European Parliament resolution on Cyprus
Date: 2004-04-21
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Community acquis, Cyprus, accession to the European Union, establishment of peace, settlement of disputes

C 104 E/720

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

30.4.2004

Wednesday 21 April 2004

50.
Considers at the same time that the long-awaited amendment of the directive on European works
councils is now inevitable, necessary, and a matter of the utmost urgency; with this in view, calls on the
Commission immediately to initiate the consultation between management and labour provided for by the
Treaty, laying down clear guidelines as to the aim to be achieved, especially as regards the information and
consultation timescales and procedures, which must enable workers’ representatives to exert genuine
influence over processes under way;

51.
Supports the work on a European Private Company; maintains that any new company form (what
is termed the ‘European Private Company’) designed to simplify regulatory standards and procedures on a
Europe-wide basis should not conflict with the rights of participation defined in other existing company
models and that the relevant rights laid down in the directive on the European company statute should
accordingly be extended in a coherent manner to apply to the European Private Company;

52. Welcomes the Commission’s initiative in launching a feasibility study concerning the European
Private Company (EPC) which has broad support among the players concerned; calls on the Commission,
furthermore, to review in that feasibility study the minimum capital requirements for the establishment of
a European company (SE) in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 2157/2001 of 8 October 2001
on the Statute for a European company (SE) (1) or to put forward proposals for a new form of European
company adapted to small and medium-sized enterprises; considers that the minimum capital requirement
of EUR 120 000 makes it difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises to use the corporate structure of
the European company (SE);

53.

Considers that for small limited companies the second directive’s system is particularly strict;

Supports the Commission in its intention, on the basis of a directive, to give companies throughout

54.
the EU the choice between a one-tier and a two-tier board structure;

55.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission, and to the
governments and regulatory and supervisory authorities of the Member States and the accession countries.

(1) OJ L 294, 10.11.2001, p. 1.

P5_TA(2004)0347

Cyprus

The European Parliament,

European Parliament resolution on Cyprus

(cid:1) having regard to its assent of 9 April 2003 to the application by the Republic of Cyprus to become a

Member of the European Union (1),

(cid:1) having regard to the Treaty on the Accession of the Republic of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, the
Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the
Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Slovak Republic and the Republic of Slovenia to the
European Union, and in particular Protocol 10 thereof,

(cid:1) having regard to its resolution of 11 March 2004 on the comprehensive monitoring report of the
European Commisison on the state of preparedness for EU membership of the Czech Republic, Esto-
nia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia (2),

(cid:1) having regard to Rule 37(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

(1) OJ C 64 E, 12.3.2004, p. 365.
(2) P5_TA(2004)0180.

30.4.2004

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 104 E/721

A. whereas it has consistently supported all efforts to reunify Cyprus,

Wednesday 21 April 2004

B. whereas it has specifically supported the recent settlement process started in New York and concluded

in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, under the auspices of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan,

C. whereas one of the top priorities and challenges for the EU is to be able to project peace and stability

to neighbouring, and future member, countries,

D. whereas it is understandable that in a negotiation process based on compromises the resulting agree-
ment never fully satisfies both sides in all its aspects, and whereas measures and arrangements can in
any case be changed by mutual agreement once confidence is established and peace built,

1.
Points out that the final settlement plan has been negotiated between the two sides on the island of
Cyprus with the involvement of Greece and Turkey and has been finalised under the authority of the UN
Security Council by the UNSG Kofi Annan;

2.
Expresses its support, and welcomes the initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General, who on
31 March handed over to the two parties the final version of his plan on the reunification of Cyprus,
which will be put to two separate referenda on the island on 24 April, as agreed by all parties in New
York on 13 February 2004, so that the reunited island can join the European Union on 1 May;

Acknowledges (cid:1) although it would unreservedly welcome a united Cyprus as a member of the
3.
European Union (cid:1) the right of Cypriots to decide for themselves on the plan in a referendum without
pressure from the outside and will respect such a decision, but points out that a broad, fact-based
information campaign is still necessary;

4.
Considers that this final document constitutes a historic compromise which would end one of the
longest-running conflicts in Europe and could serve as a shining example for handling equally difficult
international issues;

5.
Considers that the final revised plan institutionalises a functional federal system of government which
is able to ensure that a reunited Cyprus can speak with one voice and fully play its role in the framework
of the European institutions, and calls on all parties to fulfil their obligations with honesty and openness;

6.
Takes note that the proposed Act of Adaptation of Protocol 10 does not contain permanent
derogations from the ‘acquis communautaire’, but only transitional periods, and calls on the Commission
to rigorously discharge its responsibilities for reviewing the application of the provisions of the Act;

7.
Understands that the population of Cyprus has numerous questions regarding many extremely com-
plex elements of the plan, but is convinced that any difficulties which may arise in the implementation of
the agreement can be solved with the assistance of the EU institutions, especially with respect to property
restitution and the re-establishment of the 1974 refugees;

8.
Reminds both sides on the island that the EU, through the involvement of the Commission, has
underlined its support for the process leading towards the final shape of the peace and reconciliation plan;

Takes the view that gradual demilitarisation of the island would facilitate mutual understanding

9.
between the two communities and pave the way for their full reconciliation;

Shares the Commission’s view that it is not a question of making a choice between the Annan plan

10.
and another plan, but of choosing between this plan and no alternative for a long period of time;

Calls on the citizens of Cyprus to be fully responsible, consistent and committed to their status as

11.
EU citizens, and to seize this historic opportunity to reunify their country in a peaceful way;

C 104 E/722

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

30.4.2004

Wednesday 21 April 2004

12.
Reassures the citizens of Cyprus that the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission are
willing to provide financial support for the implementation of the settlement and the ‘acquis communaut-
aire’; welcomes the positive result of the high-level pre-donors’ conference on 15 April 2004 as an import-
ant signal of the solidarity of the European and international community;

Assures both sides that the EU institutions will rigorously guarantee with other international insti-

13.
tutions the implementation of the settlement as this is a question touching upon their own credibility;

Confirms its intention actively to monitor the implementation of the Annan Plan, through its com-

14.
petent committee, and to make its contribution to the guaranteeing of the plan;

15.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to all parties to the negotiation process, the Council
and Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Republic of Cyprus, Greece and Turkey, and the
UN Secretary-General.

P5_TA(2004)0348

Single payment area

European Parliament resolution on a legal framework for a single payment area (2003/2101(INI))

The European Parliament,

(cid:1) having regard to the Commission communication to the European Parliament and the Council con-

cerning a ‘New Legal Framework for Payments in the Internal Market’ (COM(2003) 718),

(cid:1) having regard to the European Central Bank’s progress report of 26 June 2003 entitled ‘Towards a

Single Euro Payments Area’,

(cid:1) having regard to the European Payments Council’s White Paper entitled ‘Euroland: Our Single Payment

Area’ of May 2002 (1),

(cid:1) having regard to the hearing of experts organised on 20 January 2004 by the Committee on Econ-

omic and Monetary Affairs,

(cid:1) having regard to Rule 163 of its Rules of Procedure,

(cid:1) having regard to the report of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and the opinion of

the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market (A5-0192/2004),

A. whereas the reliable and efficient processing of all cross-border payment transactions in the European
Union is essential for completion of the internal market and, therefore, a single euro payments area
should, as far as possible, be achieved before the banking industry’s 2010 target date,

B. whereas, especially since the European Payments Council was set up in 2002, the European banking
industry has made significant efforts to press ahead with the notion of a single payment area; whereas,
however, putting plans into practice, such as, for instance, the implementation of agreed standards, is
still causing difficulties,

C. whereas the situation as regards cross-border retail payments in the European Union continues to be
unsatisfactory and citizens making cross-border payments continue to encounter difficulties which
they do not face with purely national transactions,

(1) http://www.europeanpaymentscouncil.org/