Brussels, 11/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - The EU/Cyprus mixed parliamentary Committee, during its meeting on 10 October in Brussels under the co-Presidency of Mechthild Rothe and Tassos Papadopoulos, noted that, with 16 Chapters of the accession negotiations already completed, Cyprus is one of most advances accession candidate countries, and that the imminent report from the European Commission on the progress of Cyprus should be positive (even if the Chapters still open are among the most difficult). The two chief negotiators, Leopold Mauirer and George Vassiliou, underlined the progress achieved by Cyprus in the transposition of the Community acquis.
The political situation in Cyprus was raised in particular by the Ambassador Jean-Bernard de Vaivre on behalf of the Council Presidency, Commissioner Gunter Verheugen and the Cypriot Minister (acting as a replacement)
for Foreign Affairs Takis Clerides. The participants reaffirms that the status quo in Cyprus is unacceptable, but a solution to the Cypriot problem is not a preliminary condition for accession and the Mr Verheugen said it was ready to contribute to the search for a solution in particular in the up coming proximity talks, which open on 1st November in Geneva.
Participants also heard: - Jacques Poos, EP Rapporteur on negotiations with Cyprus (the joint committee found his report "very objective and balanced": see, however, Turkey's negative reaction in EUROPE of 6 October, p.4); - Demetris Eliades and Chris Davies on the subject of environmental protection in Cyprus; - Christa Randzio-Plath and Kikis Kazamias on the subject of taxation problems; - Yiannalis Agapiou on the problem of maritime transport and the "right to free navigation" for Cyprus (a specific communiqué on this issue is currently being dealt with at bilateral EU-Turkey level); - Demetris Sillouris on the cultural heritage of Cyprus (the parliamentary committee called for EU financial assistance); - Georgios Dimitrakopoulos, EP Rapporteur on IGC, on institutional reform.