A4-0156/95

Resolution on Cyprus's application for membership of the European Union

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the application for membership of the European Union submitted by Cyprus on 4 July 1990,

-having regard to the Commission opinion of 30 June 1993,

-having regard to the Council's conclusions of 4 October 1993,

-having regard to its resolutions on the situation in Cyprus and on the enlargement of the Union,

-whereas at the European Council meetings in Corfu and Essen (June and December 1994) it was agreed that Cyprus and Malta should be included in the next phase of enlargement of the Union,

-having regard to the resolutions of the UN Security Council on the situation in Cyprus and the reports by the Secretary-General of the United Nations on his mission of good offices,

-having regard to the conclusions of the Council on Cyprus of 6 March 1995,

-having regard to the conclusions of the European Council held in Cannes on 26/27 June 1995,

-having regard to Rule 148 of its Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Policy (A4-0156/95),

A.whereas Cyprus's vocation to be part of Europe and its eligibility for membership of the Union are confirmed in the opinion of the Commission and the conclusions of the Council on the membership application,

B.whereas this eligibility was reconfirmed by the Council in March 1995 upon re-examination of the membership application by Cyprus,

C.whereas the European Council in Cannes decided that negotiations for the accession of Cyprus would begin six months after the end of the 1996 Intergovernmental Conference,

D.whereas Cyprus has cultural and historical, as well as economic and political, links with the Member States of the European Union and, therefore, its membership is of importance to all Member States,

E.whereas negotiations on the Cyprus question are still continuing under UN auspices, with a view to reaching a fair and lasting peace agreement,

F.wishing to see a more decisive involvement by the European Union in efforts to secure a just and lasting settlement of the Cyprus problem,

1.Endorses the Commission opinion and the Council's conclusions on the membership application and confirms Cyprus's vocation and its eligibility for membership of the Union;

2.Reiterates the views it has expressed in the past on the island's reunification in the form of a sovereign, independent, bi-zonal and bi-communal federation, in keeping with the relevant UN resolutions and, with a view to accession, in accordance with the acquis communautaire of the Union;

3.Points out that the Union considers the island to be a single entity, with a legitimate and internationally recognized government, and that the status quo is unacceptable, as was reaffirmed in the UN Security Council Resolution 939/94 (paragraphs 1 and 2);

4.Notes the UN Secretary-General's report of 22 November 1993 and supports his call to the two sides on the island, as well as Turkey and Greece, to 'work more effectively for a negotiated settlement, in return for the great efforts of the international community' (paragraph 102 of the report);

5.Notes the UN Secretary-General's report of 30 May 1994 which speaks of a deadlock in the inter-community talks, over both the substance of the Cyprus problem and the confidence-building measures, owing to the absence of political will on the part of the Turkish Cypriot side (paragraph 53);

6.Notes the report by the Union observer to the inter-community talks and deplores the state of deadlock reached in the negotiations;

7.Deplores the recent resolutions by the Turkish Cypriot 'parliament';

8.Believes nevertheless that the UN Secretary-General should continue his efforts to find a peace settlement and calls on the international community to take all possible steps to reduce the tension between the two parties;

9.Welcomes the substantive discussions which have taken place between the Union and the Cyprus authorities, which should enable Cyprus to prepare for the accession negotiations in the best possible circumstances;

10.Considers that the accession of Cyprus is an autonomous process and that Cyprus should not be a hostage of relations between the Union and Turkey, as the Commission and the Council have confirmed in various statements;

11.Calls for the resources of the Fourth Financial Protocol to be employed to support efforts by the Cypriot Government to achieve harmonization with the 'acquis communautaire';

12.Believes that not only the opening of negotiations on accession but also accession itself can help speed up a peaceful settlement in Cyprus and considers that membership should benefit both communities;

13.Points to the positive role which Cyprus will play by enhancing the Union's contribution to peace and security in Europe, particularly in the eastern Mediterranean;

14.Repeats that enlargement must be accompanied by institutional changes;

15.Refers to the conclusion of the EU Council of Ministers fixing the opening of the accession negotiations with Cyprus and Malta six months after the end of the Intergovernmental Conference of 1996; calls, accordingly, on the Council and the Member States to commit themselves to that effect with a view to the prompt accession of Cyprus to the EU;

16.Welcomes the structured dialogue between Cyprus and the European Union, as agreed at the Association Council of 12 June 1995, and calls for the details of this dialogue to be modelled on the structured dialogue between the EU and the countries of central and eastern Europe;

17.Calls on the Commission to pursue the dialogue with the Turkish Cypriot community so as to ensure that the democratic forces in the northern part of the island are kept abreast of progress in the ongoing process of accession;

18.Calls on the Commission to act in concert with the government of Cyprus, in order to make the Turkish community in the northern part of Cyprus aware of the benefits of accession and calls also for a joint action to be undertaken by the Union to accelerate the peace process in Cyprus;

19.Calls on the institutions of the European Union to examine the possibility of a joint action with a view to solving the Cyprus problem, taking into account the international rule of law and the relevant UN resolutions;

20.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States and the Government of Cyprus.