Brussels, 23/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - After the extraordinary summit of 11 March, the heads of state and government of the EU will once again take stock of the situation on Libya on the evening of Thursday 24 March, but no startling decisions or declarations are expected, for the simple reason that the real decisions - the military ones - are being taken “on the other side of town”, at the headquarters of NATO, a senior European diplomat said on Wednesday 23 March. The position of the EU27 on Libya is still the one expressed in the conclusions of the extraordinary European Council of 11 March, together with the conclusions of the Foreign Affairs Council of 21 March, the diplomat explained. “This position is crystal clear and remains the position of the Union.” The leaders, therefore, do not intend to add anything to the frank disagreements which subsist between the EU27 over the issue of military intervention in Libya. It is being led by France and the United Kingdom, but without the support of Germany and a range of other member states, which prefer not to take part in the operation. “Are we going to be resolving military issues (at the summit)? Certainly not”, the diplomat stressed. The leaders will, however, welcome the adoption, on Wednesday 23 March, of further European sanctions, which will enter into force this Thursday, and reaffirm the EU's willingness to provide military support to humanitarian assistance and civil protection operations in Libya in the framework of the common security and defence policy (CSDP), under the aegis of the UN, and not ruling out naval means. Catherine Ashton, who was asked by the Foreign Affairs Council on Monday 21 March to continue planning on the subject, may already be able to provide this Thursday's European Council with a few ideas. “The first plans are expected to be ready by Thursday”, in time for the summit, Ashton told the committee on foreign affairs of the EP on Tuesday 22 March.
Southern neighbourhood. Also on the agenda will be the reflections underway for an in-depth review of relations with the countries of the southern neighbourhood and putting in place a new partnership with the region. Over dinner this Thursday evening, the heads of state and government will discuss the ideas put forward in the conclusions of the European Council of 11 March. Herman Van Rompuy wants to move quickly and hopes that the European Council will be able to agree on the first concrete measures to help the countries of the southern neighbourhood in the short term (particularly by increasing the envelope of loans which the EIB may grant to the countries of the region). “We would need to reach an agreement on the first concrete measures to be taken in order to provide aid very quickly to the countries of the region and to guarantee the implementation, as quickly as possible, of the options we defined on 11 March”, he said in his letter of invitation to the leaders.
During a debate at the European Parliament on Wednesday, Joseph Daul (EPP) welcomed the fact “that the European states have taken the initiative for operations in Libya to protect civilians”. “We expect the European Council to go into greater depth on work on the southern neighbourhood: measures to help and to accompany”, he said. Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE) said that “the crisis in Libya has demonstrated a lack of unity of the EU, the most blatant example of which is the fact that three member states voted for resolution 1973 and a fourth abstained. This goes against the Treaty”. Under the Treaty, the member states are obliged to coordinate their position. “Catherine Ashton has revealed the lack of EU strategy”, Verhofstadt continued. Jan Zahradil (ECR) said that “the situation in Libya shows us that we should not expect too much of CFSP”. “There are limits to integration in this field”, he concluded. (H.B./E.H./transl.fl)