WRITTEN QUESTION E-2273/01 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Council. Foreign policy on Macedonia.
Date: 2001-08-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: North Macedonia, common foreign and security policy, disarmament, establishment of peace, ethnic group, framework agreement, international cooperation, political reform, territorial law, the EU's international role

C 115 E/50

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

16.5.2002

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2272/01 and P-2505/01

(17 December 2001)

1.
As laid down in the EU Common Position on Cuba, every six months since its approval the Council
has reviewed the situation in that country with a view to evaluating the need to revise the Common
Position.

2.
During its ninth evaluation on 25 June 2001, the Council noted that, since the previous evaluation,
there had not been any significant signs of change in the Cuban Government’s policy towards the
accomplishment of the aims of the Common Position. The Council also noted that the Common Position
remained the basis of the European Union’s policy towards Cuba.

3.
The Council reiterated that the objectives of the European Union towards Cuba remained the
encouragement of a process of peaceful transition to pluralist democracy and respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms.

4.
In the light of the ninth evaluation, the Council considered that a broader presence of EU actors in
Cuba would lead to a more efficient pursuit of the Common Position as it would offer opportunities for an
ongoing process of dialogue, exchanges of experiences and learning for the future. The Council therefore
encouraged the European Commission to strengthen its efforts for cooperation with, in particular, civil and
non-governmental organisations in Cuba.

5.
The Council also stressed the importance of the EU and Cuban authorities engaging in a constructive
and frank dialogue on all issues of common interest and stated the European Union’s readiness to resume
such dialogue.

6.
It was against this background that, on 23 and 24 August 2001, a Troika fact-finding delegation led
by the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Louis Michel, travelled to
Havana at the invitation of the Cuban authorities. The delegation held talks with the Cuban Minister for
Foreign Affairs, Mr Pérez Roque, and the Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Minister for the
Economy and Planning, Mr Rodríguez. It also met representatives of Cuban dissidents who gave the EU
their account of the situation in Cuba.

7.
The Troika held an exchange of views with the Cuban authorities on the EU Common Position on
Cuba. Both sides agreed on the need to resume, as quickly as possible and without any preconditions, a
dialogue addressing all issues of common interest, including human rights.

In any event, the Council would inform the Honourable Member that EU-Cuba relations will shortly

8.
be under discussion in the Council in the context of the six-monthly review of the Common Position.

(2002/C 115 E/054)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2273/01

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(3 August 2001)

Subject: Foreign policy on Macedonia

In recent weeks the EU’s foreign policy coordinator, Javier Solana, has been negotiating vigorously in the
Macedonian conflict. His representative François Léotard has now submitted a plan that provides for the
recognition of Albanian as an official language, more Albanians in government posts, decentralisation of
decision-making and a change in the constitution. These changes would be conditional upon the Albanian
rebels disarming.

16.5.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 115 E/51

Does the Council not consider that the unilateral disarming of the Albanian rebels is bound to fail? In
1.
other words, is the Council convinced that only the disarming of all irregular forces, that is including
Macedonian reservists, estimated to number 10 000, and various citizens groups, offers any chance of
peace?

Does the Council believe that a minimalist approach such as that put forward by François Léotard

2.
offers any chance of being accepted by the Albanian negotiators?

Is the Council prepared to submit a radical plan to reorganise Macedonia as a federal state with equal
3.
rights for Albanian and Slav Macedonians, with recognition of the rights of other ethnic minorities, in
order to create a real opportunity for lasting and peaceful coexistence?

Reply

(17 December 2001)

Recent events are in themselves a reply to the question put by the Honourable Member, in particular as
regards points 1 and 2 of the question. The Ohrid Framework Agreement of 13 August 2001, signed
thanks to the tenacity of Mr Solana (Secretary-General/CFSP High Representative) C as is acknowledged by
the Honourable Member C and to the efforts made in situ by the Union’s Special Representative, François
Léotard, and by the US Envoy, James Pardew, is a significant success for the European Union and for
European diplomacy in general.

implementation of the Framework Agreement is
At this stage the international effort for the gradual
continuing on two fronts:
the reforms envisaged
(constitutional, political and economic changes, chiefly in favour of minorities), which is headed by the
European Union and its Special Representative in Skopje, and the security front proper, under the aegis of
NATO with operation ‘Essential Harvest’, which has been replaced since 27 September 2001 by operation
‘Amber Fox’.

front, directed at early adoption of

the political

The European Union will take the greatest care, in coordination with the other organisations involved, to
ensure that the Agreements are implemented in full as soon as possible. To that end,
in addition to
increasing Mr Léotard’s staff in situ, the European Union has approved the proposal by Mr Solana
(Secretary-General/CFSP High Representative)
the EUMM (European Union
Monitoring Mission) in the FYROM to 35 (the OSCE has increased its number of observers).

to increase the staff of

As regards point 3 of the Honourable Member’s question, the Framework Agreement of 13 August is, in
the view of the European Union, a guarantee of a return to peace, stability and national reconciliation
between all the communities by virtue of the constitutional responses aimed at consolidating the rights of
all ethnic minorities, notably the sizeable Albanian minority, which constitutes almost one third of the
population, while respecting the territorial integrity and unity of the country. One way of approaching that
objective is decentralisation and the development of local self-management.

At its meeting on 8 and 9 October 2001 the Council expressed its concern at the lack of progress made
by the FYROM in implementing the Framework Agreement of 13 August. Giving a reminder of its
position in the matter, it appealed to the Parliament of the FYROM to approve at the earliest opportunity
all constitutional and legislative provisions agreed upon by the Parties, thus opening the way to full
implementation of the Framework Agreement, in which it reiterated its determination to play an active
part. The Council also stressed, however, that its assistance for the reforms carried out by the FYROM
depended upon the satisfactory conclusion of the parliamentary process of constitutional revision. In that
context the Council observed that the conditions for convening a Donors Conference had not been met.

the Council would inform the Honourable Member

Lastly,
the Secretary-General/CFSP High
Representative, Javier Solana, has visited the FYROM on several occasions to encourage progress in the
parliamentary process and has thus facilitated some advances,
issue of the
preamble to the Constitution.

including on the central

that