The Foreign Ministers decided on Monday 12 October to take measures against the Belarusian regime and to sanction President Alexander Lukashenko, whom they consider “without any democratic legitimacy”.
“Ministers have given their political green light to start preparing the next sanctions package, which will include Lukashenko”, announced the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, at the end of the EU Council in Luxembourg.
“What has happened since the last agreement (on measures, 2 October) shows that there is a complete lack of willingness on the part of Mr Lukashenko to engage in negotiations, contacts or anything that could bring a democratic and peaceful solution to the situation in Belarus”, Borrell told the media.
According to AFP, Lukashenko’s relatives and judges could also be subject to restrictive measures.
The EU takes out the stick...
Beyond sanctions, the EU Council has decided to limit its political relations with Belarus. “’Business as usual’ is no longer possible in our relationship”, Borrell warned.
Thus, according to the conclusions adopted by the EU Council, the EU will reduce bilateral cooperation with central authorities and will exclude from cooperation institutions responsible for human rights violations and abuses.
Conversely, it will increase its support for the Belarusian population and civil society and continue its engagement with the country on issues of interest to the EU and Belarusian society.
EU financial assistance will also be recalibrated to benefit the population, in particular by redirecting it as much as possible from central authorities to non-state, local and regional actors, including through cross-border cooperation programmes. The European Investment Bank (EIB) will also review its operations in Belarus, and Member States will coordinate their positions accordingly, as will the Board of Directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Ministers warn.
Finally, within the multilateral framework of the Eastern Partnership and with the exception of institutions responsible for human rights violations and abuses, the EU will maintain its cooperation with Belarus at a non-political level and intensify its cooperation with Belarusian non-state stakeholders.
Beyond the €53 million announced in August to support civil society and help the country cope with the Covid-19 crisis, the EU is working on measures to provide additional “urgent and medium-term” support to civil society, including young people, people in vulnerable situations, and independent media, as well as to the private and health sectors, the conclusions state.
...and the carrot
Ministers also set out the conditions for reversing the trend and “considerably” strengthening the EU’s political commitment, sectoral cooperation, and financial assistance to Belarus.
To achieve this, the authorities must put an end to all repression and violations of the human rights of those involved in the pro-democracy movement, independent media, and representatives of civil society. They must also release, rehabilitate, and financially compensate political prisoners and guarantee safe conditions for the return of those in political and forced exile.
Stressing the EU’s support for “ legitimate calls for new free and fair presidential elections” that meet international standards, the EU Council calls on the authorities to promote a “serious, credible and inclusive” political process leading to such elections, under the observation of the OSCE/ODIHR. Finally, as a last condition, the authorities must provide guarantees for the respect of human rights, including freedom of opinion and expression, information, assembly and association, as well as freedom of the media.
The EU even proposes to go further, saying that it is “ready to support a peaceful democratic transition in Belarus”. “If such a transition were to take place, and at the request of the Belarusian government”, the EU could use various instruments in line with the Eastern Partnership policy.
This could include starting negotiations on an EU-Belarus framework agreement, strengthening sectoral cooperation, and increasing the country’s participation in EU programmes and cooperation with EU agencies. The Union could also launch a comprehensive plan for economic support to a democratic Belarus, which could include substantial financial and technical assistance for institutional reforms and economic development within the Multiannual Financial Framework, the resumption of discussions on further reforms necessary to allow for EU macro-financial assistance, and a substantial increase in EIB and EBRD operations.
The Union could also provide more support for the country’s accession to the World Trade Organization.
Furthermore, “within the framework of the Eastern Partnership, in due course and if conditions permit”, enhanced cooperation and further progress in the area of visa policy, such as the opening of a dialogue on visa liberalisation, “is possible, provided that there is sustained and effective implementation of visa facilitation and readmission agreements and well-managed and secure mobility”. In the meantime, the EU Council warns that Belarusians will continue to be offered the opportunity to participate in European exchange programmes such as Erasmus +, Horizon Europe and the framework of Eastern Partnership initiatives.
See the conclusions: https://bit.ly/34RoHpM (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)