MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina protests inclusion of Falklands/Malvinas in EU constitution

Argentina officially rejected Wednesday the inclusion of the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and South Sandwich islands as “British Antarctic Territory” in the European Union Constitutional Treaty and has informed European institutions of its “reservations” about the case.

Malvinas are not a territory where the new European Constitution is applicable", pointed out the Argentine Foreign Affairs ministry in a release.

Annex II of Title IV, Part III of the EU Constitutional Treaty signed last October 29 includes Falklands, South Georgia and South Sandwich as "British Antarctic Territory".

Through its embassy in Brussels, the Argentine Foreign Affairs Ministry has filed the "corresponding reservations" before European institutions.

In its statement Argentina recalls that since 1972, when the United Kingdom joined the Treaty of Rome in 1972, "uninterruptedly similar reservations have been filed before the European Communities, each time it was necessary to safeguard the Argentine position regarding Islas Malvinas, when negotiations and conclusions of agreements in the framework of European Communities".

According to Title IV of Part III of the European Constitution, currently under ratification process in several countries, extra continental territories belonging to Denmark, France, Netherlands and United Kingdom, as well as Antarctic areas, are recognized as areas of EU constitutional sovereignty.

In Part III-286 Annex II Falkland Islands, South Georgia, South Sandwich and British Antarctic territories come under the description of "EU countries and overseas territories", which apparently is further confirmed in Part IV-440.

Article III-286 says that "Non European countries and territories which have special relations with Denmark, France, Netherlands and the United Kingdom shall be associated with the Union. These countries and territories, hereinafter called the "countries and territories", are listed in Annex II.

The purpose of association will be to promote the social and economic development of the countries and territories and to establish close economic relations between them and the Union.

Association shall serve primarily to further the interests and prosperity of the inhabitants of these countries and territories in order to lead them to the economic, social and cultural development to which they aspire.

As to the listed United Kingdom Overseas Countries and Territories to which Title IV of Part III of the Constitution applies: Anguilla, Cayman Island, Falkland Islands, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena and Dependencies, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territories, Turks and Caicos Islands, British Virgin Islands and Bermuda. (DYN/MP).-