Doc. 10698

4 October 2005

Need to investigate the exported financial resources by the states of Central and Eastern Europe on the end of communist totalitarianism

Motion for a recommendation

presented by Mr Toshev and others

      Reaffirming its position expressed in Resolution 1096 (1996) on measures to dismantle the heritage of former communist totalitarian systems;

      Stressing there has not been enough public attention since the fall of communist regimes on the problem of exported financial resources;

      Noting that the authorities of the States concerned have not done enough to clarify the destiny of these investments and exported financial resources;

      Underlining that these financial resources and the investments made by the communist regimes abroad at the time were public property of these States and consequently they belong to their peoples;

      Regretting that the destiny of these exported financial resources and investments abroad is still unclear to a great extent in most of these States. It would not be fair to allow the traces of these exported financial resources to disappear and ultimately to remain in the hands of private persons formerly connected economically with the communist regimes, surprisingly, it could not be excluded that these resources return back to their countries as “foreign investments”,

The Parliamentary Assembly therefore decides to:

1.       invite the Committee of Ministers to study the problem with the exported financial resources and capitals by the communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe in the 1980s;

2.       urge the governments of member states of countries which suffered communist dictatorships, to inquire into the problem of exported financial resources and investments abroad by their then authorities, to identify their destiny and to clarify the right of property at present, as well as to report to the society on the outcome of these inquiries;

3.       call on the governments and the Central Bank authorities of West European member states to co-operate actively in these inquiries, expressing in this way their solidarity with the people from Central and Eastern Europe;

4.       call on the national parliaments of the member states to scrutinise the activities of their governments on this issue and to exchange experiences with the parliaments which are facing the same problems.

Signed ¹:

SCHMIED, Walter, Switzerland, ALDE

ARNAULT, José Luis , Portugal, EPP/CD

BECERRIL, Soledad, Spain, EPP/CD

BRAUN, Márton, Hungary, EPP/CD

DROMBERG, Kaarina, Finland, EPP/CD

FRUNDA, György, Romania, EPP/CD

GABURRO, Giuseppe, Italy, EPP/CD

GARDETTO, Jean-Charles, Monaco, EPP/CD

GUBERT, Renzo, Italy, EPP/CD

HERKEL, Andres, Estonia, EPP/CD

LINDBLAD, Göran, Sweden, EPP/CD

LOBKOWICZ, Jaroslav, Czech Republic, EPP/CD

MIHKELSON, Marko, Estonia, EPP/CD

MOTA AMARAL, João Bosco, Portugal, EPP/CD

NÉMETH, Zsolt, Hungary, EPP/CD

POURGOURIDES, Christos, Cyprus, EPP/CD

SPINDELEGGER, Michael, Austria, EPP/CD

STEFANOV, Dimitar, Bulgaria, EPP/CD

TOSHEV, Latchezar, Bulgaria, EPP/CD

VAREIKIS, Egidijus, Lithuania, EPP/CD

WIELOWIEYSKI, Andrzej, Poland, EPP/CD

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group