Vol. 445 No. 9
120 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the Greek trade embargo against the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM); and if he has made such views known to the Greek authorities in view of the importance for this country of maintaining a common trade policy for the EU. [157/94]
On 16 February 1994, Greece closed the port of Salonika to traffic to and from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia with the exception of humanitarian transport. This decision was taken without consultation with the Commission or the member states.
The measures taken by the Greek Government have an impact on Community trade policy, particularly in so far as it relates to the freedom of movement of goods.
The blockade by a member state against the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is a matter of considerable concern both to the Commission and to other member states.
Following the failure of attempts at mediation, the Commission on 13 April 1994 initiated legal proceedings at the European Court of Justice against the Greek Government to force it to put an end to the embargo. In a preliminary judgment, the court did not order the suspension of the embargo pending an examination of the complex legal issues involved.
