Brussels, 26/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - The General Affairs Council of 29 October in Luxembourg is expected to devote most of its work to preparing the WTO meeting in Doha and to the statute of MEPs and the financing of European parties. The main points on the agenda are:
Croatia: The stabilisation and association agreement initialled in May (EUROPE of 15 May) will be signed on Tuesday at 13h00, after a "political dialogue" at Troika level.
WTO: Trade Ministers and Commissioner Pascal Lamy will take stock of the situation during an informal dinner on Sunday evening, concerning the preparation of the WTO ministerial conference in Doha. The ministers will examine the draft final declarations for Doha, which should be presented on Friday by Stuart Harbinson, the President of the WTO General Council. According to the Belgian Presidency, the text is "balanced" (see EUROPE of 13 October, p.13, and 15/16 October, p.8). On Monday, the Council is expected to adopt "conclusions" reaffirming that the European mandate remains that adopted in October 1999 before Seattle.
Statute of MEPs: The Presidency hopes to move forward on the taxation aspect of the statute of MEPs, on the table since January 1999. It proposes a compromise providing for: 1) the allowances of MEPs to be covered by the Community budget; 2) this allowance to be taxed to the benefit of the Community budget; 3) Member States to keep the possibility of making the allowance subject to national taxation law, while avoiding double taxation (a derogation requested by Sweden, Denmark, the United Kingdom and Finland. In June this year, the EP's Committee on Legal Affairs had recommended accepting this derogation for the single tax regime of MEPs, in order to lift the last obstacles to an agreement with the Council (see EUROPE of 29 June). Both parties have still to settle the question of the level of the allowance.
Financing of European political parties: The Presidency will seek to gain an agreement of the Council on the temporary regime concerning the statute and the funding of the European political parties, which should be applied until 2004. Three questions remain outstanding: 1) the eligibility criteria; 2) the number of Member States in which a European political party must be present in order to obtain the statute and the financing of "European political parties". The compromise envisaged by the Presidency would make it compulsory for the parties to be present in at least three Member States. Five presidents of European parties recently urged for Community financing to be reserved to parties that have elected members in at least one quarter of the Member States, that is, five Member States (see EUROPE of 13 October, p.6); 3) private donations to parties: the Presidency proposes that the private donations should be limited to EUR 5,000 annually per donor.
Middle East: Javier Solana will report on his visit to the region this week. Europeans should get their story straight before President Bush's speech to the UN Assembly General on 10 November.
Attacks on the United States: The Council will note the latest "roadmap" on the fight against terrorism and will give results on the latest diplomatic contacts. It may take a stance on how appropriate it is to send a ministerial mission to Central Asia (the Belgian Presidency is in favour). A first EU mission could leave next week for Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan. The Commission spoke of the possibility of financing in the region by way of EUR 25 million, according to Belgian sources.
Zimbabwe: The Council is expected to take a stance on how appropriate it is to trigger off consultation procedure under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement (suspension clause), since no progress was noted during the meeting on 22 October between the European Troika conducted by Louis Michel and the Foreign Affairs Minister for Zimbabwe, Stan Mudenge, on the subjects of concern to the EU. The Council is expected to restate its proposal to send European observers for the presidential elections of 2002, a proposal that was rejected by Zimbabwe.
African Great Lakes: The Council is to note the disappointing results of the Addis Abeba meeting (15-21 October) in the context of Inter-Congolese dialogue. The Presidency and the Commission will take stock of their meeting with Nelson Mandela, Mediator in Burundi. The Presidency may confirm that the Troika will carry out its long-awaited visit to Central Africa in November.
South East Europe: In a joint report, the CFSP High Representative, Javier Solana, and Commissioner Chris Patten present three possible solutions for the future role of the Stability Pact, giving their preference for the third: 1) status quo; 2) the abolition of the Pact; 3) adjustment of the Pact, so as to render the EU's role more visible and ensure closer co-ordination between the goals and activities of the Pact (notably, strengthen regional co-operation: see EUROPE of 22 and 23 October, p.10). Ministers should also turn to the successor to the Co-ordinator of the Pact, Bodo Hombach (EUROPE of 24 October, p.5). Macedonia: Solana will brief them on his visit to Skopje of 25 and 26 October and the implementation of the 13 August agreement. Kosovo: the Council should place emphasis on the importance of smooth elections on 17 November.
Barcelona Process: without discussion, the Council should adopt the EU's stance for the Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference (in Brussels on 5 and 6 November). Spain and Sweden should submit a draft action plan for the "dialogue between civilisations and cultures", which will be launched in Brussels to be adopted in Barcelona in 2002.