B4-0034, 0035, 0036, 0037, 0038, 0039 and 0041/97

Resolution on Serbia

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in the former Yugoslavia,

- having regard to the Council declaration of 9 January 1997 on the situation in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia,

- having regard to the European Parliament's meeting with the representatives of the Serbian opposition in October 1996;

A. welcoming the report by the special OSCE mission, led by the former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe González, on the local elections in Serbia of 17 November 1996,

B. honouring the great determination of large parts of the population of Belgrade and other Serbian cities who are seeking to obtain recognition of the true results of the local elections by the Serbian regime and further democratization of the Serbian State by exclusively peaceful, non-violent means,

C. whereas the Serbian authorities at first tried, indeed successfully, to pressurise part of the judiciary with a view to discrediting the opposition's victory,

D. whereas the security forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia have so far shown restraint in the face of massive peaceful resistance by the people,

E. noting that the full implementation of the recommendations included in the OSCE report, combined with concrete steps to improve the electoral system, freedom of the press and independence of the judicial system, constitute the precondition for an improvement in relations between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on the one hand and the European Union on the other,

F. emphasizing that the Commission and the Council, as well as the European Union's Member States, should give their full support to democratization of the institutions of, and reinforcement of civic society in, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, whatever authorities are in place in the future,

1. Pays tribute and gives its warm support to the great determination of the people of Belgrade and other Serbian cities in their peaceful actions to achieve a process of democratic transition in their country;

2. Gives its full and unequivocal support to the report of the special OSCE mission on the local elections in Serbia of 17 November 1996, and urges the Serbian authorities to implement fully the recommendations included in this report as a matter of extreme urgency;

3. Urges the Council to emphasize the importance it attaches to implementation of the conclusions of the OSCE report by the Serbian regime, by sending a special Troika mission to Belgrade expressing its position and making contact with the opposition;

4. Urges the Commission, the Council and the Member States not to engage in any discussions regarding an improvement in relations between the European Union and its Member States on the one hand and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on the other, as long as no concrete steps towards implementation of the OSCE recommendations and towards further democratization of the Serbian political system have been taken;

5. Urges the Commission, the Council and the Member States likewise not to send any trade missions to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia or to grant it any economic or trade benefits, as long as no concrete steps towards implementation of the OSCE recommendations and towards further democratization of the Serbian political system have been taken; urges the Commission, the Council and the Member States to take the same position in the governing bodies of the IMF and the World Bank as regards rescheduling the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's foreign debt;

6. Reminds the Council, the Commission and the Serbian authorities that the ultimate aim of the Dayton Agreement is the establishment of the rule of law, democracy and respect for human rights in the whole of the former Yugoslavia, including the restoration of autonomy for Kosovo and full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia;

7. Urges the Commission and the Council to give their full support to the process of democratic transition and the reinforcement of civic society in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, especially by increasing support for the independent media in this country;

8. Urges the Belgrade Government to remove all restrictions on foreign journalists and politicians who wish to visit Belgrade to assess the situation by granting the necessary visas;

9. Instructs its Bureau to send a fact-finding mission to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia which will report as soon as possible to its Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Policy and to the Plenary;

10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the parliaments and governments of the Member States and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.