Draft reply to written question E-001777/2012: "Syria - military intervention"

COUNCIL OF

THE EUROPEAN UNION

Brussels, 8 May 2012

B

PU

9616/12

PE-QE 199

C

LI

LIMITE

DRAFT REPLY TO WRITTEN QUESTION

E-001777/2012 put by David Campbell Bannerman (ECR)

from:

Working Party on General Affairs

to:

Permanent Representatives Committee/Council

Subject:

"Syria - military intervention"

1.

Delegations will find attached:

–

the text of the above Written Question;

–

a draft reply prepared by the Working Party on General Affairs at its meeting

on 4 May 2012.

2.

This draft reply is submitted to the Permanent Representatives Committee (Part 1) and to the

Council for approval.

________________________

9616/12

Conseil UE

DRI

PT/dv

1

LIMITE EN

Question for written answer E-001777/2012

to the Council

Rule 117

David Campbell Bannerman (ECR)

Subject:

Syria - military intervention

Does the Council support military intervention in Syria?

________________________

9616/12

DRI

PT/dv

2

LIMITE EN

REPLY

to Written Question E-001777/2012

put by David Campbell Bannerman (ECR)

In response to the ongoing violence and systematic human rights violations by the Syrian regime

inflicted to the civilian population, which the Council has repeatedly condemned in the strongest

terms, the Council adopted restrictive measures in May 2011 and has since extended such measures

on 14 subsequent occasions. It is committed to its current policy of imposing additional sanctions,

targeting the regime and not the population, as long as the violence continues.

The EU will continue to push for strong UN action to increase international pressure on the Syrian

regime and to call on all members of the Security Council, in particular China and Russia, to work

together in an effort to stop violence, and to support the mission of the joint UN-LAS envoy to

Syria and the implementation of the Arab League resolutions. Furthermore, at its meeting on

23 April 2012, the Council adopted conclusions in which it stated that the EU welcomes the

unanimous adoption of the UNSC resolution 2042 on 14 April authorising the immediate

deployment of an advance team of up to 30 unarmed military observers and of the UNSC resolution

2043 on 21 April establishing the full UN supervision mission in Syria (UNSMIS) with an initial

deployment of up to 300 unarmed military observers as well as an appropriate civilian component,

to monitor a cessation of armed violence and to monitor and support all aspects of the joint UNLeague of Arab States Special Envoy Kofi Annan's six point proposal. The EU takes an active role

in the Friends of the Syrian People Group, which met again in Istanbul on 1 April this year to

strengthen international support for a political solution.

The EU also urges the Syrian opposition to show a clear commitment to the principle of nonviolence. The opposition must unite now in a peaceful struggle for a new Syria that is democratic,

pluralistic, stable and which guarantees human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to

minorities, and where all citizens enjoy equal rights.

________________________

9616/12

DRI

PT/dv

3

LIMITE EN

مسودة رد مجلس الاتحاد الأوروبي على سؤال برلماني حول دعم المجلس لتدخل عسكري في سورية، تؤكد تفضيل الحل السياسي.