WRITTEN QUESTION E-1649/01 by Elmar Brok (PPE-DE) and José Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra (PPE-DE) to the Commission. EU delegation to the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh.
Date: 2001-06-12
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Commission Delegation, GCC countries, common commercial policy, cooperation policy, free-trade area, trading operation

14.2.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 40 E/71

Those three murders led to the evacuation of all staff involved in humanitarian and peace actions in the
territory of East Timor and to widespread indignation and revulsion on the part of the international
community.

Also according to reports in the international press, the above militia members showed no reaction on
hearing the judgments against them and celebrated when their derisory sentences were announced, even
posing for press photographers.

These sentences followed another case in which one of the main leaders of the anti-independence militias,
Eurico Guterres, who has confessed to his involvement in massacres committed against civilians in the
territory of East Timor, was sentenced to three months in prison.

In view of the aid granted by the European Union to the Indonesian Government to support the transition
to democracy, and given that respect for and the protection of human rights in that country and the
ingredient for cooperation, can the Council say
establishment of the rule of law is considered a vital
whether it has taken up a position vis-(cid:224)-vis the Indonesian Government on the above sentences, which
offend the memory of the victims and bear no relation to any universal notion of justice?

Will the Council maintain the current framework of cooperation with the Indonesian authorities?

Reply

(8 October 2001)

The Union made clear, in its declaration of 10 May, its deep disappointment at the judgements against the
six persons involved in the killing of three international staff members of the UNHCR in Atambu, East
Nura Tenggara in September 2000. The Council has not commented specifically on the other cases cited
by the Honourable Member, but, in its conclusions of 14 May,
it underlined the responsibility of the
Indonesian Government to prosecute those who have violated human rights and international humani-
tarian law. It expressed concern that recent judgements did not seem to meet international standards of
justice and fairness. At the same time, the Council reaffirmed its support for a strong, democratic, united
and prosperous Indonesia. It encouraged the Government to strengthen further democracy and human
rights. The Council remains committed to building a closer relationship with Indonesia.

(2002/C 40 E/069)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1649/01

by Elmar Brok (PPE-DE) and
JosØ Salafranca SÆnchez-Neyra (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: EU delegation to the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh

(12 June 2001)

The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council are becoming increasingly important for the European
Union in all economic and commercial sectors. The total value of trade was € 51,5 billion in 2000,
compared to € 37 billion in 1999. Up to now the balance of trade has favoured the European Union. The
15 Member States have a considerable interest in ensuring that the six GCC states complete the customs
union they hope to set up by March 2005 as quickly as possible, so that the planned EU/GCC free trade
area can be carried into effect.

The EU has an interest in the continued stability of the region, to ensure the security of energy supplies to
the Member States.

On 23 April 2001 the GCC/EU Joint Ministerial Council met for the eleventh time in Manama, the capital
of Bahrain. European delegations, experts, business people and others consistently report, on their return
from GCC states, that the latter attach increasing importance to their relations with the EU. They have
complained for many years about the fact that the EU has not yet established a delegation at the GCC
headquarters in Riyadh. This is frustrating for those concerned, particularly the decision-makers in the
GCC states, and this failure to take account of local attitudes is counter-productive in terms of cooperation
with the EU.

C 40 E/72

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.2.2002

1. Why, despite the great importance of the Gulf region for the European Union, has no Commission
delegation to the GCC states been opened in Riyadh yet?

2.
Bearing in mind the commitments which the GCC governments must fulfil in order to complete the
customs union, what does the EU regard as the obstacles that need to be removed to enable progress to be
made in negotiations concerning the completion of the EU/GCC free trade area?

3. What steps is the Commission taking to ascertain the scope for EU/GCC cooperation in other areas
than energy, the economy and trade?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(31 July 2001)

The Commission shares the assessment of the Honourable Member that the Community and Gulf Co-
operation Council (GCC) countries are important partners, in trade and indeed in other areas. The future
Free Trade Agreement further increase the volume of trade and also will provide new possibilities for both
parties to diversify their exchanges. In this respect the Commission expects an increase not only in trade in
goods but also in services, which has so far remained a relatively closed sector in the GCC countries.

1.
A list of priorities for future opening of Delegations and Offices was approved by the Commission in
its Communication on the External Service of 1998 (1), where a Delegation in Riyadh was foreseen.
However the crisis in the Balkans and the need for large and urgent assistance to the region stretched the
resources of the External Services to the limit and made it impossible to pursue the development plan set
out in the 1998 Communication in which the Commission confirms that the opening of a Delegation in
Riyadh to serve the whole Gulf region is foreseen in the course of 2002. The objective has nevertheless
remained unchanged. As the Honourable Member will be aware, the Commission adopted on 3 July a new
Communication on the development of the External Service.

2.
The Commission adopted a proposal for new Negotiating Directives for a Free Trade Area with the
GCC just before the Union-GCC Joint Council/Ministerial Meeting in Bahrain, 23 April 2001. Since then,
the Directives had been subject to discussions in the Council Working Group for the Middle East/Gulf, and
in the Art. 133 Committee. The Commission is doing its utmost to incorporate the views of the Working
group in order to arrive at agreed Negotiation Directives in the Council as soon as possible. The rapid
adoption of the new Directives has been a high priority for the Presidency and indeed remains so for the
Commission. The Commission and the GCC will then be in a position to pursue intensive and focused
negotiations with the purpose of concluding them before the entry into force of the GCC Customs Union.

3.
Since the Cooperation Agreement was signed in 1989, Community-GCC co-operation has developed
in a number of areas, including standards co-operation, energy, customs, environment and investment
facilitation. Standards and customs co-operation have been directly linked to the preparation for a Free
Trade Area whereas, in the field of environment for example, the Commission is assisting the GCC in
drafting protocols for the protection of maritime biodiversity. Later this year, it is planned to organise an
environment working group meeting.

On energy, co-operation has resulted the holding of two co-financed conferences; one on Natural Gas,
another on Advanced Oil and Gas Technologies. Following recommendations from the Conference on
Natural Gas, in late 1999 the Commission and the GCC launched a jointly financed study on prospects for
future Union natural gas imports from the GCC. There will be a meeting of the Community-GCC Energy
Working Group before the end of the year to discuss future co-operation as well as the petroleum
products market situation.

The Joint Council of 23 April in Bahrain decided that an Experts(cid:146) Meeting on investment with the purpose
of discussing possible steps to encourage reciprocal investments should be arranged as soon as a GCC
paper reflecting recent developments in investment conditions in the GCC had been finalised.

(1) SEC(98) 1261.