92000E2169

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2169/00

by Ioannis Souladakis (PSE) to the Commission

(30 June 2000)

Subject: Stability of FYROM

According to press reports, there have recently been attempts to infiltrate groups of persons into FYROM with the aim of destabilising the country. These groups, come from Kosovo, consist of UCK units,

come from Kosovo, are engaged in drugs trafficking, smuggling, illegal arms shipments and the illegal trade in people and recently have sought to acquire a political facade, involving themselves in plots to undermine efforts to normalise the situation in Kosovo. However, it is necessary and politically indispensable to ensure the stability, peace and security of a state such as FYROM which has repeatedly acted responsibly in the Kosovo crisis, and in the region in general. Furthermore, it is assumed that the bodies responsible for the administration of Kosovo are answerable for their actions to the European Union.

What measures does the Commission intend to take to put an end to the efforts by these circles to destabilise FYROM?

Has the Commission checked whether cooperation ties have been established between these groups and the peculiar authority which has been established in Kosovo?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(28 July 2000)

The Commission is not aware of the specific incidents to which the Honourable Member refers. It would, however, observe that the UCK/KLA was demilitarised and disbanded in September 1999 to the satisfaction of the international military administration in Kosovo.

The bodies responsible for the administration of Kosovo to which the Honourable Member refers are, as regards the international civil administration, the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMiK) and, as regards the international military administration, KFOR. These are established under United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 1244 and are, contrary to the Honourable Member's assumption, answerable not to the Union but to the United Nations. Obviously, those parts of the international civil administration which are in receipt of Community funds are answerable to the appropriate Union authorities as regards the use of such funds.

As regards the cooperation ties which the Honourable Member alleges to have been established between the groupings to which he refers and the peculiar authority which has been established in Kosovo, the Commission would like to recall that the authority in Kosovo as described above is based on a UN Security Council Resolution and is in no way peculiar. The Commission is equally sure that the Honourable Member is not implying that this international civil administration is engaged in illegal or questionable activities.

The Commission shares the Honourable Member's concerns about the importance of the stability, peace and security of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and is currently engaged in negotiations with that state on the establishment of the first of the new stabilisation and association agreements.