WRITTEN QUESTION E-1022/01 by Ioannis Souladakis (PSE) to the Commission. Relations between India and Pakistan.
Date: 2001-03-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU relations, India, Pakistan, cooperation agreement (EU), diplomatic relations, settlement of disputes, territorial dispute

4.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 340 E/149

(2001/C 340 E/167)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1020/01

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(30 March 2001)

Subject: Exports of goods and services

1. Will the Commission state which EU Member States currently provide a geographical analysis of
their exports of goods and services?

2.
For those Member States which do so, will the Commission provide the figures for the exports of
goods and services in total and to the euro area and to the rest of the world respectively for the last ten
years or, should that not be possible, for the longest period for which figures are available?

3. Will it further express such figures as a percentage of each country(cid:146)s GDP for the period in question?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(27 June 2001)

Nowadays in the framework of the Balance of Payments statistics, all Member States provide Eurostat
balance of payments data with a Geographical breakdown of at least level-1 (World, 15 Member States
(EU15), Extra-EU15, Canada, United States, Japan, World non allocated, Euro zone, Extra-euro zone). This
data is necessary for the compilation of the European (EU15 and euro zone) balance of payments
aggregates. Time series with geographical breakdown vis-(cid:224)-vis intra-euro zone and extra-euro zone start
from 1995 with reporters only the Member States of the euro zone (Ireland(cid:146)s contribution starts from
1999). This implies that
for Denmark, Greece, Sweden and the United Kingdom data with this
geographical split (intra and extra euro zone) is not available. Time series with geographical breakdown
vis-(cid:224)-vis World, Intra-EU 15 and Extra-EU 15 start from 1992 with reporters all the Member States.

Eurostat is responsible for the compilation of the Balance of Payments (BoP) of the Community while the
European Central Bank (ECB) is responsible for the compilation of the euro zone Balance of Payments
aggregates. It has been decided by the ECB and the Member States that the contribution of Member States
for the compilation of the euro zone BoP aggregates (intra-euro zone and extra-euro zone) should not be
published. As ECB is solely responsible for these figures, they can only be directly requested from the ECB.
The contribution of Member States for the compilation of EU 15 aggregates (world,
intra-EU15 and
Extra EU-15) is available at Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat) upon request.

An Excel file with the available information is sent direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament(cid:146)s
Secretariat.

(2001/C 340 E/168)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1022/01

by Ioannis Souladakis (PSE) to the Commission

(30 March 2001)

Subject: Relations between India and Pakistan

The perverse decisions taken recently by the Afghan government have highlighted the permanently
strained relations between India and Pakistan over the issue of Kashmir. Since border disputes between the
two countries have remained unresolved for a number of decades and the neighbouring countries
China and Afghanistan have been involved either directly or indirectly, the conflict between India and
Pakistan has all the makings of a major international flashpoint.

C 340 E/150

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.12.2001

As the European Union is seeking to play a more important role on the international political scene and
the two countries concerned are major trading partners, will the Commission say:

1. What is the state today of EU relations with India and Pakistan, respectively?

2. What agreements have been concluded between the European Union and India and Pakistan,

respectively?

3. Has it ever raised the problem of Kashmir in its occasional discussions with these two countries?

4. Has it so far taken any initiatives to find a solution to the problem of Kashmir and, if not, does it

intend to do so?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(7 June 2001)

The Union has extensive relations with India. These were enhanced when both sides met for the first
Summit in Lisbon in June 2000. A Joint Summit Declaration set out an ambitious (cid:145)Agenda for Action(cid:146).
Building on this momentum, regular fruitful and constructive meetings take place at all levels, from expert
working groups to meetings of Foreign Ministers, dealing with the entire range of co-operation, be it in the
fields of trade, commerce and development, or political dialogue, and implementing the Agenda for
Action. The Member of the Commission responsible for External relations(cid:146)s visit to India in January 2001
further emphasised the importance the Commission places in an enhanced partnership with India, and
other Commission colleagues have visited subsequently. A further summit will take place in November
2000 in New Delhi.

The Community-India co-operation Agreement entered into force in 1994. It extends the partnership
beyond trade and economic co-operation and underlines both sides joint commitment to respect for
human rights, democratisation and the rule of law. The institutional basis for the political dialogue is a Joint
Political Statement signed simultaneously with the Co-operation Agreement. It fixed annual ministerial
meetings, and opened the door to a broad political dialogue.

Union relations with Pakistan have been restricted since the military take-over in Pakistan on 12 October
1999. This caused the Union to put on hold plans to sign a new Co-operation Agreement with Pakistan.
The annual EU-Pakistan political dialogue was initially cancelled, but has in the meantime been re-launched
on an ad-hoc basis. However,
the Union wishes to see tangible progress towards restoration of
representative democracy in Pakistan based on a clear and credible timetable and our relationship will
continue to reflect progress on that front.

The Union regularly raises the subject of Kashmir in its contacts with the two countries.

The Union Heads of Delegation in New Delhi regularly visit Kashmir under an extended Troika format to
assess the situation.

The Union encourages a peaceful solution of the Kashmir conflict, and has recently issued two declarations
(8 and 28 December 2000) supporting first the Indian Ramadan cease-fire and then its extension, as well
as the Pakistani response.

However, the Commission believes that Union involvement in the resolution of the problem would only
be appropriate and possible if both India and Pakistan requested it. This is not currently the case and the
Union has no plans at present for an initiative in this area.