First seven action plans to be unveiled later this month - Semantic quibbles

Brussels, 15/10/2004 (Agence Europe) - A spokesperson for Commissioner Gunter Verheugen said on Friday that the Commission will not be unveiling the first seven action plans for implementing the European Union's good neighbours policy until the end of October (probably at the Commission's meeting on 27 October). He said the Commission hoped to have the plans ready for the end of the month, but other Commission sources suggest they may not be unveiled until November. The 11 October External Relations Council asked the Commission to submit action plans for Israel (action plans for the six other countries in question, Jordan, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Tunisia, the Ukraine and Moldova, are ready). The problems with the action plans for Israel concern the language to be used to describe respect for the Middle East peace process roadmap, Israel's right to defend itself, and weapons of mass destruction (non-proliferation). The actions plans are documents draft up under the Commission's responsibility and submitted to the Council for approval, before being sent to the relevant Association Councils to be formally endorsed.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten said on Friday that the EU was not planning to suspend the Association Agreement with Israel (as requested on Thursday by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Jean Ziegler). Ziegler has written to President Prodi to say that suspending the Association Agreement is the only way to ensure Palestinians' right to food is respected. In a press conference in Geneva, Ziegler said there was only one weapon in the fight for the right to food, namely Article 2 of the Association Agreement between Israel and the European Union. He added that serious violations of the right to food have been proven and the Association Agreement must be suspended. The European Commission comments that it highlights the importance of respecting human rights and international law in all contacts with Israel, said Chris Patten's spokesperson.