Gay Mitchell
Question:456 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will address queries posed by a person (details supplied). [1369/05]
View answerWednesday, 26 January 2005
Questions (402)
Written answers
The Republic of Cyprus has been a member state of the European Union since 1 May 2004. In the absence of a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem, the application of the laws and regulations of the EU to the northern part of the island is suspended.
Following the referendums in Cyprus on 24 April 2004 on the settlement plan presented by the UN Secretary General, the General Affairs and External Relations Council adopted conclusions expressing a determination to ensure that the people of Cyprus would soon achieve their shared destiny as citizens of a united Cyprus in the European Union. The Council also agreed on the need to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community and to facilitate the reunification of Cyprus by encouraging their economic development.
On 29 April 2004, the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No. 866/2004, which sets out the terms under which the relevant provisions of EU law apply to the dividing line in Cyprus, between the areas in which the acquis communautaire applies and in which it is suspended. The regulation provides for the crossing of persons and for trade in goods across the so-called “Green Line”. Goods are permitted to cross the line from the northern part of the island “on condition that they are wholly obtained in the areas not under effective control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus or have undergone their last, substantial, economically justified processing or working in an undertaking equipped for that purpose” in the northern part of the island. The main query posed in the material supplied by the Deputy refers to the purchase of a car in the northern part of Cyprus, which was manufactured in Germany. As the vehicle was not manufactured in the northern part of the island, it would not qualify under the Council regulation for entry into the area under the effective control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus.
The second query refers to the registration system for non-nationals in Cyprus. I understand that the Republic of Cyprus operates a registration system for all resident non-nationals, as do a number of other EU member states.