92000E2936

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2936/00

by Brian Simpson (PSE) to the Council

(20 September 2000)

Subject: Cyprus

Can the Council indicate what action it intends to take against Turkey in order to secure the lifting of the illegal embargo by that country against any merchant ships that have visited ports in Cyprus, and can it explain to Parliament why no action has been taken hitherto?

Reply

(26 February 2001)

1. The Council is perfectly aware of the specific issue raised by the Honourable Member, which, moreover, concerns not only the relations governed by agreement between the EU and Turkey, but also other international obligations on the part of Turkey. As early as 1998 the Presidency of the Union raised this problem with the Turkish side in the margins of a meeting at the OECD. Likewise, the matter is regularly on the agenda for the proceedings of the Joint Committee of the Customs Union bringing together the EU and Turkey, and, in particular, was discussed at the Committee's meeting on 8 December 2000.

2. In addition, at a meeting of the Council's competent preparatory bodies, the Commission, which, within its sphere of competence, also has to address the matter, announced that it had raised this problem with the Turkish side last October during the first round of negotiations with Turkey on services and public procurement. It also raises the matter regularly in its periodic reports on the progress made by Turkey towards accession, and notably in its last report dated 13 November 2000.

3. The Council would remind the Honourable Member that in its address before the UN General Assembly on 12 September 2000, the Presidency, speaking on behalf of the Union, considered that the status quo in Cyprus was unacceptable and stated that it supported the UN Secretary-General's efforts to reach a negotiated, overall, just and lasting settlement in line with the Security Council's resolutions.