109 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will request the UN Commission to appoint a special rapporteur on human rights for Algeria and to rescind the EU Association Agreement if visas are not granted to EU officials to oversee the agreement process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7522/02]

116 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will raise at the appropriate fora the refusal of the Algerian authorities to grant visas to the technical committee of the EU to oversee civil society representation in Algeria. [7826/02]

117 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will request the UN to appoint a special rapporteur for human rights in Algeria. [7827/02]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 109, 116 and 117 together.

The Government of Algeria continues to oppose the appointment of a UN special rapporteur and it appears that, as on previous occasions, there would be insufficient support among the current members of the UN Commission for Human Rights for such a proposal to succeed. In such circumstances, it would be counterproductive were a proposal to be made only to be defeated.

Reports by both the UN special rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the special rapporteur on torture are due to be considered at the forthcoming United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. It is expected that these would, inter alia, comment on developments in Algeria. The question of access for special rapporteurs to report at first hand on human rights situations of concern in a number of countries, not only Algeria, will also be an issue in Geneva. The EU will again call on Algeria to give access to these rapporteurs.