Brussels, 05/04/2000 (Agence Europe) - On 4 April, the Portuguese Presidency ade the following decvlaration on behalf of the EU:
"The European Union welcomes the decision of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine on the constitutionality of holding the all-Ukrainian Referendum on the People's Initiative, due to be held on the 16 April 2000. This decision is a positive development, which provides encouraging evidence of the effective functioning of Ukrainian democratic institutions. The EU hopes that the referendum will serve the purposes of the Ukrainian people with a view to promoting an overall advancement of democracy in Ukraine, along the lines of the OSCE and Council of Europe principles, specifically as regards good governance and respect for human rights. The EU continues to support cooperation between the President, Government and Parliament of Ukraine in addressing the urgent challenges of economic reform. The EU calls upon the Ukrainian authorities to afford a free and fair campaign and voting process for the referendum including equal access to mass media, especially television, for all parties concerned. The EU reminds the Ukrainian authorities that the unrestricted access of the press and foreign representatives as observers in the whole process of the referendum is an essential element to warrant its success."