European Parliament resolution on the situation in Chechnya
Date: 1999-12-15
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: EU relations, Russia, civilian victim, human rights, military occupation, war of independence

C 296/124

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.10.2000

Wednesday 15 December 1999

2.
Calls on the Commission to incorporate a strictly time-limited review clause in the Regulation, so
that the maximum 1 % content can be reviewed within 12 months in the light of relevant scientific and
technical studies or opinions; calls further for such review to examine and where necessary improve the
scope and operation of all related legislation on GM foodstuffs and derivatives, taking account also of the
compatibility of this legislation with European rules on seeds;

3.
Calls on the Commission to come forward with a proposal for a negative list concerning products
and ingredients in which DNA and protein from genetically modified organisms is considered no longer to
be present as foreseen in the draft regulation;

4.
Strongly calls on the Commission to propose that in such a highly sensitive and controversial area as
GM food regulation and labelling, the codecision procedure should apply to the adoption of these mea-
sures;

Calls on the Commission to come forward rapidly with proposals for the labelling of GMOs in ani-

5.
mal feed and products derived from animals reared on GMO feed;

6.

Calls on the Commission to clarify the definition of ‘adventitious’ in this regulation;

Calls on the Commission to clarify how this regulation will apply to pre-packed products containing

7.
GMOs imported into the European Union;

8.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and Council.

23. Situation in Chechnya

B5-0326, 0330, 0331, 0332 and 0360/1999

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Chechnya

The European Parliament,

4 having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Chechnya and in particular its resolution

of 18 November 1999 (1),

4 having regard to its assent of 30 November 1995 to the conclusion of an Agreement on Partnership
and Co-operation between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and
the Russian Federation, of the other part (2), its assent of 11 June 1997 to the conclusion of the Pro-
tocol to the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement between the European Communities and their
Member States and the Russian Federation (3) and to the Common Strategy of the European Union on
Russia, adopted by the Council in June 1999,

4 having regard to the EU Council Presidency’s fact-finding mission to Ingushetia on 30 October 1999,

4 having regard to the declaration of the European Council in Helsinki of 10 December 1999,

4 having regard to the OSCE Istanbul Summit Declaration,

4 having regard to its decision to postpone its opinion on the Agreement with Russia on Cooperation in

the areas of Science and Technology, given the events in Chechnya,

(1) Texts adopted of that sitting, Item 15.
(2) OJ C 339, 18.12.1995, p. 45.
(3) OJ C 200, 30.6.1997, p. 66.

18.10.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 296/125

Wednesday 15 December 1999

A. deeply concerned by the further escalation of the armed conflict in Chechnya and in particular the
increasing number of victims among the civilian population as well as the ever worsening situation of
the civilian population still remaining in Chechnya,

B. outraged at the intense bombardments of Chechen villages and cities and the unacceptable ultimatum
given by the Russian military to all remaining civilians in Grozny who are mainly children, disabled
and elderly people, who have neither the means nor the strength to leave the city,

C. having regard to the important role of the Russian Federation in geostrategic stability and security far

beyond the region,

D.

E.

F.

stressing the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation and its right to fight terrorism whilst recal-
ling at the same time the obligations of the Russian Federation, not only under the Partnership and
Cooperation Agreement but also as a member of the UN Security Council, the Council of Europe and
the OSCE, to respect democratic values and human rights,

concerned that international relief agencies have still no safe access to the area even though Russia
had committed itself to facilitating such access during the OSCE summit,

considering that the war in Chechnya is seriously endangering democracy and the rule of law in the
Russian Federation, as it is already heavily influencing the electoral campaign for the elections to the
Duma,

1.
Strongly condemns the ongoing Russian military action against civilians in Chechnya and in particu-
lar the ultimatum directed against the thousands of remaining inhabitants of Grozny, treating them as
hostages;

2.
Expects Russia to honour its commitments under international law, to call for an immediate cease-
fire, to stop immediately any further military action and withdraw the ultimatum, to facilitate safe delivery
of humanitarian aid to the region, to search for a negotiated political solution to the conflict whilst starting
a dialogue with the elected representatives of Chechnya; notes that Russia has to respect international law
and democratic values if she wants to be recognised as a full and respected member of the international
community;

3.
Calls on the Chechen authorities to respect the rules and principles of humanitarian law, to condemn
terrorism, to prevent terrorist activities, and to contribute to the liberation of all remaining hostages and to
a negotiated peaceful solution of the conflict;

Expresses its firm belief that the present campaign and the unacceptable threat to the people of

4.
Grozny can only perpetuate, and not break, the cycle of violence in the Caucasus region;

5. Welcomes the proposal by the Council to transfer funds from TACIS to humanitarian assistance and
invites the Council and the Commission to make the necessary financial proposal and to check upon the
viability and absorption capacity in the neighbouring regions and Georgia;

6. Welcomes the suspension of some of the provisions of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement;

7.
Urges the Commission and the Council to maintain the political dialogue with the Russian Federation
and welcomes the planned meeting between EU High Representative Solana and Russian Foreign Minister
Ivanov;

8.
Calls on other international organisations, and in particular the IMF, to use the means at their dis-
posal to contribute to a peaceful solution of the crisis and in particular urges the OSCE and the Council of
Europe to urge Russia to honour the obligations linked to its membership or to consider the review of the
status of Russia in these organisations;

9.
Repeats its proposal to organise jointly with the OSCE a Caucasus Stability Conference for all parties
concerned in order to contribute to the creation of a conflict prevention forum to solve the problems of
the region;

C 296/126

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.10.2000

Wednesday 15 December 1999

10.
Invites its ad-hoc delegation monitoring the elections to the Duma on 19 December 1999 to take
this opportunity to use its influence with the Russian authorities and in particular the Duma parliamentar-
ians to contribute to a swift political solution of the conflict and to convey the message that Russia’s
current way of dealing with the Chechen problem is unacceptable to any democratic country;

11.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Council of
Europe, the OSCE, the Secretary General of the United Nations, the Russian State Duma and the Federal
Council and the authorities in Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia.

24. OSCE summit in Istanbul

B5-0315, 0320, 0321, 0322 and 0324/1999

European Parliament resolution on the OSCE

The European Parliament,

4 having regard to the Final Declaration of the OSCE at the Istanbul Summit on 19 November 1999,

4 having regard to the adoption of the European Security Charter on 19 November 1999,

4 having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Kosovo and in Central Asia,

4 having regard to its previous resolutions on the OSCE, EU conflict prevention and the European Civil

Peace Corps,

4 having regard to the two OSCE reports on the situation of human rights in Kosovo issued in Vienna

and Pristina on 6 December 1999,

A.

B.

recognising the importance of the role of the OSCE for achieving democratic and peaceful develop-
ment in Europe,

underlining the importance of the adoption of the European Security Charter in strengthening security
and stability in Europe,

C. welcoming the decision to establish a taskforce to develop Rapid Expert Assistant and Cooperation
Teams (REACT) to enable the OSCE to respond quickly to demands for civilian assistance, and hoping
that the taskforce will soon come up with more details concerning its implementation, particularly as
regards its cost, staffing requirements, and commitments on the part of OSCE participating states,

D.

concerned by continuing instability in Kosovo, in particular concerning minorities,

E.

F.

G.

H.

I.

preoccupied by the lack of democracy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the difficulties
encountered in the implementation of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and
Herzegovina,

recognising the important role played by neighbouring countries which function as stabilising factors
in the Balkans,

concerned by the increase in international terrorism, violent extremism, organised crime and drug and
arms trafficking in Central Asia with very negative consequences in the Caucasus,

sharing the OSCE’s concerns about finding a peaceful settlement to the Trans-Dniestrian problem as
well as other crises,

underlining the need for the OSCE to work with other organisations and institutions with coordinated
approaches in order to avoid duplication,