Brussels, 27/08/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 26 August, the Danish EU Presidency issued the following declaration on behalf of the European Union:
"The European Union reiterates its wish to welcome Belarus among the democratic states in Europe. However the EU is seriously concerned about the situation on human rights and democracy in the country. The EU is concerned about the draft of the law "On freedom of conscience and religious organisations" which was approved on June 27 by the House of Representatives to be submitted later to the Council of the Republic for final approval. If the said law receives final approval this will further weaken the freedom of conscience in Belarus. The EU is concerned that the draft law will open up for discrimination of religious communities by dividing religions according to their "value" with respect to Belarus, that it will provide a basis for censorship by demanding religious literature to be submitted to Belarusian authorities before distribution, and that it will be a means to government control of religious organisations and make them subject to sanctions for which circumstances are not clearly defined. It is questionable whether the law - if approved - would be in accordance with international agreements to which Belarus has subscribed. The European Union encourages the Council of the Republic not to approve the law in question. The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the EU, the associated countries Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, and the EFTA countries, members of the European Economic Area align themselves with this declaration".