32000E0176

COUNCIL COMMON POSITION

of 28 February 2000

suspending, for a limited period, Article 4 of Common Position 1999/318/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and repealing Common Position 98/426/CFSP

(2000/176/CFSP)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 15 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) In Common Position 1999/318/CFSP(1) the Council expressed its support for the maintenance or strengthening of the sanctions targeted at the Belgrade regime, without penalising the Serbian people.

(2) In its conclusions of 14 February 2000 the Council decided, inter alia, in the light of an urgent and unanimous call from the democratic opposition in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, to suspend the flight ban for a period of six months.

(3) Article 4 of Common Position 1999/318/CFSP should be suspended accordingly.

(4) Subsequent action is required by the Community in order to implement fully the measures resulting from this suspension.

(5) Common Position 98/426/CFSP concerning a ban on flights by Yugoslav carriers between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the European Community(2) has been superseded by the provisions of Common Position 1999/318/CFSP; for reasons of legal certainty Common Position 98/426/CFSP should therefore be repealed,

HAS ADOPTED THIS COMMON POSITION:

Article 1

Article 4 of Common Position 1999/318/CFSP shall be suspended until 28 August 2000.

Article 2

Common Position 98/426/CFSP shall be repealed.

Article 3

This Common Position will be kept under constant review.

Article 4

This Common Position shall take effect on the date of its adoption.

Article 5

This Common Position shall be published in the Official Journal.

Done at Brussels, 28 February 2000.

For the Council

The President

J. PINA MOURA

(1) OJ L 123, 13.5.1999, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 190, 4.7.1998, p. 3.