European Parliament resolution on Cyprus's application for membership of the European Union and the state of the negotiations (COM(1999) 502 — C5-0025/2000 — 1997/2171(COS))
Date: 2000-10-04
Institutions: Committee on Foreign Affairs, European Parliament
Subjects: Cyprus, EU relations, accession criteria, accession negotiations, accession to the European Union, economic situation, political situation

C 178/156

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

22.6.2001

Wednesday 4 October 2000

8. Welcomes the decision by the Slovenian Government to convert the duty-free outlets at its land
borders by the end of the year 2000 and its intention to pursue its property restitution policy;

9.
Points out that further progress must be made as regards reform of the legal system and the public
administration, which are vital instruments for the effective application of Community law, and that bodies
must be created with adequate financial and human resources in key sectors such as agriculture and cus-
toms administration, etc.;

Expresses its satisfaction at the excellent take-up rate for Phare funds by Slovenia and the role that

10.
this programme is playing as part of the pre-accession strategy;

11.
Hopes that the management and impact of the funds Slovenia is receiving under the Sapard and
ISPA programmes will be equally effective, as these should make it possible to undertake projects in the
environment and transport sectors; urges the Slovenian authorities to closely involve local and regional
actors, as well as social partners, in the programming, implementation and evalution of structural mea-
sures;

12. Welcomes the gradual integration of Slovenia into the Union’s foreign policy activities, as evidenced
during the Kosovo war, together with the enhanced cooperation in the justice and home affairs sector;

13. Wishes to see a rapid settlement of the border dispute with Croatia, as regards both the question of
access to the Bay of Piran and the land border, in order to increase stability in the region while also
promoting opportunities for the economic, social and cultural development of the populations concerned;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the parliaments of

14.
the Member States and the Government and Parliament of Slovenia.

12. Cyprus

A5-0249/2000

European Parliament resolution on Cyprus’s application for membership of the European Union
and the state of the negotiations (COM(1999) 502 ’ C5-0025/2000 ’ 1997/2171(COS))

The European Parliament,

3 having regard to Cyprus’s application for membership of the European Union, submitted on 3 July

1990 pursuant to Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union,

3 having regard to the opinion of the Commission on this application (COM(1993) 313 3 C4-0583/

1997),

3 having regard to the Council of Ministers decision of 6 March 1995, confirmed by the European

Council in Helsinki,

3 having regard to the first regular report from the Commission, issued on 17 December 1998, on
Cyprus’s progress towards accession (COM(1998) 710 3 C4-0108/1999) and Parliament’s resolution
of 15 April 1999 on the same subject (1),

3 having regard to the second regular report from the Commission, issued on 13 October 1999, on

Cyprus’s progress towards accession (COM(1999) 502 3 C5-0025/2000),

3 having regard to the decisions of the Copenhagen (21/22 June 1993), Florence (21/22 June 1996),
Luxembourg (12/13 December 1997), and Helsinki (10/11 December 1999) European Councils,

3 having regard to the accession negotiations with the Republic of Cyprus, which opened on 31 March

1998,

(1) OJ C 219, 30.7.1999, p. 448.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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Wednesday 4 October 2000

3 having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 555/2000 of 13 March 2000 on the implementation of
operations in the framework of the pre-accession strategy for the Republic of Cyprus and the Republic
of Malta (1) and to the Accession Partnership with the Republic of Cyprus, endorsed by the Council on
20 March 2000 (2),

3 having regard to Rule 47(1) of its Rules of Procedure,

3 having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security

and Defence Policy (A5-0249/2000),

A. whereas the Republic of Cyprus, hereinafter referred to as ‘Cyprus’, the only State entitled to represent
the island as a whole, has made considerable economic and political advances even though the richest
part of its territory has been occupied for 26 years by Turkey, a country associated with the Union to
which, notwithstanding the above, candidate country status has just been accorded,

B. whereas Cyprus fully satisfies the Copenhagen political and economic criteria, as can be seen from the

rapid progress of the accession negotiations,

C. whereas Cyprus can consequently expect to join the Union at an early stage and whereas any objec-
tion to its accession on account of the particular circumstances existing on the island would be both
politically and morally untenable,

D.

expressing the hope that the outcome of the UN-sponsored negotiations will be such as to ensure that
the Greek and Turkish Cypriot populations can together reap the benefits of accession,

E. whereas the Union should become more actively involved to help bring about a negotiated settlement
to end the partition of the island in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions,

F. whereas Cyprus will have a significant contribution to make to the CFSP;

1. Welcomes the progress made by Cyprus towards accession and urges the legal authorities of Cyprus
to continue their efforts fully to incorporate the acquis communautaire so as to conclude accession negotia-
tions as swiftly as possible;

Notes that, to date, 16 out of the 31 chapters have been completely dealt with and hopes that the
2.
accession negotiations will continue at the same intensive pace so as to enable Cyprus to join the Union
once the outcome of the IGC now under way has been endorsed by the Union Member States;

3. Welcomes the decisions taken by the European Council at Helsinki not to make a solution to the
Cyprus question a precondition for accession; urges the Turkish Cypriots to join the delegation of the legal
Government of Cyprus, unconditionally, in negotiating the accession of the island to the European Union,
since the Turkish Cypriot community will be able to enjoy the benefits of membership once the political
question of Cyprus is resolved;

4.
Deplores the lack of goodwill on the part of the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkey to make progress
with the negotiations on the question of Cyprus towards a settlement on the basis of the relevant UN
Security Council resolutions, and with the future constitutional arrangements;

Deplores the action of the Turkish troops in Cyprus who, on the eve of a new round of proximity

5.
talks, have been redeployed, occupying a part of the buffer zone;

6.
Calls on the European Union, through its High Representative for the CFSP, to become more
involved in the search for a solution to the Cypriot question and calls for the final political settlement to
respect the acquis communautaire;

7.
Notes that the Union is capable of making a vital contribution to the security of the Greek and
Turkish Cypriot communities within the framework of a peace settlement and the demilitarisation of the
island, that the Union can help resolve the problem of the controlled return of refugees and the repatria-
tion of the settlers, and that it can make a dynamic contribution to the development of the northern part
of Cyprus, once reunification has taken place;

(1) OJ L 68, 16.3.2000, p. 3.
(2) OJ L 78, 29.3.2000, p. 10.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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22.6.2001

Wednesday 4 October 2000

Believes, in this respect, that projects involving the two communities should be instituted and dialo-

8.
gue between the parties encouraged in a new framework of confidence-building measures;

Takes the view, finally, that the accession of Cyprus will strengthen the Union’s influence in the

9.
eastern Mediterranean, thus making for greater security in that region;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission, the parliaments of

10.
the Member States and the Government and Parliament of the Republic of Cyprus.

13. Malta

A5-0243/2000

European Parliament resolution on Malta’s application for membership of the European Union,
and the state of negotiations ((COM(1999) 508 ’ C5-0031/2000 ’ 1999/2029(COS))

The European Parliament,

3 having regard to Malta’s application for membership of the European Union, submitted in July 1990
and reactivated on 10 September 1998, pursuant to Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union,

3 having regard to the report updating the Commission opinion on Malta’s application for membership
(COM(1999) 69 3 C4-0163/1999), and the 1999 Regular Report from the Commission on Malta’s
Progress towards Accession (COM(1999) 508 3 C5-0031/2000),

3 having regard to the previous Commission reports on Malta’s application for membership of 26 June

1995 (1) and 30 March 1999 (COM(1999) 69 3 C4-0163/1999),

3 having regard to its resolution of 15 April 1999 (2) on the report from the Commission updating the
Commission opinion on Malta’s application for membership (COM(1999) 69 3 C4-0163/1999),

3 having regard to the conclusions of the Copenhagen (21/22 June 1993), Luxembourg (12/13 Decem-

ber 1997) and Helsinki (10/11 December 1999) European Councils,

3 having regard to Council Regulation (EC) 555/2000 of 13 March 2000 on the implementation of

operations in the framework of the pre-accession strategy for the Republic of Malta (3),

3 having regard to the accession negotiations with Malta which opened on 15 February 2000,

3 having regard to Rule 47(1) of the Rules of Procedure,

3 having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security

and Defence Policy (A5-0243/2000),

A. whereas its democratic status and respect for human rights show that Malta has a genuine vocation to

be a member of the European Union,

B. whereas Malta meets the Copenhagen political criteria and, as a functioning market economy, should
be able to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union by pursuing the steps
underway to restructure its industry and to reduce the government deficit,

(1) OJ C 249, 25.9.1995, p.74.
(2) OJ C 219, 30.7.1999, p. 451.
(3) OJ L 68, 16.3.2000, p. 3.