WRITTEN QUESTION E-1057/00 by Theresa Villiers (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Cyprus.
Date: 2000-04-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Cyprus, EU financing, EU programme, accession to the European Union, settlement of disputes

C 53 E/64

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.2.2001

(2001/C 53 E/075)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1057/00

by Theresa Villiers (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 April 2000)

Subject: Cyprus

Accession negotiations with Cyprus pose special challenges to the EU.

What is the total amount of finance which has been made available to date so as to aid Cypriot accession?
What commitments have been made as to future funding?

What, if any, funds have been made available for projects designed to foster reconciliation between the
two communities in Cyprus?

If such funds have been made available, can the Commission give details of the nature and number of such
reconciliation projects?

UN Resolution 1283, adopted in 1999, states that links and contacts between the Greek and Turkish
Cypriot communities remain very limited, largely because of the restrictions imposed by the occupying
Turkish regime ((cid:146)the Denktash regime(cid:146)). Have the Commission or its agents or employees experienced any
difficulties in implementing projects designed to foster reconciliation between the two Cypriot commu-
nities?

If so, could the Commission give details of these difficulties and state whether they have still to be
resolved? In particular, could it state what role the Denktash regime played in blocking or otherwise
hindering such reconciliation projects?

Is the Commission aware of any non-EU initiatives aimed at reconciliation between the two Cypriot
communities which have been blocked or in any way hindered by the Denktash regime?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(27 April 2000)

The Commission agrees with the Honourable Member that enlargement negotiations with Cyprus raise
the opportunity of Union
special challenges for the Union. However,
membership for Cyprus may be the catalyst in the proximity talks currently underway within the auspices
of the United Nations.

the Commission hopes that

Cyprus has benefited over the years from four financial protocols covering grants, risk capital and
European Investment Bank (EIB) loans. The fourth of these protocols (€ 74 million, consisting of € 50
million in EIB loans, € 22 million in grants and € 2 million in risk capital) came to an end on
31 December 1999. One of
the
the projects financed under this protocol
Community (cid:145)acquis(cid:146) into Turkish.

is for a translation of

For the future, the total funds which have been made available for Cyprus for the period 2000-2004 fall
within the terms of the new financial regulation, adopted by the Council on 13 March 2000 (1). This
regulation now forms the legal basis for the accession partnership with Cyprus. € 57 million is earmarked
for the island over the period, with € 9 million to be committed for the year 2000. € 6 million of this will
be for harmonization projects within the pre-accession strategy with the remaining € 3 million being
reserved for bi-communal projects.

For the new financial regulation and following the recent visit to Cyprus of the commissioner responsible
for enlargement, the Commission is now studying projects aimed at bringing the two communities
together. This work is currently at the pre-programming stage.

(1) OJ L 68, 16.3.2000.