Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 June 2006
6 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position regarding the Basque peace process; and if in his view the political party Batasuna should now be removed from the EU blacklist of so-called terrorist organisations. [25201/06]
View answerIn replies to parliamentary questions on this subject on 4 April, the Minister for Foreign Affairs welcomed the announcement by ETA of a permanent ceasefire from 24 March. He also made it clear that next steps in the process were purely a matter for the Spanish Government and elected representatives to consider.
Today the Spanish Prime Minister, Mr.Zapatero, spoke to the media on the Spanish Government's assessment of the ceasefire and on possible next steps in the process. I await a report from the Irish Embassy in Madrid on this. Those steps could include Spanish Government contacts with ETA and arrangements for talks between political groups. Political parties that are in conformity with Spain's law on political parties, including its provisions on support for violence or legitimisation or terrorist actions, would be eligible to take part.
The Batasuna political party was made illegal in Spain following a judgment of the Spanish Supreme Court in March 2003 in the framework of the law on political parties. Batasuna was subsequently added to the EU list of terrorist organisations on 4 June 2003 by a unanimous decision of the EU member states. Removal of Batasuna from the list would require, in the first instance, an initiative by the member state most concerned. Any request in that context and against the background of the awaited report by the Spanish Prime Minister to the Spanish Parliament would be carefully considered at all levels by Ireland and the EU.
Does the Minister of State agree that the placing of Batasuna on the EU black list has involved other member state Governments, including the Irish, in an exclusionary approach? The Minister of State claims this is a matter for Spain alone. It is not because it is an EU-wide decision to put Batasuna on a blacklist. This is not helpful for the situation developing in the Basque country.
Does the Deputy have a question?
I asked if the Minister of State agrees. That is a question.
Batasuna is a political party, deemed by the Spanish Supreme Court to be operating illegally. The report was transferred to the EU where a decision was taken after much deliberation. It is now a matter for the Spanish authorities in the first instance to deal with the situation and satisfy itself as to the veracity and commitment of Batasuna to political activity only, as distinct from terrorist activity. We cannot pre-empt——
It is an EU decision.
——the integrity of the sovereign state of Spain to deal with this matter in the first instance.
Or our sovereignty also.
We have no right to make a presumption about activity——
Yes, the Minister of State does. He makes many presumptions. He just made one about Indonesia.
Deputy Ó Snodaigh's party is still the subject of investigation by the IMC.
——in another sovereign state until a report comes forward that is satisfactory to our colleagues in the European Union and ourselves.
The Minister of State just made presumptions about other matters such as Palestine.
The Deputy can rest assured——
We have not verified Deputy Ó Snodaigh's party yet.
——that the Taoiseach has had discussions pertaining to assisting Prime Minister Zapatero in this situation. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, and I, with my European colleagues and Fr. Alex Reid have been involved in assisting the situation in Spain.
I know who is involved.
It is important that we await the evolution of the process in Spain and a final report from the Spanish Government through our embassy before we take a broader, conclusive view of that situation.
