RECOMMENDATION on the proposal for a Council and Commission Decision on the conclusion of a Protocol to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States and the Republic of Moldova [COM(96)0132 - 7291/96 - C4-0266/97 - 96/0088(AVC)[

25 June 1997

Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Policy
Rapporteur: Mr Alexandros Alavanos

By letter of 29 May 1997 the Council requested Parliament's assent pursuant to Article 228(3), second subparagraph, of the EC Treaty to the proposal for a Council and Commission Decision on the conclusion of a Protocol to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States and the Republic of Moldova.

At the sitting of 13 June 1997, the President of Parliament announced that he had referred this proposal to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Policy as the committee responsible and the Committee on External Economic Relations for its opinion.

At its meeting of 22 May 1997 the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Policy had appointed Mr Alexandros Alavanos rapporteur.

It considered the draft recommendation and adopted the draft decision unanimously at its meeting of 24 June 1997.

The following were present for the vote: Spencer, chairman; Pettinari, acting rapporteur (for Alavanos); Barón Crespo, Bernard-Reymond, van Bladel, Caccavale, Cohn-Bendit, De Melo, Dillen, Ephremidis (for Manisco), Friedrich (for Bianco), Galeote Quecedo, Gahrton, Lalumière, La Malfa, Lambrias, Goerens (for André-Léonard), Oostlander, Poettering and Saint-Pierre (for Dupuis pursuant to Rule 138(2)).

The opinion of the Committee on External Economic Relations is annexed.

The recommendation was tabled on 25 June 1997.

A DRAFT DECISION

Decision on the proposal for a Council and Commission Decision on the conclusion of a Protocol to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States and the Republic of Moldova [COM(96)0132 - 7291/96 - C4-0266/97 - 96/0088(AVC)[

(Assent procedure)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the proposal for a Council and Commission Decision [COM(96)0132 - 96/0088(AVC)[[1],

- having regard to Article 95 of the ECSC Treaty,

- having regard to Articles 54(2), 57(2), last sentence, 66, 73c(2), 75, 84(2), 99, 100, 113, 235 and 228(2) of the EC Treaty,

- having regard to Article 101(2) of the EAEC Treaty,

- having regard to the Council's request for Parliament's assent pursuant to Article 228(3), second subparagraph, of the EC Treaty (7291/96 - C4-0266/97),

- having regard to Rule 90(7) of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the recommendation of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Policy and the opinion of the Committee on External Economic Relations (A40223/97),

1. Gives its assent to the proposal for a Council and Commission Decision;

2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Council and Commission, and the governments and parliaments of the Member States and of the Republic of Moldova.

• [1] OJ

B EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

On 28 November 1994, in Brussels, the European Union and the Republic of Moldova signed a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement to give a new dimension to relations between the two parties. It replaces, with regard to the Republic of Moldova, the agreement on trade and commercial and economic cooperation concluded with the former Soviet Union on 18 December 1989.

The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement is a mixed agreement which requires ratification by the national parliaments of the European Union and the Republic of Moldova and the approval of the European Parliament. Parliament gave its assent on 30 November 1995 on the basis of a report by its Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Policy (A4-0273/95). The Agreement has still not been ratified by the national parliaments.

The purpose of the new proposal for a decision (COM(96)0132) is to enable Austria, Finland and Sweden which, at the time when the Agreement was signed, were not members of the European Union, to participate fully in it by adding them to the list of contracting parties.

The Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Policy therefore approves the proposal for a Council and Commission Decision and recommends that the European Parliament gives its assent to the Protocol attached, so that the three new Member States which joined the European Union on 1 January 1995 can participate fully in the partnership established with the Republic of Moldova.

OPINION

(Rule 147)

for the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Policy

on the proposal for a Council and Commission Directive on the conclusion of a Protocol to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States and the Republic of Moldova (7291/96 - C4-0266/97 - COM(96)0132 - 96/0088(AVC) (report by Mr Alavanos)

Committee on External Economic Relations

Letter from the committee chairman and the draftsman to Mr Tom Spencer, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Policy

Brussels, 18 June 1997

Dear Mr Spencer,

The Committee on External Economic Relations considered the above subject at its meeting of 18 June 1997.

On this occasion, it has decided to give a positive opinion on this proposal [1].

Yours sincerely,

(sgd) Jan Marinus Wiersma (sgd) Luciana Castellina

Draftsman

• [1] The following took part in the vote: Castellina, chairman; Moniz, vice-chairman; Wiersma, draftsman; Elchlepp, Ferrer, Erika Mann, Miranda de Lage, Moorhouse and Schwaiger.