B4-0003, 0004, 0005, 0006, 0007, and 0009/RC1/94

Resolution on the conclusions of the Corfu European Council of 24-25 June 1994

The European Parliament,

-having regard to its resolution of 4 May 1994 on the European Council in Corfu,

-having regard to the conclusions of the Corfu European Council of 24 and 25 June 1994,

A.whereas the European Council took place during a difficult period for European integration; pleased by the success achieved by the Greek Presidency, particularly in the following fields: enlargement of the Community, the GATT negotiations, the social sphere with the adoption of the regulation on works councils and the fourth research framework programme,

I.Nomination of the President of the Commission

1.Believes that there should be a review of the whole procedure for appointing the President of the Commission during the 1996 Intergovernmental Conference in order to make it more democratic and transparent;

II.Employment

2.Marks its agreement with the European Council's analysis according to which resumption of economic growth will not in itself be sufficient to solve the unemployment problem; regrets that the issue of employment is addressed only from the perspective of labour market deregulation; considers it essential for the Union also to tackle obstacles to the productive investment which creates jobs, and to take more coordinated and more effective action to eliminate the currency turbulence which fosters speculation and hampers international trade and whose serious social and economic repercussions pose a threat to the European economy;

III.White Paper

3.Welcomes the conclusions adopted by the Corfu European Council on the White Paper, particularly those relating to small and medium-sized undertakings, and trans-European networks in the field of transport, but is concerned by the ground lost in the energy, communications and environment sectors; reaffirms the decisive role of SMEs and the environment in job creation in the Community;

4.Welcomes the agreement concerning the eleven priority projects relating to trans-European networks, but is concerned about the conditions under which these projects will be funded; asks that the proposals concerning this funding should also be submitted to it;

IV.External relations and CFSP

5.Welcomes the enlargement of the Union to include the four new Member States; hopes that the people of Sweden, Finland and Norway will follow the example of the people of Austria and express their support for accession;

6.Is pleased that the European Council recognized the considerable progress made with regard to the membership applications by Cyprus and Malta; hopes that a negotiating timetable for their accession will be agreed as soon as possible in an appropriate institutional framework;

7.Points out that, as regards the associated countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the prospect of accession to the Union was opened up by the European Council of June 1993, and notes with interest the applications for membership submitted by Hungary and Poland;

8.Is at the same time fully aware of the fundamental significance of the partnership and cooperation agreement with Russia, a neighbour of the possible future Union of Sixteen, which will contribute to the creation of economic, political and social stability in that country;

9.Notes with satisfaction the conclusion of the agreements with Ukraine; calls for the immediate closure of the Chernobyl power station; deplores the inadequate appropriations earmarked for this purpose and calls for the implementation of an overall energy strategy for the country; requests that no appropriations be allocated for new nuclear power stations until the Ukraine has signed the international conventions on civil liability and the 'least-cost planning study' has been carried out;

10.Deplores the passive attitude of the international community and the European Union towards the genocide in Rwanda; insists that the Council and the Member States, together with the Western European Union, support the strengthening of the UNAMIR contingent so as to protect displaced persons, refugees and civilians in danger in Rwanda and calls on the European Union to draw up as a matter of urgency a common plan within the framework of the CFSP to tackle without delay and with the necessary resources the humanitarian disaster which threatens to spread to the whole of the region;

11.Stresses the benefits of further developing initiatives such as the Stability Pact for Europe and, as regards the Mediterranean basin, would like to see a conference similar to the CSCE and an overall approach for the whole region, leading at a later date to a conference between the Union and its partners in the region;

12.Condemns the acts of violence which have led to numerous deaths in Algeria and reaffirms its encouragement for all progressive forces; calls in particular for the planned additional ECU 200 million in aid to Algeria to be released at an early date and for decisions to be taken by the Member States to alleviate Algeria's debt;

13.Notes the commitment to completing the peace process in the Middle East, but requests a strengthening of European cooperation in this region, particularly in order to help the Palestinian people to achieve their own development;

14.Welcomes the holding of the Ministerial Conference with the SADCC and South Africa on 5 and 6 September 1994 in Berlin; hopes that this conference will promote stabilization and development in southern Africa with a view to meeting the needs and aspirations of the peoples of this region, and, to this end, requests the rapid conclusion of an agreement on economic and political cooperation with South Africa;

15.Welcomes the adoption of joint action in connection with the preparation of the 1995 conference of the parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty with a view to achieving an unlimited and unconditional extension of the Treaty;

16.Welcomes the progress made in reconciling the Bosnians and Bosnian Croats and considers that a lasting peace can be achieved only if a similar agreement, which respects the multi-ethnic character and international borders of Bosnia-Herzegovina, is concluded with the Serbs; recalls that the Presidency of the G7, in its declaration of 10 July on the Naples Summit, called on the warring parties in Bosnia to accept before 19 July the plan submitted to them on 6 July in Geneva, stressing that 'we shall ensure that the measures made known to the parties in the event of either acceptance or refusal are implemented';

17.Reaffirms that there cannot be peace without justice and thus welcomes, with the appointment of the Public Prosecutor, the removal of the last obstacle to the commencement of the work of the Ad Hoc International Court on the crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia; insists, moreover, on the need for the Court not to confine its activity to those who actually committed the crimes but to establish in the end who bears political responsibility;

18.Reaffirms that, if the execution of the plan is not to encourage further shows of force and ethnic cleansing, new means should be found of offering political and material support to help democratic and civilian groups and those working for inter-ethnic reconciliation and to promote free information; stresses that it is also essential to protect refugees' right to return home, support the integrity of international frontiers and guarantee generous economic and political support for the process of reconstruction of civilian life;

19.Considers that the European Union must commit itself fully to the rehabilitation process in Bosnia-Herzegovina as soon as the necessary conditions are met, and, with this in mind, welcomes the signing on 5 July 1994 in Geneva of the memorandum on the administration of the City of Mostar; calls for urgent consideration to be given to the use of existing instruments and/or programmes, such as the PHARE Programme, in which the new government in Sarajevo, as well as Croatia, should be able to participate;

V.Fight against racism and xenophobia

20.Welcomes the Franco-German initiative and the Council decision to implement an anti-racism plan of work and to develop an overall Union strategy to combat racist and xenophobic acts of violence; asks that it should be implemented immediately, but regrets that it is based on Title VI of the Treaty on European Union, which excludes the European Parliament from the policy-making process;

VI.1996 Intergovernmental Conference

21.Notes with interest the decision to create a Reflection Group in which two representatives of the European Parliament will take part; it goes without saying that these two representatives will participate on an equal footing with the representatives of the foreign ministers of the Member States;

22.Regrets, however, the fact that the request contained in its abovementioned resolution of 4 May 1994 regarding the composition of the Parliament's representation was not fully taken into account by the European Council;

23.Deplores the fact that the composition of the Reflection Group, i.e. the personal representatives of the foreign ministers, is not based on previous experience and that the start of this group's work has been deferred to the second half of 1995 which deprives it of any opportunity of making the most suitable proposals in good time for amendments to the Treaties;

24.Calls for national parliaments to be fully involved in the process of revising the Treaty on European Union, which must take into account ordinary citizens' aspirations to exercise democratic control;

25.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments of the Member States and the applicant states.