Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-10-27-Speech-3-112"
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"en.20041027.8.3-112"2
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".
Mr President, the developments in Belarus are of great concern to the European Union. The European Union has a major interest in the stability, prosperity and democracy of its neighbourhood.
In the absence of fundamental reforms, one extremely important question remains: how should the democratic process in Belarus be further encouraged?
First of all, we believe in lasting engagement with the people of Belarus. At present, a key element in EU policy towards Belarus is support for civil society and the process of democratisation. The Commission wishes to pass a clear message to the Belarussian people, so that they know the EU has not forgotten them. The needs of the population should be addressed by way of technical assistance. People-to-people contacts between Belarus and the EU can be further fostered. The European Union is aiming to raise awareness of EU policies and assistance benefiting Belarussian citizens. I strongly believe that our new Member States in that region of Europe will help us to achieve our goals.
The Commission intends to use the assistance instruments at its disposal to continue support and assistance to civil society organisations, journalists and independent media, universities and, where appropriate, local authorities. Belarus will continue to be able to benefit from relevant regional, cross-border and thematic programmes.
It should be mentioned, however, that the delivery of international assistance to civil society and independent media is far from easy. In the past few years Belarus has refused to grant tax exemptions for EU assistance, in breach of earlier commitments between Belarus and the European Union. Today, Belarus requires all foreign gratuitous aid projects to be registered by the state authorities, which allows them effectively to turn down any international assistance that they do not appreciate.
Secondly, we continue to monitor closely the state of human rights, respect for fundamental freedoms and the rule of law in the country and raise our concerns with the Belarussian Government. Based on information submitted by European trade union confederations, the Commission has launched an investigation into alleged violations of freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining in the framework of the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP). Depending on the findings of the investigation, the EU will need to reconsider whether Belarus should have access to the benefits of the GSP scheme in the future.
Thirdly, it is important to take account of the long-term prospects. In the longer term, our proximity to Belarus could and should be translated into close cooperation and exchanges in fields of common interest, such as trade, justice and home affairs, transport, energy and the environment, provided that fundamental political reforms are carried out. The Commission wants to keep the door open for full participation in the ENP by a democratic Belarus.
I would like to conclude by underlining again that it is important that the Belarussian people – and especially those striving for democratic change – are not left out in the cold. It is more important than ever to continue and develop our efforts to support civil society and democratic forces in Belarus. The Commission is committed to doing so.
It is deplorable that Belarus has not taken the opportunity of the October parliamentary elections to take positive steps towards democratic pluralism. On the contrary, the parliamentary elections on 17 October fell significantly short of OSCE commitments for democratic elections. The controversial referendum on the removal of the two-term limit on the office of the president failed to meet international standards.
As pointed out in the preliminary findings of the international Election Observation Mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the extent and the seriousness of irregularities during the electoral period and the voting day itself raise serious doubts as to whether the results of the elections fully reflect the will of the Belarussian electorate. Freedom of expression, association and assembly were seriously challenged. Election campaigning by the candidates was, in many ways, restricted. The state media conducted an extensive campaign in favour of the incumbent political forces, whilst portraying the opposition in overwhelmingly negative terms. Non-state print media had only a minor role to play. Access to independent information sources remains limited by the fact that all nation-wide radio and television channels are state-controlled.
In the days following the elections, the negative trend in the political climate in Belarus has persisted.
Since election day, the authorities have turned, in an increasingly harsh and intolerant manner, against those citizens who have challenged the outcome of the elections and referendum in peaceful street demonstrations. Many of those who have expressed themselves in public have been arrested or fined. Opposition leaders and journalists have been beaten up. It is extremely worrying that, time after time, dissident voices in Belarus are not listened to, but repressed by the authorities.
For better or for worse, Belarus is a neighbour country of the European Union, with important historical, cultural and social ties with the enlarged European Union. We cannot be indifferent to the future of our relations with this or any other country in our immediate neighbourhood.
The European Union has developed a framework to reinforce further the relationship between the enlarged EU and its neighbours, including Belarus: the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), for which I happen to be responsible, for longer than expected.
As President Prodi has said, the aim of the ENP is to create a 'ring of friends'. A key principle of the 'ring of friends' we are forging is joint ownership. We cannot impose the policy on anyone, but we are ready to convince our neighbours of the benefits of the ENP. We are offering closer cooperation across the spectrum of our relations, from political dialogue to economic integration, on the basis of commitment to common values. This offer is also valid for Belarus.
Through the ENP, the European Union is ready to reinforce its lasting commitment to supporting democratic development in Belarus. If and when fundamental political and economic reforms take place, it will be possible for Belarus to be fully involved in the ENP, with all the benefits that would bring. Under the current conditions, however, there can be no fully-fledged ENP action plan for Belarus. The October parliamentary elections and the referendum were an important milestone for Belarus under the ENP, but, unfortunately, Belarus failed to meet it. However, closer relations, including relations in the framework of the ENP, are still a possibility, provided that fundamental reforms are introduced."@en1
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