Brussels, 01/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 1 April, the European Union “took note” of Palestine's accession the same day to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), adding that the EU and its member states are staunch supporters of the ICC.
The European Union usually welcomes the accession of new countries to the International Criminal Court. 69 members of the European Parliament from 15 member states, mainly from the GUE/NGL, but also the Greens/EFA, S&D, ALDE and EFDD wrote to the High Representative, Federica Mogherini, on Tuesday 31 March, asking her to “warmly welcome” Palestine to the International Criminal Court, “as the European External Action Service (EEAS) has previously done for many other states”. Mogherini should also “pass on our satisfaction” at the ratification of the Rome Statute by Palestine, the MEPs stress. “The EU should take this opportunity to send out a powerful message to the world, reiterating its commitment to justice and the peaceful resolution of conflicts by all means under international law”, they explain.
The signatories of the letter, the initiative of Patrick Le Hyaric, stressed that the European Parliament welcomed the ratification of the Rome Statute by Palestine on 12 March. As stated in the common position of the European Union on the International Criminal Court, the EU is firmly committed to progressing universal support for the International Criminal Court by promoting the broadest possible participation in the Court, the MEPs explain. “This is why the high representative, in the person of Catherine Ashton, has always welcomed every state which accedes to the Rome Statute”, they add, reiterating that the ICC is one of the international legal instruments promoted by the EU to “support its values of responsibility and peace”.
The MEPs go on to stress that Mogherini is highly committed to the geopolitical questions in the Middle East and has called for the EU to be “the first political player in the region in facilitating dialogue”.
In its statement, the EEAS also stressed that the European Union hopes to take this opportunity to reiterate its call for the resumption of “meaningful negotiations with the aim of achieving a comprehensive peace agreement based on a two-state solution”. The EU remains actively involved and will continue to work towards a lasting peace with both parties as well as with Arab states and other members of the international community, it adds. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)