The European Parliament will send its delegation to Ukraine between 24 and 27 March.

March 22, 2006.

    *** The aim of the deputies participating in the mission is to observe the Ukrainian parliamentary elections due to take place on 26 March. The delegation will be led by Polish Socialist MEP Marek Siwiec accompanied by:
    Mr Charles TANNOCK EPP-DE, United Kingdom
    Mr Thijs BERMAN PES, Netherlands
    Mr Рarыnas BIRUTIS ALDE, Lithuania
    Ms Rebecca HARMS Verts/ALE, Germany
    Mr Zbigniew Krzysztof KUЮMIUK UEN, Poland
    Mr Patrick LOUIS IND/DEM, France
    Activities of the European Parliament Members in Ukraine
    On 24, 25 March in Kiev MEPs are to meet representatives from Ukrainian political parties and different electoral blocks (Yushchenko's Our Ukraine, Yanukovych's Party of the Regions, Tymoshenko Bloc, Socialists, Pora, Communists, Lytvyn Bloc). There are also scheduled meetings with media and Ukrainian nongovernmental organizations.
    Between 24 and 27 March MEPs will follow a development of elections in Kiev.
    Press Meetings
    Wednesday, 22 March , 16:00, (Brussels, the European Parliament, room 12 G 301), the head of the delegation, Marek Siwiec, will hold a press briefing on the outcome of the discussion with J. Solana, High Representative for CFSP, on the current electoral campaign as well as prospects for the future of EU-Ukraine relations
    On Monday, 27 March, 15:00, a final press conference will be held in Kiev (Teacher's house - tbc).
    Other press briefing might be organized in accordance with the development of the political situation. All up-to-date information will be spread out to journalists.
    In order to obtain any information about the European Parliament's observation mission in Ukraine either on the leader or other members' activities, please contact the EP Press Officer Cezary Lewanowicz (mobile: +32 498 983 588) who is also attending the mission.
    The European Parliament and Ukraine revisited
    The EP's delegation whose aim is to observe the parliamentary elections this week is not the first one to be sent to Ukraine. Since 2002, the interest that the European Parliament has put into the political situation in Ukraine, in particular to the presidential elections in 2004, is illustrated by the four ad hoc delegations which have already been there and in the adoption of three parliamentary resolutions. The personal commitment of many MEPs was very beneficial. In view of a serious political crisis during the last presidential elections the European Parliament made a firm commitment to resolve the situation and uphold democracy in Ukraine.
    In October 2004 the EP delegation of seven MEPs arrived in Ukraine to observe the presidential elections. The delegation concluded that the campaign had been marred by worrying factors. The campaign's atmosphere deteriorated considerably between the two rounds, particularly after a widespread fraud had been suspected. MEPs noted the lack of transparency and verification of the democratic process on the day of the second round of the elections. At December's 2004 Plenary Session, the European Parliament adopted a resolution in which stated “it strongly condemns the conditions under which the second round of the presidential elections in Ukraine have taken place”. The Members of the Parliament called on the Ukrainian authorities “to annul the second round of the presidential elections and re-organise this second round”.
    The political solution was reached on 8 December. It was welcomed in the following words by European Parliament President Mr Josep Borrell: ‘We are satisfied with the efforts made by all concerned in order to overcome the crisis caused by the serious irregularities affecting the second round of the presidential elections. The Ukrainian people did not accept the result, and have demonstrated that by peacefully assembling in the centre of Kiev and camping out in the cold and the snow. I am delighted that they have been heard.’
    A re-run of the second round was arranged for 26 December. Once more the EP observer delegation was sent to Ukraine. During a meeting with MEPs, Mr Yushchenko noted that the resolution adopted by Parliament on 2 December was “a bombshell that expressed the truth in a way not seen in writing from any other international organisation so far.’
    The Parliament also devoted much of its attention to the Ukraine- Russia gas crisis. The Parliament's delegation for relations with Ukraine held an extraordinary meeting at the beginning of January to discuss the political consequences of the gas supply.
    More information:
    Cezary Lewanowicz
    Attachй de presse de la Dйlйgation d'observation des йlections en Ukraine
    Parlement europйen
    Direction de l'information
    E-mail: clewanowicz@europarl.eu.int
    Tel: +32-2-28 44 659 6
    Fax: +32-2-284 29 07
    GSM + 32 498 983 588