A4-0127/97

Resolution on the Commission reports on 'Prospects for the development of regional cooperation for the countries of the former Yugoslavia and what the Community could do to foster such cooperation' (SEC(96)0252 - C4-0274/96) and 'Common principles for future contractual relations with certain countries in South-Eastern Europe' (COM(96)0476 - C4-0644/96)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission reports (SEC(96)0252 - C4-0274/96) and (COM(96)0476 - C4-0644/96),

- having regard to its previous resolutions, in particular those of 20 June 1996 ((OJ C 198, 8.7.1996, p. 191.)) and 19 July 1996 ((OJ C 261, 9.9.1996, p. 194.)) on reconstruction in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and of 14 November 1996 ((OJ C 362, 1.12.1996, p. 258.)) on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia,

- having regard to the Paris consolidation plan for peace in Bosnia- Herzegovina of 14 November 1996 and the outcome of the London Peace Implementation Conference of 5 December 1996,

- having regard to the Royaumont Initiative of 13 December 1995 on the process of stability and good-neighbourly relations in South-Eastern Europe, the platform on this subject adopted by the General Affairs Council on 26/27 February 1996 and the South-east Europe Cooperation Initiative (SECI) launched by the USA in December 1996,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Policy and the opinions of the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on External Economic Relations (A4-0127/97),

A. whereas the conclusions of the General Affairs Council of 25 and 26 November 1996 assigned an important role to a regionally based approach to implementing the civil peace process involving the countries of former Yugoslavia and stated that all countries are to be assessed according to common principles of political and economic conditionality,

B. whereas regional cooperation is one of the constituent elements of European integration itself, serves to bring about peaceful cooperation, economic development and democratization and has therefore repeatedly been advanced and promoted by the EU as a successful example and development model for other regions of the world, for instance Latin America, Asia or, most recently, by the Barcelona Conference, the Mediterranean Basin,

C. whereas, for geographical, strategic and moral reasons, the EU bears special political responsibility for the peace process in former Yugoslavia and for political, social, economic and legal stabilization in the region in the long term, and whereas, because of its political history, economic weight, its range of trading policy tools and its administrative know-how, it is well qualified to promote political, economic and social reconstruction in the region and pave the way for peace and stability through regional cooperation between the various peoples,

D. whereas the EU will succeed in doing so only if:

- Europe provides itself with independent peace-building capabilities to enable it to implement in a credible way its own common foreign policy action when discharging a UN or OSCE mandate,

- the EU seeks to extend and strengthen the mandates of SFOR and the International Police Task Force if violence continues to develop in Bosnia-Herzegovina,

- European efforts to bring lasting peace to the region extend to the democratization of society in countries such as Serbia, Bosnia- Herzegovina and Croatia, where the end of the Communist regimes has only partly produced democratic civil societies and, in most cases, Communist ideology has merely been replaced by nationalism,

- the reconstruction of Bosnia-Herzegovina is conceived in such a way as to ensure that the country will be able to do without international aid, at least on a large scale, and place its economic development on an independent footing,

E. whereas the concept of the regionally based approach is regarded as a stimulus to political stability and the stability of the rule of law and a means of fostering cultural and economic development and cooperation amongst the countries concerned, between them and their neighbours and with the European Union, cooperation being one of the fundamental prerequisites for any peace initiative,

F. whereas a regionally based approach must, however, be more broadly based and does not imply the re-creation of the former Yugoslavia, but should take into account the individual special features of each country; whereas the fact that one country might decline to cooperate must not be allowed to prevent any other country from effecting a rapprochement with the EU,

G. whereas there can be no regional cooperation in South-Eastern Europe unless Bosnia-Herzegovina exists as a workable unified State and the reconstruction process in Bosnia-Herzegovina yields visible results by the time of the next municipal and parliamentary elections,

H. whereas peace, stability and respect for an international and fair legal system in the region that is not imposed as a result of military conquest cannot be attained unless the commitments entered into are scrupulously honoured as regards human and minority rights, the right of refugees and displaced persons to return home, cooperation with the Hague Tribunal and the extradition of war criminals, the establishment of democratic social structures, the observance of democratic rules of conduct, such as unrestricted access to independent media, and political, constitutional and economic reform,

I. whereas the young people of the countries in the region could in particular play an important part in overcoming ethnic divisions, bringing about reconciliation and understanding, establishing tangible democracy regardless of frontiers, and ensuring respect for human dignity and minorities,

The regionally based approach as a political concept

1. Supports in principle the political concept of a regionally based approach for the shaping of relations between the EU and countries of South-Eastern Europe;

2. Takes the view, however, that a regionally based approach for South-Eastern Europe cannot be confined to four countries of former Yugoslavia, namely Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Yugoslavia (Serbia-Montenegro) and FYROM (Macedonia), and Albania, but ought to be based on constructive relations and cooperation with the countries along the borders of the region; furthermore, it should go beyond a purely commercial approach and encompass political elements designed to yield lasting peace;

3. Considers that economic instruments (in particular agreements to be concluded by the EU) should not only include political and economic conditionality, but should be especially geared to promoting closer links between the countries of the region by allowing reciprocal concessions and regional preferences;

4. Proposes, therefore, that the concept of the regionally based approach be regarded as an EU policy initiative which takes account of Europe's peace and strategic interests and therefore requires a coherent CFSP; such an initiative ought to be encompassed within the framework of a political declaration laying down obligations on all sides, following the example of the Barcelona Conference;

5. Proposes, with reference to the Royaumont Initiative, that the EU Presidency call, within two years, a Conference for Peace, Democracy, Sustainable Development and Stability in South-Eastern Europe, at which the participating countries, in cooperation with the EU, would undertake to refrain from violating their common borders, cultivate good-neighbourly relations, respect freedom of religion, human and minority rights, grant freedom of movement on a reciprocal basis, guarantee freedom of speech and fundamental democratic rights, resolve questions of ownership in the various regions, strive to bring about arms control at the lowest possible level and assume joint responsibility for the region's economic and ecological balance; at the same time, calls on the European Union to commit itself to an ambitious long-term programme of enhanced, concerted and multilateral economic assistance for the reconstruction of the region;

6. Considers the Joint Programming and Monitoring Commission proposed by the Commission to be one of a number of suitable means for developing a future officially established body for cooperation in order to plan, coordinate and implement joint projects and programmes involving countries in the region, and that greater use should be made of Phare for promoting regional cooperation, national contributions being reduced to the corresponding extent;

7. Stresses the link between economic renewal and political stabilization; points to the economic contribution by the European Union (unilateral preferential import regimes, Regulation 1628/96, GSP, Phare) and to the existing cooperation agreements between the Union and certain countries in the region;

8. Is convinced that the creation of a multilateral framework is important for political dialogue, dispute settlement and (re)building mutual trust and, in general, for joint planning of the region's future, and that such a development should culminate in a regional 'stability pact for peace and development';

9. Calls in this context on all countries involved in the regional cooperation initiatives, if necessary with the assistance of the Commission and the Council, to combine the relevant existing regional initiatives (Royaumont Initiative and the Bulgarian initiative) and coordinate efforts with the SECI;

10. Stresses that the future agreements should link economic and financial cooperation to the contracting parties' readiness to cooperate with their neighbours, to ensure the free movement of persons, goods, services and capital, and to develop cross-border projects;

Consolidation of Bosnia-Herzegovina as a prerequisite

11. Considers the reconstruction of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the restoration of its integrity as a single State that must once again be viable and capable of self-reliant development to be a matter of urgency and a prerequisite for successful implementation of a regionally based approach for South-Eastern Europe;

12. Considers that regional cooperation, between sections of Bosnia-Herzegovina and neighbouring states, in areas that are the responsibility of the institutions of the State of Bosnia-Herzegovina (such as foreign policy and customs policy) must be stopped;

13. Takes the view that the reconstruction programmes should serve to bring components of the State back together; proposes to this end the development of a common infrastructure for the two entities:

- the construction of a single telephone and communications system for Bosnia-Herzegovina as a whole, using the most modern technology;

- the construction of a road/rail link from Sarajevo to Zagreb, via Banja Luka, to Dubrovnik, via Mostar, and to Birko, via Tuzla, and from Banja Luka to Zvornik, via Tuzla;

- the development of Bosnia-Herzegovina into an economic free zone without internal frontiers;

- the establishment of a commonly administered airspace for Bosnia- Herzegovina; encouragement of civil domestic air services connecting the key cities in Bosnia-Herzegovina;

other cross-border projects, e.g. in the fields of the environment, energy and health, must follow;

14. Calls on the Council and the Commission to make every effort to support the work of the Dayton Real Property Commission in order to facilitate, encourage and accelerate the repatriation of refugees and the return of displaced people;

15. Proposes, with a view to promoting the development of democratic and civil social structures, that a 'Foundation for Democracy' be set up; this should be funded by the EU, backed by the Commission's management know-how and headed and run by independent eminent figures from all three ethnic groups;

16. Proposes that the tasks of such a foundation, which would be closely in touch with people's needs and would give preference to projects that bridged ethnic divides, should encompass the following five areas of activity:

- independent media and training of journalists,

- organizations of a social, political and cultural nature and other civil society organizations and support for NGOs, an action plan for the consolidation of democracy, in cooperation with existing initiatives already receiving EU support, such as the 'Verona Forum' and 'Embassies for local democracy',

- cultural, youth and university cooperation,

- support for the further development of 'Europe Schools', multi-ethnic schools providing objective teaching of history and separate religious education classes,

- business and management training for SMEs;

17. Believes that similar measures to assist democratization, support democratic parties, the independent media and minorities should also be taken in the case of Albania;

Political conditions

18. Reaffirms its view that closer contractual relations between the EU and Yugoslavia (Serbia-Montenegro), Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina should be made conditional upon rigorous observance of the Dayton terms and on the establishment of normal good-neighbourly cooperation amongst these countries and with their neighbours;

19. Rejects the inadequate foreign policy of the international community and the EU which could allow potential ethnic tensions to develop into full-blown conflict and confirms unequivocally, in response to the rejection of a regionally based approach by a number of States in the region, that this approach is considerably more in keeping with the spirit of the EU and therefore cannot understand why the Union and some States of the region are still reconciled to a situation which is defined by ethnic dividing lines;

20. Supports the Commission proposal that future agreements with these countries must contain common features such as democracy and human rights clauses;

21. Calls, in addition, on:

- Serbia to resolve the Kosovo problem and the problems in Vojvodina by granting genuine autonomy to both these regions within the Republic of Yugoslavia and respecting basic democratic rights and organized freedom of the press and freedom of speech,

- Croatia to develop internal democracy (party pluralism and freedom of speech) and guarantee human and minority rights and refugees' right of return, with regard in particular to eastern Slavonia,

- Bosnia-Herzegovina to set up viable joint institutions on a non-ethnic basis, preserve the unity of the State and guarantee party pluralism and freedom of speech,

- all three countries to arrest and extradite the persons sought by the Hague Tribunal, and develop a democratic State which guarantees the freedom and security of its citizens, regardless of race, religion and ethnic origin,

- FYROM to undertake to continue to respect the rights of minorities in the country and give them the possibility to teach and learn their language and to foster their culture;

22. Draws attention to the tensions that exist in Kosovo, eastern Slavonia, Sandjak, Vojvodina and FYROM, where there is considerable pent-up potential for conflict, and calls on the Council to bring immediate, strong pressure on the Serbian authorities to make the opening of a previously proposed EU information office in Kosovo possible and reiterates its proposal that ECMM (European Community Monitoring Mission) delegations should be set up in the aforementioned regions which could assist the political dialogue between the parties and help to build confidence, prevent oppression and violence and promote reconciliation;

23. Proposes that, with the aim of preventing and resolving conflicts, investigative structures (ombudsmen) provided for in the Dayton accord in the case of Bosnia-Herzegovina likewise be set up for a transitional period in Croatia, Serbia and FYROM;

24. Calls on the General Affairs Council to study the original ECMM idea further and to consider whether it could be extended to include qualified military and civilian personnel in order to create the forerunner of a 'European Peacemaking and Peacekeeping Force';

A symbolic act for the youth of Bosnia-Herzegovina

25. Proposes that support be given for the organization of an international pop festival in Bosnia-Herzegovina in summer 1998, which, as a free concert sponsored by the EU, under the patronage of the Presidents of Parliament, the Commission and the Council, would be designed to contribute to reconciliation between young people from all ethnic groups in south-eastern Europe; calls upon the Commission to submit relevant financing proposals and make a start on organizational preparations without delay;

26. Calls on the Commission and the Council to identify further opportunities for cross-border cooperation in the field of culture and education, to support partnerships between towns and universities and to play an active role, along the lines of the Conference of South-Eastern European Mayors, in promoting regional initiatives designed to foster understanding between peoples;

27. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.