Brussels, 03/07/2003 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission will be asking the Council for a mandate for negotiating a fisheries agreement with Libya. This country is potentially eligible for a cooperation agreement with the EU at the same level as its neighbours but for the moment has no contractual relations at all with the Union. It only has observer status at Euro-Mediterranean meetings, as it has not recognised the "acquis of the Barcelona Process" as demanded by the Union. Libya has not rejected this request but appears in little hurry to respond to it. Recently, during the ministerial meeting in Crete (EUROPE 27 May p 9), its Foreign Affairs Minister affirmed that he could see no advantages in it but added that his country was prepared to negotiate with Brussels for an agreement on the struggle against illegal immigration, a commitment looked at again in recent meetings with the new European Presidency in mid-June (see EUROPE 1 July p 9). On the other hand, he did stress that he "personally opposed" an agreement on fishing. It will therefore be necessary to wait for Libya's reaction to the concrete offer the Commission is going to propose.