Activities of Lucas HARTONG related to 2012/2107(DEC)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on Special Report No 6/2012 (discharge 2011) - 'European Union Assistance to the Turkish Cypriot Community', (pursuant to Article 287(4), second subparagraph, TFEU) PDF (198 KB) DOC (128 KB)
Amendments (18)
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that the existing de factounlawful division of Cyprus dates back to Turkey’s military invasion of inand illegal occupation of the Northern part of the island in July 1974;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that as a result of the 1974 events, the vast majority of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots live separately on the respective sides of the buffer zone and that the resulting property issue has been one of the most difficult problems to solve as part of the ongoing efforts to reach a settlementis actually crystal-clear and easy to solve provided that the illegal occupation measures by Turkey are recognised and completely rejected and that the lawful Greek Cypriot owners of property in illegally occupied Turkish Cyprus are accorded recognition;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Acknowledges the factStresses that an estimated 78 % of privately owned land in the northern part of Cyprus legally belongs to Greek Cypriots, whose consent is required for EU-funded infrastructure investments on their land; stresses furthermore that the EU must not and will not in any way at all cooperate with expropriation procedures or investment in infrastructure by the illegal Turkish occupier against Greek private individuals who own property in the northern part of Cyprus;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recalls that the UN Security Council Resolution 541 (18 November 1983) states that the attempt to create an independent state in the occupied part of Cyprus was illegal, null and void and that UNSC Resolution550(1984) calls upon all States not to recognise the so-called "Turkish republic of northern Cyprus" and "not to facilitate or in any way assist the secessionist entity"; stresses that the EU will therefore not in any way invest, or support investment, in the illegal ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Observes that according to Protocol 10 of the Act of Accession while the whole island is legally part of the EU, the acquis communautaire is suspended in the Northern part, an area over which the Government of the Republic of Cyprus does not exercise effective control; this constitutes a uniquescandalous political, legal and diplomatic context; calls on Turkey to withdraw immediately and unconditionally from the territory of the EU Member State Cyprus;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Considers it essential for the EU and the destination of EU aid to clarify independently the issue of how large the Turkish Cypriot population actually is;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes that the programme has assisted many different beneficiaries across the Turkish Cypriot community; but observes nevertheless that it has not been possible to implement the single largest bi-communal project, the construction of a seawater desalination plant (27,5 million euro) due to restrictions imposed byopposition from the Turkish army. This represents a significant setback for the programme; has severe doubts as to whether it is the task of the EU to invest in projects in the Turkish Cypriot community in view of the illegal Turkish occupation and its resultant total control over the Turkish Cypriot community;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notices that "more generally, the sustainability of projects is often in doubt due to the limited administrative capacity of the beneficiaries and the presence of the Turkish occupier;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recalls here that the ultimate objective of the instrument is to facilitate the reunification of Cyprus and to put an end to the illegal Turkish occupation as soon as possible;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Agrees with the CommissExpresses the conviction, that until a settlement of the Cyprus issue is achieved, the support to the TCc is to be based on the current Aid Regulationshould be halted, in view inter alia of UN Security Council Resolution 541 and Regulation (EC) No 389/2006, and that, therefore, the current Aid Regulation should be suspended with effect from 1 January 2013;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Nevertheless notes with concern that the Commission faced – and continues to face – significant constraints in the setting up and implementation of the programme, that the effectiveness of the Commission's local support office has been undermined by several factors, all of which are more or less linked to the illegal Turkish occupation, that the programme implementation procedures are not always effective and that the sustainability of projects remains risky despite some results;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Regrets the loss of the seawater desalination plant project which was an unfortunate setback; recalls that this project was not only the main project in the water sector but also the largest bi-communal project funded under the instrument and that the plant was intended to provide 23 000 m3 of clean drinking water per day covering the needs of an estimated 100 000 people and recalls that water supply is becoming an increas¬ingly critical issue for the island following a 40 % decrease in the mean annual rainfall in the past 30 years; is deeply concerned that the cancellation of the project due to the restrictions, imposed byin particular to the opposition of the Turkish army to the Greek Cypriot contractor by the Turkish army means that this serious environmental issue will not be addressed;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Deeply regrets that delays have affected most of the actions on local and urban infrastructures, although these are largely outside the control the Commission and the UNDP due to opposition by the Turkish occupier and its illegal bodies; furthermore notes the ineffectiveness of the UN and its bodies in resolving the situation which currently exists in Cyprus;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. StressDeplores the transitional and exceptional character of the EU aid to the TCc, pending the reunification of Cyprus;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Emphasizes that the main objective of Regulation 389/2006 is to facilitate the reunification of the island; recommends reviewing once again the distribution of the aid to the TCc and the objective obstacles related to the sustainability of the projects; suggests considering whether large scale bi-communal infrastructure programs should still be pursued or a focus on smaller scale bi-communal projects managed and supervised by the official government of the Republic of Cyprus, confidence building measures, the support of the civil society, the missing persons' related activities, the youth mobility, the preservation of historical sites should be considered instead;