Brussels, 24/01/2003 (Agence Europe) - The first General Affairs and External Relations Council of the year will take place on Monday (external relations) and Tuesday (general affairs) and will be based on the Balkans, CFSP, North Korea, Iraq and Zimbabwe. In a backdrop to the Council, a Co-operation Council will take place with Uzbekistan on Monday morning, as well as an EU-ASEAN meeting on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning.
Balkans: The President of the Council, George Papandreou, will inform his colleagues on his recent visit to the region. Ministers will be discussing a working document prepared by the Greek Presidency on priorities for the Balkans in the perspective of the EU/Balkans Summit in June: 1) Consolidation of democratic development, stability and peace in the region, insisting on the need for full co-operation with the International Criminal Court for the Former Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY); 2) continuing and developing the stabilisation and association process with the five countries involved (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Yugoslavia) as a central part in the accession strategy for these countries to the EU; 3) deepen the dialogue and co-operation with the EU by launching the European Balkans Integration Process" that should allow meetings on a regular basis between Heads of State and Governments in the region and the EU as decided at the Zagreb summit in November 2000; 4) dealing with horizontal questions such as the war on organised crime and corruption, the return of refugees, infrastructure, transport and energy; 5) promoting regional development.
CFSP: the Council will examine and normally approve a common action defining the framework of the future EU Mission, which will be taking over from the UN mission in Macedonia, "Allied Harmony", planned for March. The Council is expected to adopt a mechanism that will allow for the common costs of military action to be funded. As decided by the Council in June 2002, the costs will be funded by a joint fund and not the Community budget. Other costs will be financed by Member States involved in the mission (as we go to press, Coreper was still discussing the costs to share out between them). The Presidency and the High Representative of the EU for CFSP, Javier Solana, will be giving a low-down on discussions between the EU for finalising "permanent arrangement" on the use of NATO capability by the EU in CFSP operations, as approved by the Council of Copenhagen in December (see EUROPE 14 December p 6). The Council will take note of the "first steps" of the EU police mission in Bosnia.
Zimbabwe: Ministers will discuss the possibility of extending sanctions taken against the regime of President Robert Mugabe, namely the ban on visas for the President and his supporters, which runs out on 18 February. "There is no improvement justifying putting a stop to that", declared a Community source, adding that all Member States agreed on prolonging the measures. For the participation of the countries in the EU/Africa Summit, to be held in Lisbon in April, South Africa is said to have proposed that Zimbabwe be represented by its Prime Minister instead of its President. Finally, concerning the invitation made by France to Robert Mugabe to attend the Franco-African Summit to be held in Paris from 18 to 21 February, this same source declared that France, as is its duty, notified its position to the Council invoking possible exemptions and the fact that the Council had 48 hours to decide. As a reminder, these measures (ban on visas and sales of arms) were taken by the Council in February 2002 for twelve months. The Council will also pursue its talks on relations with Africa in the perspective of the second EU/Africa Summit in Lisbon in April, and Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel will explain his recent trip to Central Africa to his colleagues. The Council should adopt conclusions in the matter in the presence of the EU Special Representative for the region Aldo Ajello.
Iraq: two meetings are scheduled: one meeting between the "Troika" and European members of the UN Security Council Monday morning and talks between the Fifteen over lunch the same day. Then, ministers will listen to the presentation made the same day, from New York, by Hans Blix, head of the UN disarmament inspection mission, on the initial results of its investigation. An additional meeting could be held Tuesday said the Presidency. A possible declaration could contain the following elements: disarmament of Iraq, full co-operation of Saddam Hussein with the inspectors, the EU's total support for Blix and more time for the UN mission to conduct its enquiry. However, "there is little chance of there being consensus within the Council on the addition to a reference to a UN resolution", declared a Community source. Finally, ministers will also take note of the situation in the Middle East, North Korea pursuing its nuclear programme, agricultural negotiations within the WTO in the framework of the Doha Agenda (an informal discussion between Agriculture ministers will, moreover take place on Monday).
Regarding the General Affairs Council (Tuesday), a public debate will be held on the Council's operational programme for 2003, prepared jointly by the Greek and Italian Presidencies as decided at the European Council of Seville in June 2002. The debate will essentially be devoted to the Balkans (see above). The Council will also examine, on the basis of a Presidency report, the state of other issues, notably regarding Justice and Home Affairs (Dublin II) and transport (notably the Prestige and the single sky package). The Council should also agree on ways of appointing members of the European Commission in 2004 following the conclusions of the European Council of Copenhagen of 12 and 13 December 2002. Finally, ministers will here the Presidency brief them on its work programme for enlargement.