Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

In replies to parliamentary questions on this subject on 4 April, the Minister for Foreign Affairs welcomed the announcement by ETA of a permanent ceasefire from 24 March. He also made it clear that next steps in the process were purely a matter for the Spanish Government and elected representatives to consider.

Today the Spanish Prime Minister, Mr.Zapatero, spoke to the media on the Spanish Government's assessment of the ceasefire and on possible next steps in the process. I await a report from the Irish Embassy in Madrid on this. Those steps could include Spanish Government contacts with ETA and arrangements for talks between political groups. Political parties that are in conformity with Spain's law on political parties, including its provisions on support for violence or legitimisation or terrorist actions, would be eligible to take part.

The Batasuna political party was made illegal in Spain following a judgment of the Spanish Supreme Court in March 2003 in the framework of the law on political parties. Batasuna was subsequently added to the EU list of terrorist organisations on 4 June 2003 by a unanimous decision of the EU member states. Removal of Batasuna from the list would require, in the first instance, an initiative by the member state most concerned. Any request in that context and against the background of the awaited report by the Spanish Prime Minister to the Spanish Parliament would be carefully considered at all levels by Ireland and the EU.

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