92000E0644

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0644/00

by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Council

(25 February 2000)

Subject: The behaviour of Belgium and France towards Austria

For a number of days now Belgium and France have been pursuing an offensive policy of isolating Austria because of their fear that the FPÖ's participation in the government could pose a threat to human rights and the protection of minorities in Austria. At the same time, Belgium and France are the only countries, apart from Turkey, which have neither ratified nor signed the Council of Europe's framework agreement on the protection of national minorities.

1. Is there any justification for France's and Belgium's behaviour given that the two countries have still not ratified or signed the Council of Europe's framework agreement on the protection of national minorities and that the two countries do not guarantee the minimum European standard of protection of minorities?

2. Does every country, regardless of its own political history or circumstances (for example, France's empty chair policy in the 1960s or Great Britain's veto policy), have the right to isolate without any legal basis a trustworthy member of the European Union?

Reply

(2 May 2000)

It would not be appropriate for the Council to take a view on actions which have been taken by one or more of the Governments of the Member States and which have no direct bearing on the work of the Council. Any such action is a matter for the Governments of the Member States concerned.