Brussels, 16/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - ÖVP MEP, Usula Stendzel, asserted in a communiqué that European Commissioner for Enlargement, Gunter Verheugen, had not convinced her during his speech to the European Parliament's European Affairs Committee, that the "Benes Decrees are no longer legally valid" (see EUROPE 12 April page 6). The Zeman/Verheugen declaration stated that the 1945 decrees affecting ethnic Germans from the Sudentenland were no longer legally valid and would have no impact on accession negotiations. The Austrian parliamentarian was happy to hear Mr Verheugen declare that, "With regard to some other Acts, further clarifications are being conducted" and that they needed to conform to European law at the time of accession of their country to the European Union. Ms Stenzel pointed out that the European Parliament itself had asked for the current validity of the decrees to be subject to a detailed study by experts.