ONE THE most common political catchphrases that has surfaced in Cyprus even before EU accession last May, is the notion of a “European solution” to the Cyprus problem.
Depending on who you talk to or listen to, this can mean dropping the Annan plan altogether, using the acquis to bring the plan into line with what Greek Cypriots want, or just having greater involvement of the EU in the next round of UN Cyprus talks.
Prodromos Prodromou is Chairman of the European Democrats and a Deputy for Nicosia, last week made the case for the EU constitution as a ‘superseding’ solution, calling the Annan plan an “anachronistic, third-world political hybrid”.
He also noted a recent opinion poll, where respondents were asked which they preferred – an agreement based on the Annan plan, or a European solution? Almost 70 per cent said they preferred a European solution, he said.
However it is clear that the EU has no wish to step in and replace the UN as the main negotiator on Cyprus. It cannot afford to attempt negotiating a political deal between a member state and candidate country Turkey.
Adriaan van der Meer the head of the EU delegation in Cyprus made it clear at the recent Wilton Park Conference that the EU’s priority was a Cyprus settlement under UN auspices.
He said there should be sufficient guarantees that the acquis can be implemented and enforced after a settlement.
“It is in that context that the EC seeks an upgraded role in any future settlement talks, however, within the UN framework,” he said.
He said an EU special advisor would be maintaining contacts with the UN. “The basic point of departure for the EU is that the Union is ready to accommodate the terms of a political settlement in line with the principles on which the union is founded,” he said.
One EU diplomat said in his opinion Europe was being used by the Greek Cypriot side to promote the kind of settlement it wants.
“The term ‘EU solution’ came out of before the referendum. It was part of the ‘no’ campaign,” said the diplomat. “What we are seeing is an intentional misrepresentation of the EU’s attitude to a solution.
The idea that the EU would sit at the table and knock out ideas on the UN plan on the basis that it was incompatible with the acquis was not going to happen. “The EU has made very clear it will accommodate the terms of the settlement,” he said.
The diplomat said that according to Greek Cypriot thinking an EU solution means no restrictions on the right of return, freedom for Greek Cypriot businesses to establish where and when they like, and making sure political equality was sufficiently diluted so there was no potential for disagreement on EU issues between the two communities.
“In other words, it touches on the fundamental concerns of the Turkish Cypriot community not to be dominated politically and economically by the Greek Cypriots,” he said.
The term is also used often for domestic political consumption, and also as a means to convince others that the Annan plan is incompatible with the acquis, he said.
“The EU collectively is far more interested in there being a solution than in making sure that every inch of the acquis is applied immediately in minute detail,” he said.
“The government is very effectively spinning the outcome of discussions in Brussels and creating battles and arguments where they are none and creating victories out of compromises and that’s par for the course,” he added. “There is constant spin on EU involvement and talk of fundamental principles on which the EU was founded.”
One political analyst agreed. He said the idea is that the Annan plan must be in line with the acquis. “But the EU looked through the Annan plan and gave it a clean bill of health,” said the analyst.
“This is all for internal consumption. “I think what is happening is an insult to what Europe really stands for and all the founding principles of the EU – reconciliation, toleration and integration,” he added.
The analyst said the Greek Cypriot side appeared to be having a problem over power-sharing with the Turkish Cypriot minority. But at the same time, he said Cyprus, which represents 0.2 per cent of the EU’s population, expects to have an equal say with European giants such as Britain, Germany and France. “The ploy for a European solution is just a fig leaf for a unitary state,” the analyst said.
DISY Euro MP Panayiotis Demetriou said for many in the political arena “European solution” was just a slogan for those with some vague notions of a solution and was often for internal consumption.
However he said a true European solution would be something acceptable and feasible for all sides.
“I believe the EU has to take a more active initiative as far as the Cyprus problem is concerned contrary to what Gunter Verheugen supported. He said the Cyprus problem was not the EU’s problem, that it was a UN problem,” Demetriou said.
He said he disagreed. “The Cyprus problem, want it or not, is a European problem because Cyprus is member of the EU,” he added.
“Comparing the role of the EU before, and now, I would say the EU will be more active to what extent that role will reach I don’t know, Demetriou said.
READOUT: ‘What we are seeing is an intentional misrepresentation of the EU’s attitude to a solution’
‘The EU looked through the Annan plan and gave it a clean bill of health’
CAPTION: ‘I think what is happening is an insult to what Europe really stands for and all the founding principles of the EU – reconciliation, toleration and integration’
