Activites

• 1998/10/26 Final act published in Official Journal
• 1998/10/08 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T4-0580/1998 summary

    In adopting the report by Mr John CUSHNAHAN (PPE, Irl.) on relations between the European Union and Hong Kong beyond 1997, the European Parliament deplored the fact that the complex and less than fully democratic electoral system applied in the 1995 elections had been retained in 1998 with further restrictions on the franchise, so that pro-democracy parties had secured only one third of the seats on the Legislative Council, despite having won a clear majority of the popular vote. It noted with satisfaction the interest which Hong Kong voters had demonstrated in democracy (the turnout for the elections had been 53.3%, representing 1.5 million voters), and urged that close consideration be given to establishing a system to elect the Chief Executive, directly or indirectly, at the end of the first two mandates in 2007. It regretted that the 36 Hong Kong delegates to the National People's Congress had been appointed by a Selection Committee in a less than transparent fashion and that members of the Democratic Party had been totally excluded from the process. It reiterated its attachment to the maintenance of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary in Hong Kong and called on the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to grant permanent residency and the right of abode to all current Hong Kong permanent residents who had obtained foreign passports. Member States were urged to grant visa-free entry to holders of HKSAR passports and to the 3 million Hong Kong British National (Overseas) passport holders. It was concerned that refusal by a single member of the Schengen Pact to do this would effectively deny these passport-holders visa-free access to 13 of the European Union's Member States. Recalling the importance it attached to freedom of expression, it called on the Government of Hong Kong to ensure that the Basic Law did not violate the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Taking the view that the EU should fully support the international autonomy of Hong Kong, Parliament called for cooperation to be developed on a large scale in order to strengthen the EU's relations with Hong Kong. It called on the Commission and Council to monitor closely the financial and economic autonomy of the HKSAR, and welcomed the Commission's intention to produce annual reports on political and economic developments in Hong Kong. In this context, Parliament considered that the Commission's Office in Hong Kong should be able to play a role in producing this annual report and in strengthening links between Hong Kong and the EU. The Office's resources should therefore be increased. Parliament called on European companies operating in Hong Kong and in China via Hong Kong to observe ILO core labour standards.�

• 1998/10/07 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 1998/09/03 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0312/1998
• 1997/05/16 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• #2003
• 1997/04/29 Council Meeting
  • 2003
• 1997/04/23 Non-legislative basic document published
  • COM(1997)0171 summary

    OBJECTIVE: The aim of the communication is: - to draw attention to the consequences of the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong to China from 1 July 1997 for the EU and its numerous interests in the territory: - to sketch the likely evolution of EU-Hong Kong relations over the next few years. SUBSTANCE: The new status of Hong Kong is based on the principle of 'one country, two systems': the territory will be administered on the basis of a political, legal and economic system different from that of the rest of China. Hong Kong will become, from 1 July 1997, a 'special administrative region' (SAR) of China, with a high degree of autonomy in the economic and commercial sphere, but also in the legislative and judicial areas. The importance and extent of the EU's interests in Hong Kong are such that it will remain, especially in economic terms, a key partner in Asia, and will have a central place in EU-China relations. On the international plane, Hong Kong will continue to have a separate voice (in particular, within the WTO) and will have the right to sign international agreements in its fields of competence (essentially trade). With a view to ensuring respect for freedoms, the Chinese 'Basic Law' creating the SAR states that the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong will be guaranteed. In this new context, the EU has a role to play in monitoring the smooth operation of the transition process from 1997 on: it intends to keep a watch on developments in Hong Kong through an appropriate and effective presence. 1997, far from signalling the downgrading of links with Hong Kong, should, rather, mark another step forward in the progressive enhancement of the ties between the EU and Hong Kong. The Commission proposes a number of strategic actions, based on the following considerations: - the EU should deal directly with the Hong Kong SAR as an international partner, and should maintain close and regular contacts (in particular, by stepping up the work of its Hong Kong office); - from the viewpoint of trade policy, the EU should continue to treat Hong Kong as a separate entity and as a major partner in the WTO: as an autonomous customs territory, Hong Kong will continue to have its own regime as regards rules of origin, the SGP, anti-dumping measures and textile quotas; - the EU should exercise close monitoring of the situation in Hong Kong and of respect for the rights granted to the citizens of Hong Kong under the SAR, working together with the international community and bringing EU instruments into play if necessary: the EU should analyse the situation at regular intervals and make active use of the existing institutions (common positions, joint actions, political dialogue, cooperation). The Commission intends to publish a report in 1998 on the evolution of relations with Hong Kong. - the EU should acknowledge that there is a possible case for granting visa-free access to persons living in Hong Kong, applying specific criteria (an admission facility should be defined, to be common to the Member States and reflect the interests of both Hong Kong and the Union); - the EU should explore ways to put trade, investment and cooperation relations between itself and the SAR on a more permanent footing, especially via the conclusion of formal agreements in areas such as financial cooperation, media, the environment, the development of SMUs and technological research; - the EU should develop active cooperation with Hong Kong as an Asian hub: in particular, the territory should be viewed as having, in the context of the fast-developing Asian continent, a leading role as special partner vis-à-vis the other countries of the region. �

Documents

• Non-legislative basic document published: COM(1997)0171
• Debate in Council: 2003
• Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A4-0312/1998
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0580/1998

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)