the countries concerned;

18. Calls for at least partial remission of the external debt of the Central American countries and for the adjustment thereof to their respective limited payment capacities and for priority to be given to combating poverty;

19. Emphasizes the importance of granting support to economic operators in the region, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises, in order to promote and diversify exports and stimulate European investment in Central America;

20. Proposes that the European Parliament and the Central American Parliament should be involved in the twice-yearly plenary ministerial meetings and in the intermediate meetings between the Central American ministers and the EU Troika;

21. Calls on the Central American states which have not yet done so to ratify the Parlacen Constituent Treaty and to play an effective role within that institution;

22. Stresses the importance of regional integration as a means of achieving the development and integration of the region at international level; calls for technical assistance and institutional aid to the Central American regional integration bodies to be maintained;

23. Calls for a forum to be set up for consultation with the general public, for the proposals put forward by the Civilian Initiative for Central American Integration (ICIC) to be taken into account, and for the bodies which have taken part in cooperation projects in the region for many years (in particular the CIFCA - Copenhagen Initiative for Central America) to be allowed to take part in the above-mentioned consultative forum on an appropriate basis;

24. Recommends that participation by civil society (civil, grassroots and trade union organizations, NGOs, etc.) in the dialogue process should find practical expression in the holding of periodic conferences, the granting to its representatives of observer status at interministerial meetings and the active involvement of such representatives in relevant sectoral forums, committees and subcommittees;

25. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the Presidents of the Central American and Latin American parliaments, the governments of the Member States and the governments of the Central American states.