Brussels, 15/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - The EU's external relations will largely dominate the General Affairs Council (GAC) which French Foreign minister Hubert Vedrine will chair on Monday. The session will be interrupted after lunch, the time it takes for a further ministerial session on the IGC (in a very limited format to discuss the "composition of the Commission" aspect). The GAC will be extended, into Tuesday, by a European Economic Area Council and by Association Councils with the Czech Republic and Hungary. Here is a glimpse of the issues on the agenda:
- Western Balkans. This issue will be discussed from three points of view:
- Asymmetrical trading measures. The Council will adopt a Regulation, without debate, aimed, in accordance with the Conclusions of the European Council of Lisbon, at offering exceptional trading possibilities to countries linked to the stabilisation and association process implemented by the EU. EUROPE recalls that: I) the Heads of State and Government had said that the Stabilisation and Association Agreements "should be preceded by an asymmetrical liberalisation of trade"; ii) during work, some Member States (including France) had been reluctant at the idea of thus creating a precedent and the text to be adopted will clearly state that it is a question of a measure of a temporary nature;
- Relations with Serbia. Over lunch, Ministers will have an informal exchange of views on the political situation in the country. It has not been ruled out that thy may decide t send a political message to the Serb population in anticipation of the forthcoming elections;
- EU/Western Balkans Summit. In the presence of Mr. Hombach, the French Presidency of the Council will brief the delegations on the state of preparedness of the summit, for which the idea was endorsed at the European Council of Feira and that will take place in Croatia end-November (most likely in Zagreb). Mr. Vedrine should set out the objectives for the meeting and issues that could be included on the agenda.
- EU external assistance. The Presidency will brief the Council on its intentions for following up the debate begun at the Gymnich-type meeting of Evian, its goal being to organise an initial debate as to substance at the GAC of 9/10 October. This time, the Council will simply pave the way in view of drawing up a work plan, the ultimate goal of which will be to step up cooperation between the European commission and Member States and to provide the Union with instruments (among others, an annual policy debate on external action, upstream of budgetary procedure) which allows it to assess Community aid and its effectiveness (EU and Member States) more clearly than today.
- Relations with the Mediterranean. This subject will also be broached from three points of view:
- Barcelona Process. Chris Patten will present the strong points of the Communication that the Commission has drawn up in view of revitalising the process (EUROPE published this in its EUROPE/Documents, no. 2206/2207). The fourth formal meeting of Euro-Mediterranean foreign ministers, to be held in Marseilles on 16/17 November (or five years after the launch of the Barcelona Process), will be an opportunity to take decisions to strengthen the partnership. The French Presidency has not totally given up on the idea of crowning this ministerial meeting with a Summit. The decision on this will be taken in the coming days, in the light of the situation in the Middle East;
- Meda II. The Presidency hopes to reach a political agreement on this Draft Regulation (the Commission made the proposal on 20 October last) aimed at rationalising the decision-making process and simplifying implementing procedures for cooperation in the framework of Meda. Several issues, however, remain on the table in the overall compromise it is putting forward and nothing allows one to be sure that a consensus will be found on all the solutions it is recommending, and, among others, the following: a) the Commission finding the current methods of management too burdensome (Member States must provide their opinion for each individual project), there could in future be a "right of evocation" for an individual subject. At the presentation of the annual funding plan, Member States may set out their views on any individual project. One of the connected issues to decide is the number of Member States required for a project to be withdrawn. The principle (agreed by all) is to introduce a clearance mechanism for "sunset clauses" on expiry of a two or four-year deadline, which would enable credits to be rendered available which, after a lapse of time, have not been the subject of an request for payment of the Commission. The question to decide on is whether this rule can be brought forward or whether there is a need to wait for it to become the rule in the general financial regulation being reviewed; b) the Commission should forward the project funding conventions to Member States before they are signed, which the Commission is against. In addition, it should also be a question of the amount of the financial reference to ledger in the text of the Regulation (the Commission suggests a sum of 6,710.6 ,million euro for the period 2000-2006), but this issue should not be decided upon on Monday.
- Common Strategy. The Council will be urged to take note of the Presidency's priorities for its implementation.
- Bananas. Following the pressing demand from Germany (backed by Austria), which plan to prevent the United States' rotating sanctions from affecting European products ("carrousel" system), Commissioner Pascal Lamy will take stock of the situation. EUROPE has reason to believe that the German representative will urge in favour of a solely tariff solution. A substantive debate on the matter is expected at the GAC of 9/10 October (see news page 8).
During lunch, Germany may raise the question of the possible extension of the mandate of Freimut Duve, OSCE representative for freedom of the media.
Under the questions know called "horizontal" in Council jargon, the ministers will tackle the following subjects on Monday:
- Enlargement. On the basis of short and factual notes from the Commission and the Presidency on the state of progress in technical preparation of negotiations with the two groups of candidate countries, the Council will be informed of how work is progressing. The substantive debate on the matter will take place during the November session, when the Commission's "overall paper" has been published. On Monday, some delegations - mainly that from Sweden - are expected to share their fears about the dealys that have occurred since the change of Presidency and about the difficulties encountered vby the Commission, as its work becomes heavier and heavier (reason why EUROPE believes that the deputy level meeting planned, for the Helsinki Group, at the beginning of October was postponed).
- Statute of MEPs. The French European Affairs Minister will report on the results of the last meeting with the EP Contact Group, on 5 September. Wishing to intensify contacts with the EP, the Prdsidency will p resent to the Council the timetable and the working method that it envisages.
Furthermore, as representatives of the Member State governments, the Ministers will sign, on Monday, the internal agreements needed to implement the ACP-EU partnership agreement (mainly on the financing and management of aid to ACP and OCTs).
