WRITTEN QUESTION E-0191/03

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(31 January 2003)

Subject: The increasing extent to which US criteria are being put forward for acceptance or refusal of new Member States by the EU

1. Is the Council still of the view that, together with Slovenia, other countries of the Western Balkans created from the former Yugoslav Federation should be offered the opportunity, if they wish, to become Member States of the EU on the basis of the Copenhagen criteria applied to all the candidate countries?

2. Can the Council confirm that the US Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, Pierre-Richard Prosper, currently on a visit to the Western Balkan states, is demanding that Bosnia-Hercegovina and Serbia hand over the former President and former commander of the army of the Bosnian Serb Republic to the Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague?

3. Is the Council familiar with reports suggesting that the states referred to in question 2 are being threatened by the Ambassador-at-Large not only with a reduction in US financial assistance and opposition to their becoming members of international organisations of which the USA itself is a member, if they fail to hand over the persons concerned promptly, but also with being refused membership of the EU?

4. Does the Council agree that punishing war criminals, however desirable this may be, is not a special precondition that may be imposed by a country outside the EU for accession to the EU?

5. Has the Council noted that the USA has already interfered in the issue of the accession of new Member States to the EU by pressing, contrary to the line being pursued, for Turkey to be swiftly accepted without conditions?

6. What gives the USA the authority to create the impression that it has a right of decision in relation to the accession of new Member States to the EU?

7. Does the Council intend to inform the USA that decisions on accepting new Member States lie exclusively, jointly, with the EU itself, its Member States and the candidate countries and are on no account a matter for non-European powers?

Source: Netherlands edition of the daily newspaper Metro of 20 January 2003

Reply

(21 July 2003)

1. The countries of the Western Balkans had their European prospects (potential candidates for membership) confirmed at the Zagreb Summit in November 2000, based on the conclusions of the European Council meeting at Feira on 19 and 20 June 2000. The European Council meeting in Copenhagen on 12/13 December 2002 recently recalled the membership criteria defined at the Copenhagen European Council meeting in June 1993 and reaffirmed the European prospects of the countries of the Western Balkans.

2. The European Union attaches very great importance to the handing over of Radovan Karadjic, Ratko Mladic and General Gotovina to the ICTY. As regards the US position, the Honourable Member should address his request directly to the competent authorities.

3. The Council is aware that the US Congress included a special clause in its law on foreign assistance for 2003, whereby it has practically frozen until 15 June its aid for Serbia, amounting to USD 110 million. The suspension will be lifted if Secretary of State Colin Powell informs Congress that Serbia has complied with the conditions for cooperation with the ICTY.

4. The Council is not aware of any threats by Ambassador Prosper regarding these countries' eventual membership of the EU, but is informed that the United States attaches great importance to the US and the EU sending the same message on full cooperation with the ICTY.

The Council reiterates that all countries and parties in the Western Balkans region must cooperate fully with the ICTY. Full cooperation with the ICTY is essential for further movement towards the EU.

Finally, the Council would like to stress to the Honourable Member that applications for membership of the European Union are dealt with solely in accordance with the conditions laid down in Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union, which upholds the principle of autonomy of decision making by the European Union