Brussels, 17/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - For what should be her last Foreign Affairs Council - on Monday 20 October - High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton will be up against a heavy agenda - but one which is not expected to lead to any big decisions.
Over lunch, the foreign affairs ministers will discuss the situation in Libya with UN Secretary General Special Representative for Libya Bernardino Leon. They are expected to study a possible EU contribution for Libya's stabilisation, and UN-led confidence-building measures. Conclusions are likely to be adopted.
The Council will return to the situation in Syria and Iraq in connection with Islamic State (IS), and it is expected to adopt conclusions. The security and humanitarian situation in Kobane is likely to be the focus of attention. The ministers could assess what contribution the EU could make regarding the Kurdish refugees, or the different means for cutting the financial resources of IS and taking sanctions against it - in connection with the UN resolutions. The issue of foreign fighters is also due to studied, as well as the ways to fight against IS and the reasons for its development. In addition, the restrictive measures against the Syrian regime are likely to be strengthened - with 16 new people and two entities linked to the regime due to have their assets frozen in the EU and to face a visa ban.
The ministers will discuss the situation in the Middle East, following the conference on reconstruction in Cairo (Egypt) on 12 October during which the EU and member states promised over €450 million. They are expected to talk both about the prospect of a long-term ceasefire in which the EU is ready to participate, and the Palestinian reconciliation and recent announcements of new Israeli settlements.
Discussion on situation in Ukraine but not on sanctions. Ukraine will also be on the Council agenda, with the adoption of conclusions. At the time of EUROPE going to press on Friday evening, the conclusions were still under negotiation due to meetings in Milan between the presidents of Ukraine - Petro Poroshenko - and Russia - Vladimir Putin - and European leaders. “The discussions [between the ministers] will be conditional” upon the meetings in Milan, said a source (see other article). The ministers are also expected to discuss the situation in Ukraine, for the first time since the ceasefire on 5 September, the ratification of the association agreement by the European and Ukrainian parliaments, and the postponement of certain parts of the agreement. “The ceasefire is not challenged overall, but it is characterised by an excessive number of violations, even if the parties have not challenged it”, said a diplomatic source, stating that the measures of the Minsk memorandum have begun to be implemented but that much remained to be done. According to a European source, the ministers could look at what type of contribution the EU could make in order to implement the different agreements made in connection with the ceasefire.
The sanctions themselves are not likely to be the focus of debate. “There are not enough elements to hold a discussion on the issue of the sanctions. Weeks have been spent discussing the sanctions and this time it's not expected to be the case, except if member states want to return to the economic impact of the sanctions on their economies”, said a member state source. “I'm not expecting a decision on the sanctions”, the source added. “Some countries might talk about them but the next step is for Coreper with the sanctions review”, the source went on. This sanctions review is due to take place before the end of October. The ministers are expected to adopt the planning documents for the EU mission for civilian security sector reform in Ukraine.
Conclusions are also due to be adopted without debate on Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yemen and Afghanistan. The Council will hold an EU-Tajikistan cooperation council, and the Council will end with a dinner to mark the end of Ashton's mandate. (CG)