Strasbourg, 16/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - The President of the EU Council, Anna Lindh, discussed on Wednesday before the European Parliament the efforts made by the European Union to encourage a resumption of the Middle East peace process, by indicating in particular that the EU supports the proposals from the Mitchell Commission (freeze on settlements, end to violence and terrorism, among others) and the Egyptian-Jordanian peace plan. The Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs recalled that the High Representative for CFSP, Javier Solana, was responsible for presenting to the Gothenburg Summit a report on the possibilities available to the European Union to facilitate the peace process, and that Mr Solana has already handed in the first report on 5 May. The Union remains in constant contact with the two parties, noted Mrs Lindh, who also underlined the role played in this context by the EU Middle East Envoy, Miguel Angel Moratinos. Mrs Lindh regretted the deterioration of the economic situation in "this so culturally rich region", and noted that the Palestinian economy practically lives from aid from the Arab countries and the EU, and that the situation has also degraded, to a lesser extend, in Israel.
He to raising the economic effects of the blockade of the Palestinian territories, the European Commissioner for External Relations, Chris Patten, noted that there have been "some improvements" in the movement of goods and people "in and out of Gaza", but that the economic activity of the Palestinians continue to be "severely restricted". Mr Patten recalled that the Commission is talking with the Palestinians "the basis of out future assistance", and that this assistance must concentrate in particular on financial management and institutional reform. As for the problem - which was presented to him by several MEPs, such as the Dutch Liberal, Louise van der Laan and the Dutch Green Joost Lagendijk - of the preferential access that will be granted to certain products from Gaza and the West Bank, from Golan and east Jerusalem, Mr Patten asserted that such access would be illegal, because these territories are not covered by the EU/Israel Association Agreement. If the Israeli government wants to declare goods from the settlements in the Palestinian territories as goods from Israel, the EU customs authorities will not be able to share this interpretation", said Mr Patten, when asserting that the European Commission is the guardian of law and that it must ensure in particular to avoid the divergent interpretations on behalf of the customs authorities of the various Member States. We will signal this problem during the Association Council on 21 May, announced Mr Patten, who indicated that the case would also be raised during the Customs Committee meeting on 31 May.
Pasqualina Napoletano, member of the Democratici di sinstra, thanked Mr Patten for his "clarity", and for having reported that case "on the basis of law and equality". More generally, Mrs Napoletano felt it "paradoxical" that the EU does not have a "common strategy" concerning the Middle East, and called for the Gothenburg Summit to remedy this failing. "The time has come to say "basta ya!, that is enough Mister Sharon!", exclaimed the Socialist Jacques Poos, when using the slogan of those who protest, in Spain, against the ETA terrorism. Most of the MEPs who spoke in the debate have attributed to Israel the greater responsibility for the spiral of violence that does not cease, but some have noted that the responsibilities are shared, and that the European Union must maintain a balanced position. Olivier Dupuis, member of the Bonino List, reproached Mrs Lindh for her "selectivity" (why does she denounce the settlements, and not the Syrian occupation of Lebanon?, he wondered) and felt that this will require showing "a little more generosity with regards to Israel" and consider the possibility of "integrating" Israel into Europe. Mr Dupuis recalled that around thirty European MPs and members of the Knesset already signed this proposal. Philippe Morillon (EPP, French) called for greater "impartiality" by the EU, which cannot, according to him, contents itself with following the drama from its Mediterranean balcony. Mr Morillon as well as the Partido Popular member, Jose Ignacio Salafranca, spoke for the dispatching of an international body of observers with the EU's participation.
During the opening of the debate, President Nicole Fontaine welcomed the presence in the chamber of a delegation from the Knesset, when recalling the speeches made by the Presidents of the Knesset and the Legislative Council, which had "awoken so many hopes" last September in the European Parliament.