Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-02-24-Speech-4-142"
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"en.20050224.12.4-142"2
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".
Mr President, as the honourable Members know, the Commission is following the situation in Togo very closely. Incidentally, EU aid to the country has been suspended since 1992, and the unconstitutional seizure of power, described as an hereditary dictatorship, has called into question any hope of normalising relations with the country that we might have had at the end of last year.
The European Union has responded firmly by condemning what must be considered a
and by calling for a return to the constitutional order and respect for the principles of the rule of law. Mr Louis Michel has voiced a very firm position on behalf of the Commission. Everything we are doing and saying is therefore in support of the action taken by the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union, which have been exemplary in their handling of the Togo crisis. The actions of the international community have already begun to have an effect, since on 18 February Mr Gnassingbé agreed to hold presidential elections within the time laid down by the constitution.
However, we must also condemn the breaches of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the days following the takeover. Demonstrations were banned and many radio and television stations were closed. The first demonstration was put down violently, pressure was put on journalists and arbitrary arrests were reported. It was because of international pressure that the Togolese Government started to backtrack. The right to demonstrate was restored on 18 February and some radio stations were able to resume broadcasting from 21 February.
So far as cooperation is concerned, Mr President, and in particular the ninth EDF, the Commission is therefore sticking to the conclusions of the consultations contained in the Council decision of 15 November 2004. There will be no new cooperation measures until free and transparent elections have been held, and obviously that now also means presidential elections, which are part of the process of returning to the rule of law. There will therefore be no resumption of EU aid outside that framework.
The Council decision of 15 November last also provided for a partial resumption of cooperation. All the projects concerned are
suspended until the situation is clarified. So far as the money remaining from previous project-funding EDFs is concerned, the Commission intends to organise support for the presidential and legislative elections should the government express a desire to hold them soundly and transparently and if the time available allows.
Regarding the proposal for targeted sanctions, in its statement of 20 February the European Union indicated that it reserves the right to take measures to support the action taken by the Economic Community of West African States. In general, the Commission supports Parliament’s draft resolution, which is in line with the proposal and position adopted by the European Union and backed by the Commission."@en1
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