Brussels, 23/03/2003 (Agence Europe) - The Spring European Council held in Brussels on 20 and 21 March was naturally marked by the outbreak of war in Iraq. Nonetheless, the Fifteen carefully avoided placing emphasis on what divided them, insisting more on the contribution that the European Union is prepared to make for providing humanitarian aid to the Iraqi people. On Friday afternoon, during a special meeting, the European Commission took decisions relating to immediate humanitarian aid, making available EUR 3 million under emergency procedure for helping the 75,000 internally displaced persons, providing food to hospitals, and organising flights for transporting such aid. Commissioner Poul Nielson pointed out that "even at this early stage, we are receiving reports of people moving out of urban areas in northern Iraq. We all recall the terrible images of twelve years ago when tens of thousands of civilians were stranded without food or shelter in the mountains". Mr Nielson also announced that the Commission would rapidly make available the further EUR 18 million in aid that it undertook to provide from its package of 21 million (see EUROPE of 21 March, p.11).
Even the atmosphere on the political front was aimed at appeasement, with the main supporters of war or peace sticking to their positions. Thus, Tony Blair insisted on adopting a Security Council resolution entrusting the United Nations with the civil administration of Iraq after the war. Jacques Chirac on the other hand affirmed it was out of the question to adopt a new resolution that would retrospectively provide justification for military intervention (see EUROPE of 22 March, pages 3 and 4).
The Spring European Council also established a list of actions to be undertaken in order to reactivate the Lisbon strategy, confirmed still valid, and to create a Task Force for Employment chaired by the former Dutch Prime Minister, Wim Kok (see EUROPE of 22 March, pages 9 and 10). On the other hand, it was not able to come to an agreement on the taxation package because the Netherlands was opposed to any link being made by Italy for instalments over thirty years of the Italian payment of EUR 648 million for having exceeded milk quotas. This request was also a source of irritation for other participants at the summit (see EUROPE of 22 March, p.11, and p.3).
The summit was also marked by an initiative put forward by Guy Verhofstadt aimed at rekindling the Defence Europe with France and Germany, in which Luxembourg would also be associated (see below). Furthermore, still at an initiative by Guy Verhofstadt, it was decided that a ministerial meeting should be held to seek a solution to the North Korea nuclear issue, before the situation degenerated.
On Friday, the Heads of State and/or Government and the Foreign Ministers and Ministers of the Economy of the EU met their opposite numbers from the future Member States, which helped to calm the atmosphere after the tension that was a marked feature of the extraordinary Summit on 17 February.
Durao Barroso: one must be able to count on an enlarged Europe at international level
During the lunch with candidate countries, Portugal's Prime Minister José Manuel Durao Barroso told the press that "if there is anyone who feels alone at the moment over the Iraq issue it is certainly not a country like Portugal". He recalled that we should be able to count on "that Europe" at the international level. Furthermore, he announced that he did not intend to close the Iraqi Embassy in Portugal, or expel Iraqi diplomats from the country. Portugal would be ready to discuss all European defence issues, he assured.
Jean-Claude Juncker: meeting on Iraq was "surrealistic" - Luxembourg will take part
at the Belgo-Franco-German summit on defence
Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker described the meeting of the European Council on Iraq as "surrealistic". "Last night we had the impression that the meeting was surrealistic in so far as we did everything to avoid facing the substance of the issues in hand. We did not wish to discuss our differences or our divergence. Taking part in the debate, I said that the meeting had been one of striking hypocrisy as we spoke of the future without wishing to speak of the recent past. But perhaps those with more maturity than I had a good reason for not falling into the reflex of an inexperienced and naïve person such as I who wanted to discuss the substance of the problem. In couples that have been together a long time, apparently, problems are not tackled until they have been resolved …",Mr Juncker said. "After the surrealistic and heavy atmosphere yesterday, we reached a very concrete atmosphere very fast today", Lydie Polfer, Luxembourg Foreign Minister, clarified, adding that during the lunch "with the countries that are soon to join us, we had an opportunity to explain how we felt, in a frank and sincere manner, about the situations that have faced us over recent weeks, namely the different reactions to the Iraqi conflict, and I believe that this open and friendly discussion was highly necessary and constructive". "The European Council meeting this morning was less icy than that of yesterday and the meeting with the candidate countries was still less icy than the two earlier meetings", Mr Juncker resumed. He confirmed, moreover, that his country will be joining the Franco-German-Belgian summit on European defence and gave his assurance that this was not a "putsch against those who have always been our allies", but rather an affirmation of European defence identity. He announced that the leaders of seven small EU countries would be gathering on 1 April in Luxembourg for discussion in order to defend their interests in the context of reform of the European institutions. The seven countries concerned are the three Benelux countries plus Portugal, Austria, Finland and Ireland (see EUROPE of 20 March, p.7).
Guy Verhofstadt: European Council missed the opportunity to reach a compromise on the taxation
package - Iraq, first concrete show of European powerlessness
"The European Council did not reach an agreement on the taxation package, following opposition from the Netherlands. We lost our chance to do so as, if we had continued discussing the matter, we would today have a compromise", a vexed Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said. On the Iraq issue, Mr Verhofstadt expressed regret that this was the "first concrete case of European powerlessness". He insisted on the need not to let the same mistake happen again over the North Korean issue. For this reason, an extraordinary General Affairs Council has been convened to take place in two weeks' time, with the participation of the Foreign Ministers of Japan and South Korea, Mr Verhofstadt announced.
Paavo Lipponen: EU activity will be slowed down by "US unilateral action"
Paavo Lipponen, Finnish Prime Minister, expressed regret that the "EU's activity will be slowed down because of unilateral action on the part of the United States". He felt that this would not have been the case if the Iraq crisis had been resolved by the United Nations Security Council. Mr Lipponen repeated that his country was aligned to the Franco-German position and refused to give way to US pressure to close down the Iraqi Embassy in Finland. Furthermore, Finland especially welcomed the fact that the Summit's conclusions insist upon the need to cooperate with neighbouring countries in order to ensure that oil can be safely transported by maritime means in the case of very frozen seas. Finland is very pleased that the conclusions make explicit mention of Russia as one of its neighbouring countries, as it considers that Moscow does not respect the provisions of the International Maritime Organisation in this respect (EUROPE recalls that the provisions stipulate that the prow of double-hull oil tankers must be strengthened before navigating in frozen seas).
Göran Persson: Declaration on Iraq avoids issues that could cause division
Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson noted that the declaration adopted by the European Council on Iraq "avoids sensitive issues that could cause division" and that it constitutes the "smallest common denominator". He also told the press he regretted the time spent discussing milk quotas (at a request from Italy which made it a compensation for Italy's agreement on savings taxation), saying that the Summit was not the "right place to discuss such matters".
Anders Fogh Rasmussen: EU should play a major role in rebuilding Iraq
"We have reached a sufficiently broad platform allowing us to have a common stance on Iraq", Danish Prime Minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, was pleased to note. He admitted that the Fifteen had avoided insisting on points on which there was not agreement. Mr Rasmussen considers the EU must play a key role in rebuilding Iraq after the war but stressed the need to restore confidence in the European institutions after this crisis.
Silvio Berlusconi: Summit took place in a worrying and tense climate
The European Council unfolded in a "worrying and tense climate", Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said. He welcomed the fact that this "did not prevent them from discussing the points on the agenda concerning the future of the economy and other major issues". Recognising that "divisions are still unresolved", he even described the French position on the crisis as a "mistake". The right of veto is a "vestige of remote history", he said, deploring the fact that the "UN is powerless in the face of such division", and that transatlantic relations have entered a crisis phase with even the EU appearing divided.
Wolfgang Schüssel: Too soon to comment on Belgian initiative on CFSP
Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel told the press that it was important to draw "good lessons" from the bad Iraq experience and to work, as of now, on a common EU position for the post-war period. In this context, the Belgo-Franco-German initiative for the development of CFSP could possibly play a role, but, at the present time, it is too soon to comment on a project for which the details are still largely unknown, Mr Schüssel stressed. This is a matter that should be discussed by the European Convention, he said. Regarding the Convention, Mr Schüssel formally ruled out the possibility of delegating his Foreign Minister to represent the government (as several other countries have done). "I feel it would be a mistake" to change the Austrian representation "three months from the end", he said. Such a gesture could also give the impression that the Convention prejudges the result of the Intergovernmental Conference, "which is not the case", according to the Austrian Chancellor.