WRITTEN QUESTION E-1750/00 by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Council. Elections in Kosovo.
Date: 2000-06-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Kosovo, local election, local government, organisation of elections, the EU's international role

C 81 E/88

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.3.2001

Will the Commission take part in the preparation and monitoring of the election procedure, and also in
the establishment and operation of the first municipal and communal councils that these elections will
produce?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(26 June 2000)

In the division of responsibilities within the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), the Community
has responsibility for Pillar 4 Economic reconstruction, recovery and development. The Commission is
directly involved in the management and financing of this pillar headed by a Commission official who is
also a Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General. Administrative costs are paid
from the Community budget. The majority of the financing for the work of the pillar is coming from the
Union and from Community funds. The organisation of the donor coordination mechanism for such issues
is in the hands of the Commission and the World Bank.

On the other hand, the Organisation for security and cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is the lead agency for
Pillar 3 of UNMIK, and thus for issues of institution-building, civil society, and elections. The OSCE is
therefore primarily responsible for the organisation of the forthcoming municipal elections. The costs of
this exercise, and the rest of the work of that (cid:145)pillar(cid:146), are borne by OSCE members. Although this means
that Member States, under the OSCE (cid:145)key(cid:146), pay 67 % of the these costs, and that the Community is
concentrating its efforts on Pillar 4 for which it is primarily responsible, the Community is also providing
vital assistance in this area without which the elections cannot take place e.g. € 5 million for the hardware
for civil and voter registration as well as support for the UNMIK ID cards and the voter education
campaign. No decision has yet been taken, by the Community, as regards additional involvement in the
monitoring of
themselves, although Community-funded personnel on the ground
(e.g European Community monitoring mission (ECMM)) will undoubtedly play a role.

the elections

The establishment and operation of the municipal councils are a matter for UNMIK. The financial aspects
are covered by the Kosovo budget, the largest single voluntary contribution by the Community, and a large
part of the remainder of which derives from the economic and customs structures which the Commission
has successfully, through the work of Pillar 4, helped to put in place. The Community has, in addition,
provided considerable support through its twinning programme, the members of which are involved in the
drafting of the new municipal law and which will continue to provide the elected administrations with
expert advice on the highest Community standards of municipal administration, so as to ensure sustainable
democracy at the grassroots level.

(2001/C 81 E/106)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1750/00

by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Council

(5 June 2000)

Subject: Elections in Kosovo

Kosovo(cid:146)s first local elections will be held this autumn. The success of this enterprise is crucial, since local
democracy is the foundation for the region(cid:146)s political reconstruction, a goal in which the people of Europe
are making considerable moral and material investment.

Will the Council take part in the preparation and monitoring of the election procedure, and also in the
establishment and operation of the first municipal and communal councils that these elections will
produce?

13.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/89

Reply

(10 October 2000)

The Council shares the Honourable Member(cid:146)s assessment on the autumn municipal elections in Kosovo.
At its meeting on 13 June the General Affairs Council emphasised the crucial importance of well-prepared
municipal elections as the first step in establishing democratically legitimised institutions. On 20 June the
Feira European Council reiterated its support for free and fair municipal elections in Kosovo (cid:145)(cid:133) carefully
prepared and properly monitored by the competent international bodies(cid:146). It also stressed that extremist
violence will not be tolerated and that (cid:145)(cid:133) local leaders are strongly urged to live up to their responsibilities
by actively contributing to the establishment of a multi-ethnic, tolerant society where refugees and
displaced persons are able to return and in which all the people of Kosovo can live safely(cid:146).

The Council is following very closely elections preparation (registration, observation etc.), for which the
Council of Europe has been mandated by the International Community as leading Organisation
(OSCE, UN, EU and others will also be involved). EU Member States will certainly contribute to the
Council of Europe(cid:146)s efforts, both in terms of monitors and resources, as it has done in previous, equally
delicate elections, following the CoE(cid:146)s indications. As regards the establishment and operation of the first
municipal and communal councils after elections, UNMIK (responsible, under UNSCR 1244, for the
interim administration of Kosovo) is at present preparing suitable arrangements for the provisional self-
government of municipalities, in accordance with the letter of UNSC Resolution 1244. In order to support
such work and to ensure the necessary follow-up, consultations are taking place in the framework of G-8
and the Contact Group, in which the EU Presidency and the Commission are also involved.

(2001/C 81 E/107)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1756/00

by Theresa Villiers (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(31 May 2000)

Subject: Cyprus

Further to my Written Question E-1057/00 (1), could the Commission please state whether any Com-
mission projects aimed at reconciliation between the two communities in Cyprus have been blocked or in
any way hindered by the Denktash regime?

Could it also please state whether any EU funds have been paid directly to the Denktash regime?

Could it also please state whether any EU funds have been paid directly to the Denktash regime, without
the involvement and/or assent of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus.

Could it also please state whether any EU funds have been paid to organisations or individuals in occupied
Northern Cyprus and if so:

1.

to whom such funds were paid,

2. what involvement there was by the Denktash regime in relation to such funds, and

3. whether the Government of the Republic of Cyprus was informed of the payments?

(1) OJ C 53 E, 20.2.2001, p. 64.

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(7 July 2000)

As the Honourable Member is aware, the political situation in Cyprus, with the de facto separation of the
island since 1974, has made the implementation of bi-communal projects very difficult. This has been
particularly the case since the Luxembourg European Council in December 1997 and the end of 1999.