FIJI: CONSULTATIONS UNDER ARTICLE 96 OF
THE COTONOU AGREEMENT
Letter from the Chairman to Rt Hon Geoff
Hoon MP, Minister for Europe, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Sub-Committee C cleared this Communication from
scrutiny on 8 February.
The Sub-Committee expressed its deep concern
about events in Fiji and hopes that the Government will take a
lead in urging the EU to use its influence to bring the country
back to democracy.
We noted that the timetable seems to be relaxed
both for the drafting of the proposed letter to Fiji's current
administration and for the proposals leading up to the adoption
of measures against Fiji. The Sub-Committee would urge the Government
to inject a greater degree of urgency into the timetable for action,
and suggest the inclusion in the proposed letter of a date by
which a substantive reply should be received from the current
administration in Fiji.
19 February 2007
Letter from Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP, to the
Chairman
Thank you for your letter of 19 February about
recent events in Fiji and the opening of Article 96 consultations.
I note your concerns about the time taken to
prepare the letter from the Commission invoking the opening of
consultations. I am pleased to report that the letter has now
been sent to the President of Fiji. The consultations must begin
no later than 30 days after the European Commission's invitation
and will continue over a mutually agreed timeframe of no longer
than 120 days.
An initial response has been received to the
letter and the first consultations are expected to take place
later this month. The consultations involve the European Commission,
Germany as current Presidency of the European Union, and Portugal
as the forthcoming Presidency.
May I reassure you that the UK will continmue
to play a leading role in helping to return Fiji to the democratic
process governed by the rule of law.
12 March 2007
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