Council must end isolation of Turkish Cypriots

Speech by Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP delivered to The European Parliament on Wed 26th Oct 2005

Question by Andrew Duff (H-0761/05)

Subject: Green Line Regulation in Cyprus

Does the Council believe that the recent modification of the Green Line Regulation has fulfilled its purpose of making a significant increase of trade between the North and the South of Cyprus?

Is it an appropriate and adequate response to the political engagement by the Council in April 2004 to assist the development of North Cyprus?

Douglas Alexander, President-in-Office of the Council. -

In relation to this question, the so-called Green Line Regulation was adopted by the Council on 1 May 2004 with a view to facilitating the reunification of Cyprus by encouraging the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community through the facilitation of trade between the northern part of Cyprus and the European Union customs territory. As the honourable Member rightly points out in his question, the Council adopted amendments to the Green Line Regulation in February 2005 to try to extend its scope and effectiveness, thus contributing further to the integration of the island.

In its first report on the implementation of the Green Line Regulation from 1 May 2004 to 30 April 2005, the Commission concludes that the crossing of persons is running smoothly, but that the volume and value of goods crossing the line remains limited.

While the report mentions the last amendments adopted in February 2005, the Commission implementing decisions concerning the new goods covered were still under preparation. Therefore, a full evaluation of the effectiveness of these amendments was not possible.

The Commission is due to report again on the Green Line Regulation in 2006 and will be reporting on the implementation of these provisions. As for other measures, which are intended to facilitate the reunification of Cyprus by encouraging the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community, the Council is aware of its responsibilities and efforts are continuing in that regard.

Andrew Duff (ALDE). - I thank the President-in-Office of the Council for his reply. Will he include, as an important part of his and the Commission's assessment of progress, a quantified assessment of the volume of trade across the green line intended for third countries?

Could he also explain why it is that Turkish Cypriot trucks are blocked from travelling to the south? It is patently absurd that a Turkish Cypriot vehicle can be permitted on the streets of Strasbourg, whereas it is blocked on the streets of south Nicosia.

Douglas Alexander, President-in-Office of the Council. - I thank the honourable Member for the points that he has raised. I can assure him I have listened carefully to them and noted them. With the permission of Parliament, I shall pass them on directly to the Commission so that they can inform the ongoing work that the Commission is taking forward.

Chris Davies (ALDE). - Commission officials told me last year, when I was in Nicosia just after the Green Line Regulation had come into effect, that in practice the Greek Cypriots were taking every opportunity to find reasons for preventing its maximum application and that trade was still being very severely restricted. I realise that this is a matter for huge frustration amongst members of the Council, the vast majority of whom want to see direct trade with Northern Cyprus.

No one in the Council likes to rock the boat, but is it not time to do a bit more public naming and shaming when EU citizens, whose elected representatives are unfortunately not yet recognised by this Union, are being kept oppressed by one Member State?

Douglas Alexander, President-in-Office of the Council. - The European Union foreign ministers expressed a desire to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots at the April 2004 General Affairs Council. At the Council's request, the Commission produced two draft regulations to deliver on this commitment. Perhaps some of the frustration of which the honourable Member speaks reflects the fact that it has not yet been possible to agree them. However, I can assure Parliament that we will continue efforts to achieve agreement. Clearly that will involve a number of Member States. I can assure you that we are determined, if we can, to reach agreement to give expression to that decision of the General Affairs Council.

Sarah Ludford (ALDE). - I thank the President-in-Office for his reply, but is it not shameful that a year and a half after the Council made that pledge to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots there is still no direct trade and no financial aid? Could he give a pledge that there will be agreement by December, by the end of the British Presidency?

Is the President-in-Office aware that some of the land crossings between the north and south of Cyprus are sometimes shut, so the refusal of direct air flights out of and into Northern Cyprus effectively shuts off Turkish Cypriots from contact with the outside world? There was some legal thinking going on inside the Foreign Office about licensing direct flights to Northern Cyprus. Could he tell us what has happened to that thinking?

Douglas Alexander, President-in-Office of the Council. - I would respectfully remind the questioner that I am answering on behalf of the Presidency today, rather than the British Government. She is welcome to correspond with me separately, in a different forum, about the views of the British Foreign Office on the licensing of flights.

That being said, I share the Member's frustration about the progress we had hoped to see in light of that earlier General Affairs Council commitment. However, as discussed at great length in our previous conversation about future financing, securing agreement often depends not on the will of one country, even one country holding the Presidency, but on the capacity to secure the support of all countries. That is why, notwithstanding the genuine frustration we share with her, I can only assure her that we will continue our earnest endeavours to reach agreement. At this stage, however, I cannot give her any guarantee of the date on which that agreement will be reached.