HL Deb 11 May 2000 vol 612 cc225-6WA
Baroness Rawlings

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will clarify what Baroness Scotland of Asthal meant by "smart sanctions" in her Answer on 20 April. [HL2227]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal)

The term "smart sanctions" refers to the EU's wish to target sanctions so that, as far as possible, they affect the Milosevic regime and those closely associated with it rather than the ordinary people of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What are the procedures for monitoring the detailed effects of mandatory sanctions on Serbia under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1160, and any other relevant resolutions, and how often monitoring takes place; and who assesses the impact of similar European Union voluntary measures and how. [HL2256]

Baroness Scotland of Asthal

UN Security Council Resolution 1160 (1998) imposed an embargo on the supply of arms and related material to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and a ban on arming and training for terrorist activities there. SCRs 1203 and 1244 allow supplies to the verification missions and the international civil and security presences respectively. UN member states are responsible for implementing and enforcing these sanctions. Resolution 1160 established a UN committee which is tasked with, inter alia, seeking information from all member states regarding action taken by them to implement the sanctions and to consider information brought to its attention by any state concerning violations of the prohibitions and to recommend appropriate measures thereto.

The European Union has a series of measures in place against the FRY. These impose mandatory obligations on EU member states and include appropriate exemptions on humanitarian grounds and for Kosovo and Montenegro. EU member states are responsible for enforcing these measures. The General Affairs Council of the European Union regularly reviews EU policy towards the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. At the General Affairs Council of 14 February EU Foreign Ministers agreed to tighten financial sanctions and at the same time suspend the EU flight ban for six months.