Cyprus (Hansard, 3 July 2003)

§ Mr. Dismore
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what outstanding matters remain for the Republic of Cyprus to address before it accedes to the EU; and if he will make a statement. [R] [123169]

§ Mr. MacShane
The Republic of Cyprus has concluded negotiations with the EU. The commission produces regular annual reports setting out what Cyprus needs to do before accession on 1 May 2004. Between reports, commission monitoring is ongoing and the commission reports its findings regularly to the council and answers member states' questions on the monitoring process. The commission will publish a final, Comprehensive Monitoring Report publicly available on the commission website, www.europa.eu.int/comm/ index–en.htm, on or soon after 5 November this year. Monitoring will continue until and beyond accession.

§ Mr. Dismore
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he plans to take to ensure settlers not entitled to Republic of Cyprus nationality resident in occupied Cyprus do not have access to the benefits of an EU national to which Turkish Cypriots will be entitled, when Cyprus joins the EU; and if he will make a statement. [R] [123185]

§ Mr. MacShane
In the absence of a settlement, the EU acquis will be suspended in the north of Cyprus when the Republic of Cyprus accedes to the EU. Those resident in the north of Cyprus who do not hold Republic of Cyprus passports will not be entitled to EU benefits. Turkish Cypriots with Republic of Cyprus passports will be entitled to EU benefits. However, the benefits available to Republic of Cyprus passport holders resident in the north of Cyprus will be limited by the suspension of the acquis in the north of Cyprus.

§ Mr. Dismore
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements are in place to enable Turkish Cypriots resident in the occupied part of Cyprus to participate in elections for the European Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [R] [123186]

§ Mr. MacShane
None. In the absence of a settlement, the EU acquis will be suspended in the north of Cyprus.