RESOLUTION A3-0073/93

Resolution on future agreements between the Community and the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union

The European Parliament,

-having regard to its resolutions of 9 July 1992 on economic cooperation between the European Community and the Commonwealth of Independent States and on emergency assistance to the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union and of 17 September 1992 on relations with the CIS,

-having regard to the evidence given at the Hearing on 10/11 September 1992 on the economic and political problems of the states of the CIS organized jointly by the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Security, the Committee on External Economic Relations, the Committee on Budgets, the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy, and the Delegation for Relations with the Republics of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS),

-having regard to the negotiating directives given by Council to the Commission, on the basis of the information transmitted to the Committee on External Economic Relations,

- having regard to the motion for a resolution by Mr De Clercq and others on the future formulation of trade and economic agreements between the Community and the republics of the Commonwealth of Independent States (B3-1059/92),

-having regard to the motion for a resolution by Mrs Hoff and Mr Woltjer on using the advisory capacity available in the European Community in the context of aid to the CIS states (B3-1060/92),

-having regard to the report of the Committee on External Economic Relations

and the opinion of the Committee on Energy, Research and Technology (A3-0073/93),

A. having regard to the great potential for economic and trade cooperation between the Community and the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union (NIS),

B.having regard to the need to establish firm contractual links with those countries, as well as the need to contribute to their economic and political stabilization,

C.having regard to the economic crisis experienced by the NIS, characterized in particular by:

-severe drops in production, investment, real wages,

-a continuous trend towards hyperinflation,

-disruption of trade and payments between the different States,

-increasing strains on the environment, in particular due to nuclear energy production,

1.Welcomes the negotiation of partnership and cooperation agreements with the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union;

2.Underlines that these agreements must contribute to establishing a stable democratic political order, to protecting human and minority rights and to putting in place a sound market economy;

Trade in goods and services

3.Recalls the position stated in its abovementioned resolution of 17 September 1992 "that the Community should consider with the CIS states the setting up of a free-trade zone (with whatever temporary safeguards are needed)"; whereas the agreements under negotiation will fall well short of this result;

4.Takes note with concern that certain sectors (textiles, ECSC, nuclear products) will be excluded from the liberalization (on a Most Favoured Nation (MFN) basis) provided for by the draft agreements, and remarks that this will reduce the value of the MFN clause for our partners; asks the Commission to draw up a report on the possible impact on production and employment if the Community were to liberalize trade in the restricted sectors, and in particular steel and textiles;

5.Notes also that the agreements will pursue the objective of gradual liberalization in the field of services, with a standstill commitment with regard to national treatment for the provision of services;

6.Welcomes the provisions concerning mutual non-discrimination in labour conditions and employment; MFN treatment for establishment and operation of companies as well as for intellectual property; legislative cooperation in approximation of legislation; liberalization of capital movements;

7.Regrets however that no specific initiative has been yet taken towards encouraging the setting up by the NIS of a regional payments clearing system, in order to avoid further disruption of inter-state trade, as requested by Parliament in its abovementioned resolution of 17 September 1992;

Economic and financial cooperation

8.Approves the general principles of economic cooperation set out in the draft agreements; considers, however, in view of the environmental emergency existing in the NIS, that greater encouragement and support should be given to projects dealing with environment protection and with nuclear safety in particular, which has been jeopardized by obsolete technologies;

9.Stresses the need to increase efficiency of the technical assistance programme operated by the Community and the NIS, in particular by speeding up procedures and decentralizing identification and selection of projects;

considers that the Cooperation Councils set up by the agreements should address this problem as a priority;

10.Emphasizes the necessity to pay special attention to the conversion of armaments' industry;

11.Insists that protection of the environment and the elimination of environmental damage remain an important economic aim;

12.Strongly advocates that the NIS should have access to EIB funds for the financing of projects within the objectives of the agreements and that efficient coordination should be ensured for the various activities operated by the Community, the EBRD, the EIB and the Member States;

13.Notes that the problem of macroeconomic assistance to the NIS, (supported by Parliament in its abovementioned resolution of 17 September 1992) is not dealt with in the proposed agreements;

Cultural cooperation

14.Welcomes the setting up of cultural cooperation within the agreements; strongly advocates early adoption of specific programmes, such as TEMPUS, for the NIS;

Institutional cooperation

15.Welcomes the setting up of a political dialogue between the Community and the NIS, in order to strengthen links, support the political and economic changes under way in these States and establish new forms of cooperation;

16.Considers, in the light of its previous resolutions, in particular its resolution of 18 December 1992 on economic and trade relations between the EC and the Baltic States that respect for human rights (particularly those of minorities) and implementation of democratic principles, as defined in the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris for a New Europe, are essential elements of the agreements;

17.Stresses the need to define, in the text of the partnership and cooperation agreements, the composition and mandate of the joint parliamentary committees proposed; this mandate should include competence to examine reports by the Cooperation Council and issue recommendations;

18.Considers that, within the institutional cooperation framework proposed, the Community and the NIS should examine the possibility of organizing cooperation on a regional or sub-regional basis;

19.Recalls that, when consulted on the conclusion of the agreements, it will have to evaluate if its priorities have adequately been taken into account by the Commission and the Council;

20.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States and the governments of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.