EP - Western Balkans and the Stability Pact

Motions for resolutions - Meeting of the Troika with the countries participating in the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe
Doc.: B5-0283/2003, B5-0288/2003, B5-0289/2003, B5-0290/2003, B5-0291/2003, B5-0294/2003

Vote: 05.06.2003


Vote

The European Parliament is seriously concerned at the economic and social situation in the Western Balkans. In adopting this resolution, MEPs call for the reinforcement of the Stabilisation and Association Process for South-Eastern Europe, including the use of policy instruments similar to those used for the current enlargement. Parliament warned, however, that integration of the Stability Pact countries would take considerable time and would be evaluated on the basis of the Copenhagen economic and political criteria.

Parliament thus called for the introduction of annual benchmarks for each country, the involvement of the South-Eastern European countries in the EU's foreign and defense policies, improving the implementation of the Stability programmes CARDS and PHARE, the opening up of the educational exchange programmes Socrates and Leonardo, and the lifting of visa requirements for the EU.

For their part, the region's countries should do their utmost to fight organized crime, to increase transnational cooperation between police and judicial structures, promote the return of refugees and displaced persons and the protection of minorities and co-operate fully with the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia. Croatia was specifically called upon to take concrete steps to co-operate with this Tribunal. Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia were asked to reach an agreement for a complete return of refugees, while Bosnia-Herzegovina was encouraged to pass the necessary legislation for the protection of minorities. The Assembly of Kosovo was called upon to act in accordance with the reconciliatory spirit and letter of UN Security Council Resolution 1244. MEPs also asked for a feasibility study into extending the Stabilisation and Association Process to Moldova.

Finally, Parliament stressed the importance of regional cooperation and of further progress in parliamentary cooperation between the EU Member States and the Southeastern European countries.

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• EU Presidency Statement - The International Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (26/11/2001)