WRITTEN QUESTION E-3559/02

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Council

(12 December 2002)

Subject: Cancellation of the ACP session

The ACP-EU Joint Assembly, which should have been held from 25 to 28 November in Brussels, was cancelled by a decision of the ACP members in protest at the Zimbabwean representatives' being excluded from the meeting.

In view of the regrettable lack of dialogue between the institutions, which gave rise to strong disagreements:

- Why was it not announced that the agreement given by the Belgian authorities did not constitute a unilateral decision but was the result of a vote in the Foreign Affairs Council?

- Does the Council not consider it worrying that Zimbabwe has succeeded, for the second time, in benefiting from a professed passive solidarity from the other states of Africa, the Pacific and the Caribbean, a solidarity which certainly would not have been forthcoming from these states without the attitude of the Europeans?

- Does the Council not consider that the cancellation of the session goes against the letter of the Cotonou agreements?

- Does it not consider that it is important to resume the relationship with the ACP States by establishing new and more up-to-date priorities which, whilst for the Union Member States they must concern ways of intervening to uphold peace, democracy and human rights, must consist, for the ACP States, in defining appropriate attitudes and behaviour to combat violence, terrorism and human rights violations?

Reply

(4 March 2003)

The Council regrets that it was not possible for the fifth session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly to take place in Brussels from 25 to 28 November 2002 as planned. The Joint Parliamentary Assembly is a major institution of the ACP-EU partnership, a primary forum for dialogue on development issues and an essential means for promoting democracy and the rule of law in the ACP States.

On 21 November 2002 the Conference of Presidents decided that two Zimbabwean Ministers whose names appeared on the list of persons subject to a visa ban under the Council Common Position of 18 February 2002 should be denied access to the European Parliament buildings; that decision was deemed unacceptable by the ACP members of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly and made it impossible for the meeting to be held.

The Belgian Government's decision which it took after consulting the other Member States in the Council to grant visas to the two persons in question was based on the obligations arising from the Cotonou Agreement (Article 17 and Protocol No 2 on Privileges and Immunities) and the headquarters agreement between the Kingdom of Belgium and the ACP Group of States. Article 3(3) of the Common Position provides that Member States may derogate from the visa ban where travel is justified on grounds of attending meetings of international bodies or conducting political dialogue that promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Zimbabwe.

The restrictive measures adopted by the Council against Zimbabwe under the Cotonou Agreement and the Common Position will shortly expire. At its meeting on 27 January 2003 the Council will hold an in-depth policy discussion on relations with Zimbabwe, in the light of which it will decide on any further steps to be taken.