WRITTEN QUESTION E-3771/00 by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. The Ilios People of the Chagos Archipelago.
Date: 2000-12-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Indian Ocean, Mauritius, United Kingdom, forced migration, human rights, indigenous population, national sovereignty

C 163 E/210

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2001

the reports(cid:146)

In the candidate countries, the Commission(cid:146)s reports have generally been well received. In particular, the
objectivity of
thirteen candidate countries without
exception, including by the authorities of the Czech Republic, to which the Honourable Member makes
explicit reference. In early December 2000, the Czech authorities have provided a detailed written reaction
to the report, which says, inter alia, that (cid:145)The Czech Republic considers the Regular Report to be a well-
balanced document and accepts it as such.(cid:146)

findings has been welcomed by all

As the Honourable Member indicates, it is true that there has been some disenchantment in the Czech
Republic, immediately following the publication of the Commission(cid:146)s enlargement strategy paper (2), over
the economic conclusions included in that document (which repeat the conclusions of the individual
Regular Reports in this regard). However, in the Commission(cid:146)s view this was not the result of excessive
optimism of earlier utterances of the Commission; on the contrary, this year(cid:146)s report on the Czech
Republic is definitely more favourable than in previous years,
including on the country(cid:146)s economic
performance. The objectivity of the Commission(cid:146)s analyses has been recognised by all candidate countries,
including by the Czech Republic. The initial disenchantment mentioned above may have arisen because a
summary of the economic conclusions was misconstrued as an overall ranking in terms of readiness for
accession.

(1) COM(2000) 701 final to COM(2000) 713 final.
(2) COM(2000) 700 final.

(2001/C 163 E/245)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3771/00

by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(4 December 2000)

Subject: The Ilios People of the Chagos Archipelago

Further to the answer given by Commissioner Pinheiro to my question concerning the Ilios People of the
Chagos Archipelago (H-0833/98) (1), can the Commission indicate its response, and the action it intends to
take in the light of the UK court ruling of Friday, 3 November that the original inhabitants of the islands
of the Chagos Archipelago, which forms part of the EU associated territory of British Indian Ocean
Territory, were unlawfully evicted to make way for a US air base, forcibly exiled outside the EU to
Mauritius and have the right to return to their homeland?

The British Judge, Lord Justice Laws, ruled that a British ordinance of 1971 used to evict the islanders had
been an (cid:145)abject legal failure(cid:146). Lord Justice Laws stated in his ruling, (cid:145)I cannot see how the wholesale removal
of a people from the land where they belong can be said to conduce the territory(cid:146)s peace, order and good
governance(cid:146).

What action, if any, will be taken by the EU against the UK for its continued violation of the human rights
of the evicted islanders which occurred while the UK was a Member State of the EU?

(1) Oral answer of 6 October 1998.

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(5 January 2001)

The Commission is aware of the Chagos issue, but has never taken part in official discussions on this
matter. The United Kingdom is the public authority responsible for its British Indian Ocean Territory.
Chagos Islanders are British subjects, and the islands fall under British sovereignty.