Brussels, 12/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - The tragic situation in the Middle East will be the main subject at Monday's General affairs Council in Luxembourg. The agenda will also include EU relations throughout the world. The Council will be followed by several Association Councils (Turkey, Russia etc). Diplomats indicated on Friday that possible positions and decisions by Member States on the Middle East would largely, "depend on the results from Mr Powell's visit". All possible options are on the table, the European Commission was invited to put them all forward but given the situation, Member States appear to wish to make a number of political declarations and no consensus exists on possible sanctions being imposed. Community sources recognised that the only concrete proposal by the European Commission would be that of knowing whether an immediate and very sought after meeting of the EU Association Council and Israel, proposed by the Commission would be supported by Member States. The Presidency had envisaged a week for deciding by written procedure for arranging an Association Council but abandoned the idea due to lack of unanimity, indicated European diplomatic sources. Spain's Representative to the Political and Security Committee, Carles Casjuana, indicated that the Council on Monday should particularly allow a balance sheet of the situation to be drawn up and register the European Union's support for the "ambitious" declaration adopted by the Quartet in Madrid on Wednesday, outlining "very clearly" what the European Union could do for peace (see EUROPE 11 April page 3).
As well as mentioning the declarations, the Presidency also mentioned to the press the different opinions on the table. Permanent Representative, Javier Conde, stressed that an Association Council meeting was an option but that Israel had to agree. He also asked, similarly to Romano Prodi, why Israel was refusing a completely normal political dialogue (see EUROPE yesterday page 4). Another option would be to co-ordinate arms delivery embargoes, but the Presidency believed that it would be impossible for Member States to condone this. The sending of observers would have to be preceded by the two parties agreeing to a cease-fire, Mr Conde remarked. Community sources also outlined other instrumetns for exerting pressure: current negotiations to include products in the bi-lateral agreement on agriculture, discussions on Israel's access to the sixth framework programme on research, possible initiatives on the non-respect of rules of origin by Israel, the temporary suspension of the Association Agreement and demands for reparations for infrastructure funded by the EU and destroyed by the Israeli army (latest figures were released at Easter and calculated EUR 35 million in damage of which EUR 19.3 million was EU funded but these figures are now out of date). The Commission pointed out that the EU was Israel's largest trading partner and any measure would have a considerable impact. Community sources indicated that if the situation worsens and Powell's visit fails, Member States could perhaps take such decision but probably not on Monday because at that moment we would still be unsure of the results of Powell's mission.
The plan put forward by Joschka Fischer will be examined by the Council but the Spanish Presidency would only indicate that it was a "good proposal" and was more long-term than emergency. The Commission stressed that that the importance of the plan, which does not contain anything particularly new but brings together all the different ideas, was proposed by Germany, which is traditionally opposed by any initiative that appears to criticise Israel (see EUROPE 10 April page 6)
The Council will begin at 10h and Ministers will discuss the issues in the following order:
Work in other Council spheres: discussions will have to be brief given that few Councils have met since the Barcelona Summit. Transport and agriculture. Commissioner Verheugen and the Presidency will review accession negotiation progress. On 21 March, the Accession Conference concluded nine new chapter with Poland, Estonia, Malta, Slovakia and Lithuania. Two chapters were opened by Bulgaria and five with Romania. The next accession conference will be on 22 April.
Commissioner Kinnock will be presenting informally to Ministers the main guidelines for proposals for an amendment, on the Status of the European Civil Servant, that the Commission is expected to adopt on 24 April before going to the Council.
Career structures, pay, pensions and equal opportunities and working conditions. Mr Kinnock is expected to review the results of the most recent consultations that took place between the administration and staff unions, notably within the statue interinstitutional committee. The Council is expected to adopt the conclusions supporting the Commission in its efforts to strengthen efficiency, transparency and responsibility of service of the European civil service and finish the examination of this "reform package" before June 2003.
The Council will examine the implementation of the European Union action plan against terrorism adopted after 11 September. This plan of action is regularly updated, the most recent version dates from 9 April. Italy has requested that Member States discuss the issue of illegal immigration. They are expected to adopt conclusions calling for greater co-ordination between Member States and better monitoring of the issue in its external EU relations. At the request of the United Kingdom, the Council will briefly discuss EU relations with Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, in order to call on the European Commission to present a communication this autumn on "a wider Europe". Still at a request received from the British, the Fifteen are to discuss relations between India and Pakistan concerning Kashmir. The Council will discuss relations with Switzerland, which are "as complex as ever", said Ambassador Conde, who hoped that now that the Commission has presented proposals of mandate (see EUROPE of 10 April, p.13), a "new dynamic" may allow for any delays to be made up, mainly concerning savings tax.
The situation in the Middle East will be discussed over lunch, as well as European security and defence policy (EU/NATO relations) and East Timor. The Afghan foreign minister is expected to attend at the end of the lunch. The Council, moreover, will adopt conclusions on Afghanistan. After lunch, the Fifteen are to adopt several conclusions on the Balkan countries. The Council will then tackle preparations for the Summit that will bring the EU, Latin America and the Caribbean together on 17 and 18 May in Madrid. The Fifteen are very divided over the Spanish proposal to establish cooperation agreements with the countries of Central America and the Andean Community. The Commission, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland and the United Kingdom consider this is far too premature, while Portugal, Greece and Germany support such agreements, explains a diplomat. The Fifteen will also discuss the ministerial Euro-Mediterranean conference to be held on 22 and 23 April in Valencia, while the gravity of the situation in the Middle East and the increasing likelihood that several Arab countries will cancel their participation at the meeting make it more and more likely that the meeting may be cancelled. The Spanish ambassador, however, gave his assurance that, for now, he had not received any indication that some countries would not be coming.
The Council will be followed through on Monday evening by an Association Council with Slovenia then a dinner with the Russian Foreign Minister, Ivanov. This will be followed on Tuesday morning by a working breakfast with Macedonia, a Cooperation Council with Russia, an Association Council with Turkey and finally a Cooperation Council with Moldova.