WRITTEN QUESTION E-0811/00 by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Council. Minister Christian Sautter's behaviour.
Date: 2000-03-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Austria, Belgium, France, defamation, diplomatic relations, joint action

C 374 E/162

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28.12.2000

Will the Commission say:

(cid:129) Which institution drew up this blacklist and which criteria did it use to do so?

(cid:129) Was the European Parliament consulted before this step was taken and if not, is there any intention of

remedying this situation?

(cid:129) Is it true that this list includes the names of the Minister for Refugee Affairs, Belgrade(cid:146)s ambassador in
Skopje and senior officials in the fields of the economy, trade and healthcare, i.e. persons directly
involved in alleviating and eliminating the consequences of the war?

(cid:129) What does it mean by the phrase (cid:145)persons who have contributed substantially towards strengthening

the Milosevic regime(cid:146)?

(cid:129) Is it aware that by imposing tougher sanctions in this way it is actually undermining the position of
the Yugoslav opposition movement which considers that EU sanctions are strengthening the present
regime in Belgrade?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(29 March 2000)

The Commission recalls that the Council has determined the criteria by which individuals are included in
and removed from the list of those to whom visas will not be issued for entry into Member States. The
visa ban lists are adopted by Council Decision implementing Article 1 of common position 1999/318/
CFSP (1).

The Parliament was not consulted in advance on this list. Under Article 15 of the Treaty on European
Union, such consultation is not foreseen.

The list contains the names of members of the Belgrade regime and their supporters. In exceptional cases,
exemptions may be made if this would further vital Union objectives and be conducive to political
settlement in accordance with Article 1(4) of the common position.

The Commission considers that the phrase to which the Honourable Member refers is self-explanatory.

The Commission does not share the Honourable Member(cid:146)s assessment that the toughening of the sanctions
strengthens the Former Republic of Yugoslavia regime and is detrimental to the Serbian opposition. The
sanctions are, as far as possible, applied in such a way as to impact on the regime but not the population.
The visa ban, for instance, is recognised as an effective sanction against the regime in Belgrade, while some
of the other sanctions have already been partly lifted (e.g. the flight ban and oil embargo as regards Kosovo
and Montenegro) or are being temporarily suspended (e.g. the flight ban on Serbia, as part of a wider
package of strengthening both the visa ban and the financial sanctions). The suspension of the flight ban
was, inter alia, a response to demands by the Serbian democratic opposition.

(1) OJ L 123, 13.5.1999.

(2000/C 374 E/192)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0811/00

by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Council

(20 March 2000)

Subject: Minister Christian Sautter(cid:146)s behaviour

At the meeting of EU Finance Ministers in Brussels on 28 February the French Finance Minister, Christian
Sautter, caused a stir by displaying an unusual sticker. Attached to his overcoat and, later, his suit was a
palm-size sticker showing a no-traffic sign with the diagonal through a bow tie, the trademark of the new

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Austrian Federal Chancellor, Wolfgang Sch(cid:252)ssel. To show his disapproval of Austria(cid:146)s ruling coalition, the
French Finance Minister turned in all directions several times on his arrival in the Belgian capital to draw
the journalists(cid:146) attention to the sticker and the message it conveyed. His delegation, he said, had enough
stickers for the other ministers. Later the Belgian Finance Minister, Didier Reynders,
joined his French
colleague. What constitutes good taste is, of course, arguable, but some things are totally lacking in taste.

is the Federal Chancellor of

the Republic of Austria. As secretary of

Dr Wolfgang Sch(cid:252)ssel
the
parliamentary group of the Austrian People(cid:146)s Party ((cid:214)VP) for many years, as Secretary-General of the
Austrian Economic Federation, as Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Federal Minister for Foreign
Affairs and Vice-Chancellor, he had a blameless career. Since 1995 he has been the Federal party chairman
of the (cid:214)VP, a party which, like no other in Austria, has always pledged its allegiance to a democratic
Europe. On 4 February 2000 Dr Wolfgang Sch(cid:252)ssel was sworn in as Federal Chancellor. Over the years
the Austrian people have been able to see how efficiently and professionally he operates. There cannot be
the slightest doubt about his European mentality and attitude. The Council is therefore asked when it
intends to put a stop to this evil campaign of character assassination and to ensure that common sense
prevails in relations among European partners and friends.

Reply

(25 May 2000)

The Council has not taken a view on this subject and cannot therefore comment on the issues raised in the
Honourable Member(cid:146)s question.

(2000/C 374 E/193)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0812/00

by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Council

(20 March 2000)

Subject: Remarks by the Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel on the Austrian Government

At last, on 27 February, the Belgian Foreign Minster Louis Michel described his outspoken remarks on the
Austrian Government as foolish and withdrew them. The international press agencies reported that he had
described his call on Belgian tourists not to travel to Austria because of the new government coalition as
incredible and verging on bad taste. But anybody looking for a Belgian reappraisal of its strategy of
isolating Austria had their hopes dashed two days later.

In the interview in the Belgian weekly (cid:145)Le Journal du Mardi(cid:146) published on 29 February Michel expressed his
hope that
the sanctions imposed on Austria by the 14 Member States would topple the Vienna
Government. Asked the goal of his strategy towards Austria, he answered: (cid:145)I should like to bring down
is his
the present Austrian Government. Haider is undoubtedly a neo-Nazi, but Wolfgang Schl(cid:252)ssel
accomplice out of pure personal ambition(cid:146). Louis Michel, with his contradictory pronouncements,
in
blatant contrast with the European ideal of dealings between the Member States on the basis of partnership
and responsibility, has set a precedent for relations between the countries in the European Union. The
European project for peace and stability based on responsible economic, political and social cooperation
on the basis of trust is being jeopardised by reckless and insensitive remarks such as Mr Michel(cid:146)s.

What does the Council intend to do to halt the process of disintegration in the Union since the strategy of
isolating Austria began?