WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3961/98 by Luigi CALIGARIS Negotiations on Slovenia's accession to the European Union and the restitution of Italian property
Date: 1999-01-04
Institutions: CALIGARIS, European Parliament
Subjects: Italy, Slovenia, accession to the European Union, agreement (EU), application of EU law, confiscation of property, discrimination on the basis of nationality, expropriation, national minority, protection of minorities

C 320/94

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.11.1999

(1999/C 320/128)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3961/98

by Luigi Caligaris (ELDR) to the Commission

(4 January 1999)

Subject: Negotiations on Slovenia’s accession to the European Union and the restitution of Italian property

Slovenia is one of the countries with which the Commission has opened negotiations for accession as a matter
of priority. This reflects the real progress achieved by Slovenia’s new institutions in terms of political and
economic stability. However, the EU’s justifiably favourable attitude to that country makes it all the more
important for Slovenia to pay particular attention to resolving the contentious issue of the restitution of
property belonging to the Italian minority still living there. The Italian minority was the victim of the previous
Yugoslav regime’s arrogant policy of expropriation, in line with practice in other totalitarian communist states.

Despite the agreements initialled by the Italian and Slovenian governments, the subject at issue continues to
constitute an example of blatant discrimination against the rights of the Italian minority, which is still suffering
the effects of the unjust confiscation of various assets. Moreover, the dispute in question cannot be regarded as
simply a bilateral Italian-Slovenian matter, as it is falls within the scope of relations between the EU and
Slovenia, particularly in the light of the accession negotiations.

As accession should be conditional on proper respect for the rights of minorities and the payment of
compensation for property confiscated in the past, as behoves a law-based and democratic state, what active
steps is the Commission taking in its discussions with the Slovenian authorities? And what mechanisms exist
to ensure that progress in the negotiations is conditional on achieving a settlement of this question acceptable
to all the parties involved?

Answer given by Mr van den Broek on behalf of the Commission

(15 February 1999)

The accession negotiations with Slovenia started following a decision of the Luxembourg European Council
in December 1997. These negotiations concern the future membership of Slovenia of the Union and its
acceptance of the Community rules (the ‘acquis’). Property ownership however is not as such part of the acquis.
Article 222 of the EC Treaty stipulates the Treaty shall not prejudice Member States’ rules governing the system
of property ownership.

Relations between the Community and Slovenia are regulated by the Europe agreement, which entered into
force on 1 February 1999. This includes an exchange of letters with the Slovenian government (Annex XIII)
which commits the Slovenian government to liberalize the Slovenian property market four years after the
entry into force of the Europe agreement. For those Union citizens (including former Italian residents) with
three years of residence in Slovenia, the Slovenian government is committed to liberalise the property market
immediately with the entry into force of the Europe agreement.

In addition, the Slovenian government already introduced the necessary constitutional changes in July 1997,
in accordance with the above-mentioned exchange of letters, before ratification of the Europe agreement. The
Commission is continuing consultations with the Slovenian government to monitor the correct implementa-
tion of the property issue. The government has on several occasions confirmed its full commitment to timely
implementation of all the provisions of Annex XIII to the Europe agreement.

(1999/C 320/129)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3962/98

by Jessica Larive (ELDR) to the Commission

(4 January 1999)

Subject: Cost of electronic transactions in the EU

Since 2 December one of the Dutch banks has been charging Fl 5 for withdrawals of money from cash
dispensers in other EU Member States. The same bank also charges a fee for electronic transactions in shops in