European Parliament resolution on Georgia
Date: 2004-10-14
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: EU relations, Georgia, OSCE, Russia, autonomy, international negotiations, international relations, settlement of disputes

7.7.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 166 E/63

Thursday 14 October 2004

— with regard to judicial cooperation in criminal matters, adopting measures defining the essential
elements of the offences set out in Article 2 of Framework Decision 2002/584/JHA (1) on the
European arrest warrant and the surrender procedures between Member States and adopting
measures defining the minimum guarantees to be provided for persons who are charged and per-
sons held in custody; in the same field there is also a need to give a new impetus to Eurojust with
the objective of creating a European Public Prosecutor's Office with powers extending beyond the
protection of the Union's financial interests alone;

(f)

carrying out, by the end of 2005, a precise, public assessment of the implementation of the counter-
terrorism action plan and its relationship with the corresponding national and international plans, and
its full compliance with respect for individual freedoms;

(g) carrying out a precise, public assessment of the practical effects of the existence of individual schemes
specific to certain Member States and preparing the ground for their progressive integration into Euro-
pean law;

(h)

setting up an integrated border management system allowing for cooperation between the European
Agency, which is to be established, and the national bodies responsible for the control of individuals
and goods;

3.
Congratulates the Dutch Presidency on its commitment to adopt, by 1 April 2005 at the latest, the
decision providing for all measures falling under Title IV of the Treaty establishing the European Community
to be dealt with by qualified majority and in accordance with the codecision procedure; calls on the Euro-
pean Council to endorse this suggestion;

4.
Instructs its President to forward this recommendation to the Council, to the European Council and,
for information, to the Commission, as well as to the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

(1) OJ L 190, 18.7.2002, p. 1.

P6_TA(2004)0023

Situation in Georgia

The European Parliament,

European Parliament resolution on Georgia

— having regard to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and
their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part (1), which entered into force in
1999,

— having regard to its previous resolutions on relations with the countries of the region, notably its
recommendation of 26 February 2004 to the Council on EU policy towards the South Caucasus (2),

— having regard to the emerging Wider Europe — Neighbourhood policy of the European Union,

in
which the region is included, and the stated long-term objective of the countries in the region to play
a full part in European integration and cooperation,

— having regard to Rule 103(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. welcoming the on-going political and economic reforms, the measures to establish solid and efficient
democratic institutions, and the efforts made by the government to tackle large-scale corruption,
thereby creating a peaceful and prosperous Georgia that can contribute to stability in the region and
the rest of Europe,

B.

deploring the recent outbreaks of violence in the region of South Ossetia and the escalation of violence
which have led to deaths, injury and serious material damage,

(1) OJ L 205, 4.8.1999, p. 1.
(2) P5_TA(2004)0122.

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Official Journal of the European Union

EN

7.7.2005

Thursday 14 October 2004

C. whereas the lack of progress in conflict resolution in the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia is an

obstacle to the development of Georgia,

D. whereas the European Union must increase its support for the on-going efforts to help resolve the
conflicts in Georgia and the South Caucasus region, in cooperation with the Organisation for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other actors,

E. whereas the ‘presidential elections’ which took place in Abkhazia on 3 October 2004 must be con-
sidered illegitimate and unacceptable in the absence of an agreement on the final status of Abkhazia,
whereas these elections were based on an electorate of 115 000 persons and whereas more than
300 000 Georgians had previously been disenfranchised through expulsion from their homes in the
region,

F.

deploring the recent statements of the Russian authorities about the use of pre-emptive strikes in the
South Caucasus as part of Russia's security doctrine and stressing the indispensable role Russia should
play in the solution of the existing conflicts,

1.
Expresses its full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, and draws attention to
the need to arrive at a solution for the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia through negotiations and
confidence-building, exclusively by peaceful means, respecting the right of the peoples of Georgia to deter-
mine their own cultural, social, economic and political aims;

2.
Requests the Georgian Government to define its commitment, which appears to be a precondition for
achieving a peaceful solution of conflicts and national unification based on consent, towards the autonomy
of Abkhazia and South Ossetia;

3.
Insists that full demilitarisation, with the exception of the OSCE's Joint Peace-Keeping Force, of the
South Ossetian conflict zone is a precondition for a lasting peaceful solution of the conflict in this region;
asks the Council to give its support to a further enhancement of the effectiveness of the OSCE mission in
this region;

Rejects the ‘presidential elections’ in Abkhazia as illegitimate and calls on the Commission and Council
4.
to give their support to an intensification of the UN-led negotiation process in the Georgian-Abkhazian
conflict;

5. Welcomes the start of the ESDP Rule of Law Mission to Georgia; believes that the mission represents a
step forward in relations between the EU and Georgia and in the latter's progress towards establishing
deeper and more effective relations with the EU and sharing the objectives of the European Neighbourhood
Policy;

Calls on the European Union and the Presidency-in-Office to provide the EU Special Representative for
6.
the South Caucasus with all necessary resources to make his action effective and visible and to take further
decisive action to secure the EU's policy goals in the region,
including a willingness to mediate in the
conflicts;

7.
Calls on the Council and Commission to fully involve the Russian Federation in this process of secur-
ing stability through political negotiations and calls on the Government of the Russian Federation to refrain
from any action which might endanger this process; calls on the Council and Commission to include the
issue of Georgia's territorial integrity in the agenda for the dialogue with Russia within the framework of the
Partnership and Cooperation Agreement;

8.
Urges the Russian Federation to respect its commitments given at the 1999 OSCE Istanbul Summit on
the reduction and withdrawal of Russian military forces from Georgia and supports Georgia's commitment
as expressed by President Saakashvili at the UN that foreign troops would not move in once the Russian
military withdrew;

Calls for active EU involvement in the development of a series of initiatives to break the deadlocks in

9.
the region;

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Thursday 14 October 2004

10. Welcomes, in this respect, the agreement reached on a future meeting between the Prime Minister of
Georgia, Zurab Zhvania, and the separatist leader of South Ossetia, Eduard Kokoiti; calls on the Council to
follow developments closely, making every effort to facilitate dialogue and prevent the tense situation from
escalating;

11.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Presidency-in-
Office, the Secretary General of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe, the Secretary General of NATO, the President and Parliament of Georgia, and the de-facto auth-
orities in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

P6_TA(2004)0024

Generalised system of preferences

European Parliament resolution on the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the
European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee ‘Developing countries,
international trade and sustainable development: the function of the Community's generalised sys-
tem of preferences (GSP) for the ten-year period from 2006 to 2015’ (COM(2004)0461)

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Commission communication (COM(2004)0461),

— having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2501/2001 of 10 December 2001 applying a scheme of

generalised tariff preferences for the period from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2004 (1),

— having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2211/2003 of 15 December 2003 amending Regulation

(EC) No 2501/2001 and extending it to 31 December 2005 (2),

— having regard to its position of 29 November 2001 on a scheme of generalised tariff preferences for

the period 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2004 (3),

— having regard to its position of 4 December 2003 on a scheme of generalised tariff preferences for the

period from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2004 and extending it to 31 December 2005 (4),

— having regard to the Communication from the Commission ‘Towards a reinforced culture of consul-
tation and dialogue — General principles and minimum standards for consultation of interested parties
by the Commission’ (COM(2002)0704),

— having regard to the Doha Declaration, adopted by the Fourth WTO Ministerial Conference, held from

9 to 14 November 2001,

— having regard to the outcome of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), held in

Johannesburg (South Africa) from 26 August to 4 September 2002,

— having regard to the Monterrey Consensus adopted at the International Conference on Financing for

Development, which was held in Monterrey (Mexico) from 18 to 22 March 2002,

— having regard to Rule 108(5) of the Rules of Procedure,

(1) OJ L 346, 31.12.2001, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 332, 19.12.2003, p. 1.
(3) OJ C 153 E, 27.6.2002, p. 234.
(4) OJ C 89 E, 14.4.2004, p. 101.