WRITTEN QUESTION E-0030/00 by Marianne Eriksson (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Monitoring of the referendum in Western Sahara.
3. 10. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 280 E/163 According to the Helsinki European Council conclusions, building on the existing European strategy, Turkey, like other candidate States, will benefit from a pre-accession strategy to stimulate and support its reforms. This will include enhanced political dialogue, with emphasis on progressing towards fulfilling the political criteria for accession with particular reference inter alia to the issue of human rights. In practice, in all the political dialogue meetings with the Turkish authorities at the level of Foreign Ministers and Political Directors the Council addresses human rights issues. (2000/C 280 E/185) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0030/00 by Marianne Eriksson (GUE/NGL) to the Commission Subject: Monitoring of the referendum in Western Sahara (19 January 2000) For more than seven years, the Sahrawi people have been waiting for news from the Moroccan authorities about a referendum on the future of Western Sahara. The Moroccan authorities have more than once broken agreements they had with Polisario regarding the date of the referendum. However, registration of those entitled to vote has now resumed, and a referendum campaign is being planned that is expected to be concluded on 31 July 2000, which is also the date on which the referendum is scheduled to take place. The risk of electoral fraud is great, and an international team of monitors needs to be sent in order to ensure that the referendum takes place in a democratic manner. Will the Commission assist in monitoring the referendum on the future of Western Sahara? Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission (14 February 2000) The Commission is keeping track of developments in the implementation of the plan adopted by the UN Security Council for the settlement of the Western Sahara conflict. The UN Secretary-Generalís efforts to find a just, equitable and lasting solution for the Western Sahara have its full support. It is therefore ready to provide assistance at every stage of the planned settlement. On the specific issue of the referendum, the Commission is aware that its organisation is threatened by problems with the finalisation of the electoral lists. As the UN Security Council pointed out in resolution 1282/99 of 14 December 1999, these problems á. seem to allow little possibility of holding the referendum before 2002 or even beyondí. (2000/C 280 E/186) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0031/00 by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Council (20 January 2000) Subject: Nuclear threat of Akkuyu Further to previous questions and ahead of Turkeyís final decision on the construction of a nuclear plant in the earthquake-prone region of Akkuyu, Canadian Federal MPs opposed to Canadaís intention to supply Turkey with nuclear reactors have made public the following further reasons for their position: ü the financial burden on Canada of a 1,5 billion dollar loan to Turkey, ü the possibility of Akkuyu developing into a second Chernobyl which will pose a serious threat to the lives of 144 million people in the eastern Mediterranean, ü the fundamental fear of providing Turkey with the means of manufacturing nuclear weapons through related technology, as occurred with India and Pakistan