WRITTEN QUESTION E-0682/00 by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission. Preparations for the UN Millennium Assembly and Summit.
20. 2. 2001 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 53 E/17 (2001/C 53 E/020) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0682/00 by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission (9 March 2000) Subject: Preparations for the UN Millennium Assembly and Summit Will the Commission say what preparations are being made for the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in September 2000? Will the Commission outline what, in particular, it is doing to promote discussions among Member States, and civil society, to develop proposals for strengthening the UN system as the centre of international decision-making on the basis of equity, justice, democracy, environmental sustainability and accountability, as set out in the Charter for Global Democracy? Joint answer to Written Questions E-0681/00 and E-0682/00 given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission (28 April 2000) The Community is a key protagonist in the preparations for the Millennium Summit. The Commission and the Member States consider the Summit (5-8 September 2000, New York) and the non-governmental organizations (NGO) Forum (22-26 May 2000, New York, United Nations Headquarters), including the preparatory process, an opportunity to reach consensus on the future orientation of the organisation, which would help further reform efforts to strengthen the United Nations system. Therefore, the Commission is actively participating in the preparatory process for the Millennium Summit. It contributes on a regular basis to the Community co-ordination in New York and in Brussels, which until now addressed aspects such as duration, format, themes, civil society participation and outcome. On the format issue, the Community has insisted that the Summit should be interactive, allowing for a mix of short formal statements with parallel round table discussions on specific themes, with the subject of human rights as a cross-cutting issue. In March 2000, the United Nations Secretariat general (UNSG) issued a report designed to advance the debate on the Millennium Summit. Regarding civil society participation, the Community welcomes the proposal of the United Nations general assembly (UNGA) President that a spokesperson from the Millennium Forum should address the plenary of the Millennium Summit. As for the outcome, the Community favours a succinct political declaration, in which Heads of State and Government would express their commitment to United Nations goals, principles and ideals, and to which would be annexed the Chairmenís reports on the round table discussions. The President of the Commission will attend the Summit and address the plenary. Furthermore, the Commission hopes to obtain the possibility of attending one of the four round tables. In preparation for the Millennium Assembly and of the report of the Secretariat general for the Millennium Assembly, five informal regional hearings have already been held in cooperation with the five regional commissions of the United Nations in order to elicit innovative views and suggestions on how best to strengthen the United Nations to face the challenges ahead in the areas of peace and security, development, humanitarian affairs and human rights. Representatives of civil society were invited by the United Nations to participate alongside with Member States. The Millennium Forum will bring together representatives of the civil society from all over the world. It will be a deliberative event and the participants will be selected on the basis of criteria such as gender, theme, expertise and geography. Not only traditional non-governmental organizations but also other major groups ü such as youth, parliamentarians, local authorities, indigenous populations, research and academic institutions, the private sector, and prominent people like Nobel Prize laureates ü will be represented. C 53 E/18 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 20. 2. 2001 For more information, it is suggested to consult the following sites on Internet: http://www. un. org/millennium (UN Internet web site); http://www. globalpolicy. org/ngos/docs99/gpfrep. htm (Global Policy Forum web site). (2001/C 53 E/021) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0697/00 by Hubert Pirker (PPE-DE) to the Commission (17 March 2000) Subject: European Parliament resolution of 15 April 1999 on the report from the Commission on Sloveniaís progress towards accession (1998) In its Declaration and Recommendation (of 18. 3. 1999), the EU-Slovenia Joint Parliamentary Committee called on the Government of Slovenia to repeal those laws and decrees from 1945 and 1946 relating to expatration of individual ethnic groups in the former Yugoslavia which still remained in force. Has the Commission held talks with the Government of the Republic of Slovenia about these laws and decrees? How will the Commission take account of this call from the European Parliament in connection with the accession negotiations? (2001/C 53 E/022) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0698/00 by Hubert Pirker (PPE-DE) to the Commission (17 March 2000) Subject: Accession negotiations between the European Union and the Republic of Slovenia At the Copenhagen summit in 1993, the European Council reaffirmed its determination to ensure that all people were protected against violations of fundamental rights and freedoms. It referred, inter alia, to the United Nations Convention for the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. The Convention requires signatories to repeal discriminatory laws and regulations. What view does the Commission take of the fact that in the Republic of Slovenia, contrary to this requirement, the Avnoj decrees (dating from 1944 and 1946), which are explicitly directed against individual ethnic groups, still remain in force? Joint answer to Written Questions E-0697/00 and E-0698/00 given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission (2 May 2000) The Commission has assessed in its opinion on Sloveniaís application for membership of the Union of June 1997 that Slovenia meets the political criteria laid down in Copenhagen and that Slovenia has achieved stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities. Slovenia has undertaken to fulfil the criteria with respect to the rule of law and adherence to human rights principles. However, the AVNOJ decisions were adopted and implemented before the founding of the Communities and are remnants of the legislation of the former Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia. The process of restitution of property continues. The Commission is aware of the fact that the process of property restitution is very slow in Slovenia. It follows this process in the context of its bilateral relations with Slovenia. However, the Commission cannot intervene directly in this question. Article 295 (ex Article 222) of the EC Treaty states explicitly that it shall in no way prejudice the rules in the Member States governing the system of property ownership