Brussels, 17/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - The General Affairs Council meeting on Monday 20 November under the chairmanship of French foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine will be dominated by the Balkans, enlargement and European security and defence policy. Here is an overview of the topics on the agenda for the session:
- Western Balkans. The problem will be broached from the following angles:
- Preparations for the Zagreb summit of 24 November will be the subject of a briefing by the Presidency (the Balkan countries already received the draft final declaration on Friday);
- Cards Regulation that aims to establish a unified legal framework for assistance to the Balkans, instead of the multiple instruments so far used, notably Obnova and Phare. Preparatory work has already allowed for broad agreement, and ministers will be asked to seek the last compromises. The greatest reservation concerns Albania: some Member States recommend caution, others would prefer to move forward rapidly towards negotiations over a Stabilisation and Association Agreement. One delegation also demands the early convening of a new Donor Conference;
- Extension of the activities of the European Agency for Reconstruction in the Fry: a draft Regulation along these lines - and adapted to the Framework Regulation - should be approved, despite Greece's reservations.
- European security and defence policy. See detailed information on page 5. Over lunch, the Presidency will brief ministers on the establishment of permanent structures in the field of Esdp, the texts to that effect having to be approved by the Council on 4 December to be handed to the Nice Summit.
- Enlargement. In the light of the documents approved by the Commission on 8 November (and which were greatly appreciated by the Committee of Permanent representatives), the Council will, in anticipation of the Nice Summit, have a policy debate focused on four issues: i) do the instruments available to the EU enable it to effectively monitor the undertakings made by the applicant countries relating to the acquis communautaire?; ii) is the Commission's proposal of classifying the requests for transitional periods into three categories - acceptable, negotiable, unacceptable - appropriate?; iii) should it not be possible to provisionally close a chapter but where very few problems remain, can it be "put aside"?; iv) is the "road map" proposed by the Commission the right reference framework for pursuing the dialogue, in the respect of the principle of differentiation?
- Turkey's pre-accession strategy. The Presidency's aim is to reach a political agreement on the elements of this strategy comprising a Framework-Regulation and a draft partnership for accession. During the preparatory work, difficulties appeared regarding the formulas used to deal with Cyprus and the promotion of good neighbourliness. The Presidency will submit compromise formulas.
- Statute of MEPs. The French Minister for European Affairs Moscovici will brief ministers on the outcome of his meeting, on 14 November, with the Conference of Presidents enlarged to the Contact Group of the EP and on the ideas put forward by EP President Nicole Fontaine (see yesterday's EUROPE).
- Association Overseas Territories with the Community. Commissioner Nielson will present the Commission's new proposal on the future regime. Ministers could formulate initial reactions, and the issue will be referred to the relevant bodies of the Council.
- North Korea. Over lunch, the Council will discuss the question of the resumption of diplomatic relations with North Korea. At the last Asem Summit, a majority of Member States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain leading the way, pleaded in favour of resuming relations so as to back the process of rapprochement between the two Koreas. France wanted first to secure "signs" regarding the nuclear sector and human rights. A European Troika will be going to Pyongyang on 25 November to assess the situation.
