Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-02-16-Speech-3-136"
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"en.20000216.9.3-136"2
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"Mr President, we are required under the advisory procedure to debate a proposal for a Council regulation on the implementation of operations within the framework of the pre-accession strategy for Cyprus and Malta. This proposal is similar to the proposal submitted for other candidate countries and, once it is implemented, will replace the financial protocols which have now expired.
Pre-accession instruments are designed to provide technical and financial support for efforts by candidate countries to meet the demands of the Community
. The Commission’s analysis has in fact shown that, although classified as high income countries by the World Bank, Cyprus and Malta have the same difficulties as the CEECs in transposing Community law due to their lack of administrative and judicial capacity. It was pointed out, during the discussion of Mr Brok’s excellent report in committee, that both countries can also benefit from the MEDA budget line for horizontal projects of regional interest. I would be grateful if the Commissioner could explicitly confirm that.
As far as Cyprus is concerned, part of the technical and financial aid provided for in the instruments will be used to bring the Greek and Turkish communities closer together and solve the problem of the partition of the island once and for all. The declarations made on the Cyprus question by the Council and the Commission were therefore most opportune and I should like to thank the President of the Council and Commissioner Verheugen.
Since 4 July 1990, when Cyprus applied to join the EU, the European Parliament has passed numerous resolutions calling for a political solution in accordance with international law and the relevant resolutions of the Security Council of the United Nations.
In April 1999, Parliament again reiterated its position that the accession of Cyprus should benefit the whole island, and help towards a political solution, but that accession should not be dependent upon such a solution. In other words, accession should not be held hostage to a political solution. The two processes are separate processes.
This unequivocal position on the part of the European Parliament gave rise to a certain degree of controversy. We must therefore welcome the fact that the Helsinki European Council put an end to the speculation and stated in its conclusions, and I quote, that “If no settlement has been reached by the completion of accession negotiations, the Council’s decision on accession will be made without the above being a precondition”.
The position is clear and we must now hope that the improved climate surrounding relations between the European Union and Turkey and between Greece and Turkey will bear favourably on the Turkish Cypriot community and that it will withdraw its refusal to send representatives to the accession negotiations.
The presence of these representatives will not prejudge the final political solution in any way whatsoever. On the contrary, it will allow the interests of all concerned to be highlighted as and when Cyprus joins the European Union and prepares for a turning point in its history."@en1
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