WRITTEN QUESTION E-2325/98

by Jannis Sakellariou (PSE) to the Commission

(22 July 1998)

Subject: Peace process in the Middle East

1. How does the Commission assess the prospects for achieving peace in the next two years between Israel and its neighbours?

2. Is the European Union still of the opinion that only a return by Israel of the territories occupied since 1967 or 1982 on the West Bank, the Golan Heights and in southern Lebanon can lead to a lasting peace with its Arab neighbours?

3. How can the EU support the peace process more effectively than in the past? What is an appropriate role for it alongside the USA?

4. Does the Commission intend to extend the mandate of the special envoy for the peace process? How much has this mandate cost the European tax payer since its start in early 1997? Are these costs reasonable in terms of the results achieved and what concrete results have been achieved in the last two years?

Answer given by Mr Marín on behalf of the Commission

(11 September 1998)

1. The interim period foreseen in the Israeli-Palestinian Oslo agreements signed in 1993 comes to an end on 4 May 1999. In principle, bilateral negotiations on the most difficult issues - Jerusalem, refugees, water, borders - should have started on 4 May 1996 so that they could be completed by the scheduled ending date of the interim period. Despite all international efforts to date, the permanent status negotiations have not resumed after their formal launching on 4 May 1996, under the previous Israeli government. Against this background any assessment of what will happen after 4 May 1999 is very difficult and would depend on the results of the ongoing United States - mediating efforts to broker a long-awaited breakthrough on the issue of further re-deployment.

2. The Cardiff European Council reaffirmed the Union's attachment to the principles underlying the peace process as it was launched at the 1991 Madrid Conference, notably the principle of "land for peace" enshrined in United Nations Security Council resolutions 242 and 338. It is a well-established view of the Union that for it to be lasting and provide long-term stability to the region a negotiated solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict must be just and therefore respect the principle of land for peace in a comprehensive manner.

3. In its Communication of January 1998 on the Union role in the peace process(1) the Commission voiced its views on the issue. It should be noted that on 23 February 1998 the Council of General Affairs endorsed the general guidelines of the Commission's Communication. The Commission continues to believe that the Union should maintain its high levels of economic aid to the Palestinian Authority, in the belief that despite all the political and economic difficulties, such aid has played an instrumental role in keeping the peace process alive. Nevertheless, it is also the view of the Commission that the renewal of the Union's aid programme should come under a different framework that addresses most of the Union's concerns, among which its role regarding the co-ordination of international assistance. Also, the Commission believes that the Union should continue to play a full political role in the process, alongside the United States. Although peace in the Middle East largely depends upon strong United States leadership, the Commission believes that the current situation makes it difficult to attain peace without a full European Union political involvement in the negotiations.

4. The Commission has indeed supported the view that the Council should renew the mandate of the Union Special Envoy Ambassador Moratinos for one more year. The cost of the Joint Action under which the Special Envoy operates is of around MECU 2 per year, which come out of the Common foreign and security policy (CFSP) budget-reserve. The Commission believes that these costs are reasonable given the Union strategic interest in achieving peace in the Middle East and playing an enhanced role in contributing to it taking place. It is clear that the Special Envoy's activities are helpful to the peace process and good for the visibility of the Union's role in the region.

(1) COM(97) 715 final.