WRITTEN QUESTION E-3459/00 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Council. Elections in Albania and the Greek minority.
Date: 2000-11-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Albania, Greece, common foreign and security policy, election monitoring, rights of minorities

C 174 E/58

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

19.6.2001

(2001/C 174 E/057)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3459/00

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(8 November 2000)

Subject: Elections in Albania and the Greek minority

Serious irregularities in the second round of elections in Himara were confirmed in the OSCE(cid:146)s interim
statement, issued on 16 October 2000 in Tirana by observers from the OSCE and the Council of Europe.
The statement reports that (cid:145)in Himara, where there is a Greek-speaking minority, the end of the campaign
at local and national level was marked by nationalistic rhetoric (cid:133)(cid:146), and continues (cid:145)on election day (cid:133) the
situation was marked by some serious irregularities ranging from intimidation of commission members, to
one case of violence in which a ballot box was destroyed, to verified evidence of fraud in at least three
other voting centres(cid:146).

When the Council has examined these allegations:

1. How will it intervene directly to reinstate a climate of full respect for the democratic rights of the

Greek minority?

2. Will the Council working group which has undertaken the revision of the (cid:145)Action Plan for Albania
and the neighbouring region(cid:146) submit a report to Parliament on the situation of minorities in Albania,
particularly the Greek minority, so that this may be taken into consideration during the legal revision
of the proposals for regulations concerning financial assistance to Albania?

3. Does the Council intend to request that elections be held again in those areas where cases of fraud

were detected?

Reply

(8 March 2001)

As Albania is a country eligible for a stabilisation and association agreement,

1.
its performance in
respecting democratic principles, human rights and the rights of minorities is an important point of
reference for future developments in its relations with the European Union. Since adaptation to the
structures of the Union is a strategic goal for Albania, the Union has considerable leverage to help improve
the situation of minorities. It is determined to step up its cooperation and to specify the reforms to be
accomplished, including in the field of human rights. The Union has also noted the commitments entered
into by Albania during the visit by the Secretary-General at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Mr Georges Savaidis, on 17 November 2000 and the commitment made, during the Albanian Prime
Minister(cid:146)s talks with the Greek Prime Minister, Mr Constantinos Simitis, on the issue of (cid:145)minority zones(cid:146)
and minority rights, to expeditiously promoting a review, according to European standards, of Albanian
legislation on the rights of persons belonging to the Greek minority, with the addition that the Albanian
government will also seek the advice of European experts in this respect.

2.
The Council has not yet undertaken a revision of the Action Plan for Albania and the neighbouring
region, which it only adopted on 13 June of this year. It is currently reviewing implementation of the
measures contained in the Action Plan, including those under point 123(f) (measures to stimulate respect
for human rights and minorities).

3.
The Council has noted the Preliminary Statement published on 16 October 2000 by the Office for
Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in
Europe, the final report of the OSCE/ODIHR of 11 December 2000 and the report of the Council of
Europe(cid:146)s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of 10 November 2000 concerning the second round
of local elections in Albania, together with the comments contained therein concerning serious irregula-
rities and fraud which occurred during the elections in the Himara region. In the declaration made by the
Presidency on behalf of the European Union on 1 December 2000 it is stressed that the European Union
sees the increasing use of violence in the pursuit of political aims as a worrying development. The
European Union therefore made a forceful appeal for the rule of law to be respected. The desire of the
Albanians to move towards a closer relationship with the European Union implies observance of shared
fundamental values, chief among which are respect for institutions and legality, non-recourse to violence,
and a spirit of tolerance and dialogue. The Council understands that the ODIHR was mandated by the
international community to monitor the elections and make recommendations. It is therefore for the

19.6.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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ODIHR, where appropriate, to make recommendations along the lines proposed by the Honourable
Member. States are, moreover, bound by the 1999 OSCE Charter for European Security to follow
recommendations contained in the final reports addressed to them.

(2001/C 174 E/058)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3460/00

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(8 November 2000)

Subject: Peace initiative in the Middle East

In view of:

(cid:129) the recent European Parliament resolution (1) condemning (cid:145)the provocative action of Mr Ariel Sharon(cid:146)
which resulted in the bloody events that cost so many lives and (cid:145)the disproportionate use of force by
the Israeli army(cid:146), and calling for the (cid:145)setting up of a committee of inquiry(cid:146) into the events,

(cid:129) the Berlin declaration made in 1999 by the 15 Member States on the creation of a democratic, viable

and peaceful sovereign Palestinian State, and

(cid:129) UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 on the status of Jerusalem,

can the Council say whether the European Union(cid:146)s High Representative for the Common Foreign and
Security Policy, Mr J. Solana, who participated in the Sharm el-Sheikh talks in Egypt:

1. Requested the creation of a committee of inquiry, as proposed by Parliament?

2. Backed a solution which would be compatible with the UN resolutions and the declaration by the 15

Member States referred to above, as far as the Palestinian issue is concerned?

(1) Texts approved on 5.10.2000.

(2001/C 174 E/059)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3492/00

by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the Council

(13 November 2000)

Subject: Community measures to stop war in the Middle East

Once again a dramatic, bitter and bloody conflict has been going on in the Middle East for several weeks.
Israelis and Palestinians have been fighting battles for which no end is in sight. President Clinton and the
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan are working to safeguard peace in the future and to eliminate the
flashpoints of war, the victims of which include Israelis and, even more, Palestinians.

What practical steps has the European Union taken to assist the work of Clinton and Kofi Annan (apart
from the empty words uttered in Biarritz)?

In the context of the MEDA programme (cid:129) the operation of which seems to be paralysed by unjustified
bureaucratic delays (cid:129) there is scope for structural as well as humanitarian measures. How does the
Council intend to harness this programme, and the relevant funding, as a force for peace?