WRITTEN QUESTION E-2273/01

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(3 August 2001)

Subject: Foreign policy on Macedonia

In recent weeks the EU's foreign policy coordinator, Javier Solana, has been negotiating vigorously in the Macedonian conflict. His representative François Léotard has now submitted a plan that provides for the recognition of Albanian as an official language, more Albanians in government posts, decentralisation of decision-making and a change in the constitution. These changes would be conditional upon the Albanian rebels disarming.

1. Does the Council not consider that the unilateral disarming of the Albanian rebels is bound to fail? In other words, is the Council convinced that only the disarming of all irregular forces, that is including Macedonian reservists, estimated to number 10 000, and various citizens groups, offers any chance of peace?

2. Does the Council believe that a minimalist approach such as that put forward by François Léotard offers any chance of being accepted by the Albanian negotiators?

3. Is the Council prepared to submit a radical plan to reorganise Macedonia as a federal state with equal rights for Albanian and Slav Macedonians, with recognition of the rights of other ethnic minorities, in order to create a real opportunity for lasting and peaceful coexistence?

Reply

(17 December 2001)

Recent events are in themselves a reply to the question put by the Honourable Member, in particular as regards points 1 and 2 of the question. The Ohrid Framework Agreement of 13 August 2001, signed thanks to the tenacity of Mr Solana (Secretary-General/CFSP High Representative) as is acknowledged by the Honourable Member and to the efforts made in situ by the Union's Special Representative, François Léotard, and by the US Envoy, James Pardew, is a significant success for the European Union and for European diplomacy in general.

At this stage the international effort for the gradual implementation of the Framework Agreement is continuing on two fronts: the political front, directed at early adoption of the reforms envisaged (constitutional, political and economic changes, chiefly in favour of minorities), which is headed by the European Union and its Special Representative in Skopje, and the security front proper, under the aegis of NATO with operation Essential Harvest, which has been replaced since 27 September 2001 by operation Amber Fox.

The European Union will take the greatest care, in coordination with the other organisations involved, to ensure that the Agreements are implemented in full as soon as possible. To that end, in addition to increasing Mr Léotard's staff in situ, the European Union has approved the proposal by Mr Solana (Secretary-General/CFSP High Representative) to increase the staff of the EUMM (European Union Monitoring Mission) in the FYROM to 35 (the OSCE has increased its number of observers).

As regards point 3 of the Honourable Member's question, the Framework Agreement of 13 August is, in the view of the European Union, a guarantee of a return to peace, stability and national reconciliation between all the communities by virtue of the constitutional responses aimed at consolidating the rights of all ethnic minorities, notably the sizeable Albanian minority, which constitutes almost one third of the population, while respecting the territorial integrity and unity of the country. One way of approaching that objective is decentralisation and the development of local self-management.

At its meeting on 8 and 9 October 2001 the Council expressed its concern at the lack of progress made by the FYROM in implementing the Framework Agreement of 13 August. Giving a reminder of its position in the matter, it appealed to the Parliament of the FYROM to approve at the earliest opportunity all constitutional and legislative provisions agreed upon by the Parties, thus opening the way to full implementation of the Framework Agreement, in which it reiterated its determination to play an active part. The Council also stressed, however, that its assistance for the reforms carried out by the FYROM depended upon the satisfactory conclusion of the parliamentary process of constitutional revision. In that context the Council observed that the conditions for convening a Donors Conference had not been met.

Lastly, the Council would inform the Honourable Member that the Secretary-General/CFSP High Representative, Javier Solana, has visited the FYROM on several occasions to encourage progress in the parliamentary process and has thus facilitated some advances, including on the central issue of the preamble to the Constitution.