Brussels, 24/06/2003 (Agence Europe) - The ten future EU Member States, the candidate countries Romania and Bulgaria (and also the EFTA countries) stated on 23 June that they subscribe to the aims of the common position adopted on 16 June by the EU Council concerning the International Criminal Court, the Greek Presidency states in a declaration. These countries announce "they will ensure that their national policies conform to that common position" and the European Union "takes note of this commitment and welcomes it", the declaration adds.
We recall that Romania (as well as Israel and Timor) had admitted last autumn that they had signed an agreement with the United States whereby it undertook not to bring US nationals before the Court. After this, however, the agreement was not ratified. Before the EU Summit in Washington, the United States affirmed in a confidential memorandum that the EU's appeal to its future Member States for them not to sign such agreements could "undermine all our efforts to repair and reshape the transatlantic relationship" (see EUROPE of 12 June, p.6).