EUROPEAN COMMUNITY DECLARATION

Madrid, June 27, 1989.

The European Council has examined the situationin the Middle East conflict in the light of recent events and of contactsundertaken over several months by the Presidency and the Troika (the incumbentPresidency, its immediate predecessor and successor) with the parties concerned,and it has drawn the following conclusions:

1. The policy of the Twelve on the Middle Eastconflict is defined in the Venice Declaration of 13 June 1980 and othersubsequent declarations. It consists in upholding the right to security of allStates in the region, including Israel, that is to say, to live within secure,recognised and guaranteed frontiers, and in upholding justice for all thepeoples of the region, which includes recognition of the legitimate rights ofthe Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination with allthat this implies. The Twelve consider that these objectives should be achievedby peaceful means in the framework of an international peace conference underthe auspices of the United Nations, as the appropriate forum for the directnegotiations between the parties concerned, with a view to a comprehensive,just, and lasting settlement. The European Council is also of the view that thePalestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) should participate in this process. Itexpresses its support for every effort by the permanent members of the SecurityCouncil of the United Nations to bring the parties closer together, create aclimate of confidence between them, and facilitate in this way the convening ofthe international peace conference.

2. The Community and its Member States havedemonstrated their readiness to participate actively in the search for anegotiated solution to the conflict, and to co-operate fully in the economic andsocial development of the peoples of the region. The European Council expressedits satisfaction regarding the policy of contacts with all the partiesundertaken by the Presidency and the Troika, and has decided to pursue it.

3. The European Council welcomes the supportgiven by the Extraordinary Summit Meeting of the Arab League, held inCasablanca, to the decisions of the Palestinian National Council in Algiers,involving acceptance of Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, which resultedin the recognition of Israel’s right to exist, as well as the renunciation ofterrorism. It also welcomes the efforts undertaken by the United States in itscontacts with the parties directly concerned and particularly the dialogueentered into with the PLO. Advantage should be taken of these favourablecircumstances to engender a spirit of tolerance and peace with a view toentering resolutely on the path of negotiations.

4. The European Council deplores the continuingdeterioration of the situation in the Occupied Territories and the constantincrease in the number of dead and wounded and the suffering of the population.It appeals urgently to the Israeli authorities to put an end to repressivemeasures, to implement Resolutions 605, 607 and 608 of the Security Council andto respect the provisions of the Geneva Convention on the Protection of CivilianPopulations in Times of War. They appeal in particular for the reopening ofeducational facilities in the West Bank.

5. On the basis of the positions of principle ofthe Twelve, the European Council welcomes the proposal for elections in theOccupied Territories as a contribution to the peace process, provided that:

· the elections are set in the context of a process towards a comprehensive, just, and lasting settlement of the conflict.

· the elections take place in the Occupied Territories including East Jerusalem, under adequate guarantees of freedom.

· no solution is excluded and the final negotiation takes place on the basis of Resolutions 242 and 338 of the Security Council of the United Nations, based on the principle of "land for peace".

6. The European Council launches a solemn appealto the parties concerned to seize the opportunity to achieve peace. Respect byeach of the parties for the legitimate rights of the other should facilitate thenormalising of relations between all the countries of the region. The EuropeanCouncil calls upon the Arab countries to establish normal relations of peace andco-operation with Israel and asks that country in turn to recognise the right ofthe Palestinian people to exercise self-determination.

Source: Lukacs, Yehuda: TheIsraeli-Palestinian Conflict – a documentary record 1967-1990, CambridgeUniversity Press, Cambridge, 1992.

Last revised on 30 March, 2005