European Parliament resolution on Moldova (Transnistria)
Date: 2006-10-26
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Moldova, autonomy, international law, settlement of disputes, the EU's international role

20.12.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 313 E/427

Thursday 26 October 2006

J.

K.

L.

recognising the historical and political link between the Hungarian Revolution in October 1956 and
various other forms of resistance and resistance movements, such as the mass demonstrations in East
Germany in June 1953, the Poznan demonstrations in Poland in June 1956, the Prague Spring of
1968, the birth of the Solidarity Movement in Poland in 1980 and democracy movements in the
former USSR, notably those of the Baltic peoples,

recognising that the Hungarian Revolution was a historic attempt at the reunification of a divided
Europe, and as such remains a cornerstone of our common European historical heritage,

recognising how the Hungarian Revolution contributed to the strengthening of cohesion in the demo-
cratic world and to the eventual founding of the European Communities in 1957, and was the ante-
cedent to the democratic political changes that took place in 1989-1990 in Central and Eastern Europe,
allowing the peaceful reunification of Europe through the European integration process,

Recognises the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 as one of the 20th century's emblematic manifestations

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of the pursuit of liberty and democracy that defied Communism in the Soviet bloc;

Salutes the brave men and women of Hungary who, by their self-sacrifice, lit a beacon of hope for

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other nations under the stranglehold of Communist rule;

Underlines the fact that the democratic community must unequivocally reject the repressive and unde-
3.
mocratic Communist ideology and uphold the principles of liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule
of law, and take a clear stand whenever they are violated;

4.

Calls on all democratic countries to clearly condemn the crimes committed by all totalitarian regimes;

Calls for the establishment of a European programme to strengthen cooperation between research and

5.
documentation centres in Member States studying the crimes of totalitarian regimes;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments

6.
and parliaments of the Member States.

P6_TA(2006)0455

Moldova/Transnistria

European Parliament resolution on Moldova (Transnistria)

The European Parliament,

— having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Moldova and the situation in Transnistria,

and in particular that of 16 March 2006 (1),

— having regard to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Moldova and the European

Union, which entered into force on 1 July 1998,

— having regard to the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan for Moldova, adopted on 22 February
2005, which sets the direction for strategic cooperation between the Republic of Moldova and the
European Union,

— having regard to the statements of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) at

the 1999 Summit in Istanbul and the 2002 Ministerial Council meeting in Oporto,

(1) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2006)0099.

C 313 E/428

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

20.12.2006

Thursday 26 October 2006

— having regard to the Ukrainian initiative ‘Towards a Resolution through Democracy’, launched by the

President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, on 22 April 2005,

— having regard to the Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union of 18 September

2006 on the ‘referendum’ in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova,

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

A. whereas a ‘referendum’ took place in the Transnistrian region of Moldova on 17 September 2006,
aimed at full independence for the region and its possible unification with the Russian Federation,

B. whereas neither this ‘referendum’ nor its outcome were accepted by the international community, as it
was organised in a completely unilateral manner by the repressive regime of Transnistria, thus blocking
the possibilities for a negotiated political solution to the conflict in Moldova, and as the suggestive
character of the questions and the failure to meet basic requirements for free and fair elections such
as freedom of the media, freedom of assembly and political pluralism were considered as predetermin-
ing the outcome of the referendum,

C. whereas the conflict between the separatist authority of Transnistria and the central government in

Moldova has largely contributed to the instability in the whole country,

D. whereas negotiations concerning the status of Transnistria have been ongoing since 1992, in the so
called 5+2 Format', in which Moldova, the Transnistrian region of Moldova, Russia, Ukraine and the
OSCE are participating, with the EU and the USA as observers; whereas in April 2006 the negotiations
broke down,

E. whereas the European Union took important steps recently to enhance its engagement with the Repub-
lic of Moldova and the search for a resolution of the Transnistrian conflict by opening a permanent
Commission delegation in Chisinau, appointing an EU Special Representative (EUSR) for Moldova with
a mandate to contribute to a sustainable settlement of the Transnistrian conflict and establishing an EU
Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) to Moldova and Ukraine,

F. whereas, according to the UN's 2005 Human Development Report, Moldova is the poorest country in
Europe and the situation with regard to Transnistria is a major hindrance to the country's socio-eco-
nomic development,

G. whereas at the beginning of this year the Russian Federation imposed a ban on the import of agricul-
tural products (wine, fruit and vegetables) from Moldova and Georgia, which is particularly harmful to
the economic development of both countries,

H. whereas the unilateral movements for independence in Transnistria, South Ossetia and Abkhazia are not
being supported by any international organisation, and continuing efforts are being made under the
auspices of the OSCE and the United Nations to restore the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
Moldova and Georgia,

Strongly denounces the attempt in the Transnistrian region of Moldova to establish its independence

1.
in a unilateral way by organising a so-called referendum;

2.
Calls on the government of the Russian Federation to withhold its support from this move and in
particular from the holding of so-called referenda on the independence of the region; calls on the govern-
ment of the Russian Federation to give its fullest support to the multilateral efforts to find a solution to the
conflicts in its neighbourhood; calls on the government of the Russian Federation, furthermore, to fulfil the
commitments made in 1996 in the Council of Europe and reflected in OSCE Summit (Istanbul, 1999) and
Council of Ministers (Oporto, 2002) decisions concerning the withdrawal of Russian troops and arms from
the territory of Moldova; expresses concern over the lack of progress on this issue;

Fully rejects the organisation and outcome of the ‘referendum’ on independence for the Transnistrian
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region of Moldova and its possible accession to the Russian Federation, as this is in sharp contradiction with
the internationally recognised sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova and as the
repressive regime in Transnistria does not allow for the free expression of the popular will;

20.12.2006

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 313 E/429

Thursday 26 October 2006

4.
Stresses that the resolution of the Transnistrian issue constitutes a crucial element for promoting
political stability and economic prosperity in the Republic of Moldova and in the whole region; stresses
the need for a peaceful solution to the conflict, in line with the UN Charter and Conventions and OSCE
declarations and with full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova
within its internationally recognised borders;

5.
Calls on all parties to the conflict to refrain from any measures that would lead to a further escalation
of the situation and to return immediately to the negotiating table in the 5+2 format and work towards a
speedy and transparent solution of the conflict;

6.
Calls on the Council, the Member States and the Commission to continue to give their fullest support
to a political and peaceful solution of the regional conflicts in the neighbourhood which the EU shares with
the Russian Federation, and urges them to discuss these matters at their next meetings with the President
and government of the Russian Federation;

7.
Calls on the government of Moldova to undertake confidence-building measures and put forward new
proposals for the inhabitants of Transnistria, providing positive incentives in order for them fully to support
a peaceful reunification of the state, with minority language rights and local autonomy being safeguarded;

Condemns the continued repression, harassment and intimidation of representatives of the indepen-

8.
dent media, NGOs and civil society by the self-proclaimed Transnistrian authorities;

Regrets the lack of significant progress in the EU talks on visa facilitation and a readmission agreement
9.
with Moldova; calls on the Council and the Commission to speed up the procedure leading to the conclu-
sion of a visa facilitation agreement with Moldova and to ensure its implementation; considers it unfair and
discriminatory that Transnistrian citizens holding Russian passports are benefiting from the possibility of
travelling to the EU more easily than Moldovans, which is contributing to increased tensions over the
Transnistrian region and acting as a disincentive to settlement of the dispute;

Expresses its satisfaction with Ukraine's decision of March 2006 to impose new customs regulations

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on its border with Transnistria, in line with international law;

11. Welcomes the good results achieved by the EUBAM on the border between Moldova and Ukraine,
which was established in March 2005 and is playing an important role in fighting corruption, illegal trade
and trafficking by improving transparency and building up appropriate operational and institutional capa-
cities in Moldova to ensure effective border control, thus contributing to the eventual settlement of the
Transnistrian conflict;

12.
Expresses its strong and continuing support for the efforts of the Moldovan people to establish a
fully functioning democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights, which are essential for ensuring
the progress of reforms;

13.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the government
and parliament of Moldova, the government of Romania, the government of Ukraine, the government of the
Russian Federation, the US government, the Secretary-General of the OSCE and the Secretary-General of the
Council of Europe.

P6_TA(2006)0456

South Ossetia

European Parliament resolution on the situation in South Ossetia

The European Parliament,

— having regard to its previous resolutions on Georgia, in particular that of 14 October 2004 (1),

— having regard to its resolution of 19 January 2006 on the European Neighbourhood Policy (2),

(1) OJ C 166 E, 7.7.2005, p. 63.
(2) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2006)0028.