Written declaration No. 521 | Doc. 12922 | 26 April 2012

The expropriation of the YPF Oil Company by the Argentine Government

Signatories: Mr Pedro AGRAMUNT, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Francis AGIUS, Malta, EPP/CD ; Mr José Antonio ALONSO, Spain, SOC ; Mr José María BENEYTO, Spain, EPP/CD ; Ms Deborah BERGAMINI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Ms Delia BLANCO, Spain, SOC ; Ms Sílvia Eloïsa BONET PEROT, Andorra, SOC ; Mr Márton BRAUN, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Mevlüt ÇAVUŞOĞLU, Turkey, EDG ; Mr Mikael CEDERBRATT, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Ms Lolita ČIGĀNE, Latvia, EPP/CD ; Mr Georges COLOMBIER, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Agustín CONDE, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr David DARCHIASHVILI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Mr Arcadio DÍAZ TEJERA, Spain, SOC ; Mr Renato FARINA, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Bernard FOURNIER, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Hans FRANKEN, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Mr György FRUNDA, Romania, EPP/CD ; Mr Jean-Charles GARDETTO, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Mr Valeriu GHILETCHI, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD ; Ms Rosario GREEN MACÍAS, Mexico ; Ms Ana GUŢU, Republic of Moldova, ALDE ; Mr Valentin GUZMÁN SOTO, Mexico ; Mr Mike HANCOCK, United Kingdom, ALDE ; Mr Andres HERKEL, Estonia, EPP/CD ; Mr Joachim HÖRSTER, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Tadeusz IWIŃSKI, Poland, SOC ; Mr Ramón JÁUREGUI, Spain, SOC ; Mr Antti KAIKKONEN, Finland, ALDE ; Mr Ferenc KALMÁR, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Giorgi KANDELAKI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Mr László KOSZORÚS, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Ms Stella KYRIAKIDES, Cyprus, EPP/CD ; Ms Inese LĪBIŅA-EGNERE, Latvia, EPP/CD ; Ms Yuliya L'OVOCHKINA, Ukraine, EDG ; Mr Mikheil MACHAVARIANI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Ms Nicole MANZONE-SAQUET, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Ms Christine MARIN, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Bernard MARQUET, Monaco, ALDE ; Ms Meritxell MATEU PI, Andorra, ALDE ; Mr Frano MATUŠIĆ, Croatia, EPP/CD ; Mr Jean-Pierre MICHEL, France, SOC ; Mr Akaki MINASHVILI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Mr João Bosco MOTA AMARAL, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Mr Alejandro MUÑOZ-ALONSO, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Pasquale NESSA, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Laurent NOUVION, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Mr Joseph O'REILLY, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Ms Liliana PALIHOVICI, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD ; Ms Elsa PAPADIMITRIOU, Greece, EPP/CD ; Ms Eva PARERA, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr John Paul PHELAN, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Mr Alexander POCHINOK, Russian Federation, EDG ; Mr Gabino PUCHE, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Giacomo SANTINI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Leonid SLUTSKY, Russian Federation, SOC ; Mr Roberto SORAVILLA, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Latchezar TOSHEV, Bulgaria, EPP/CD ; Mr Petré TSISKARISHVILI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Mr Egidijus VAREIKIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD ; Mr Imre VEJKEY, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Stefaan VERCAMER, Belgium, EPP/CD ; Mr Luigi VITALI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Luca VOLONTÈ, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Johann WADEPHUL, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Jordi XUCLÀ, Spain, ALDE ; Ms Marie-Jo ZIMMERMANN, France, EPP/CD

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned by the escalating situation following the Argentine Government’s announcement on Monday April 16 of its decision to nationalise the YPF Oil Compagny.

We would like to express our disappointment at this decision which breaks a long history of cordiality and friendship between Spain, Europe and Argentina.

We view this action as an attack on free enterprise and the principle of legal certainty representing an arbitrary and discriminatory action in violation of international law.

We view this act as an unlawful assault on international law that may weaken its impact in the future for all players in our globalised economy. This may set a dangerous precedent for legal certainty, leading to a disregard for international law and the consequent non-compliance by governments with their international responsibilities.

We call upon Argentina to return to the path of dialogue in order to resolve this problem through negotiation and diplomatic means. 

We urge all parties involved in the dispute to respect international law and improve legal certainty internationally.

All States are called upon to protect European and international standards so as to safeguard the rule of law worldwide.