Brussels, 13/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the committee on foreign affairs of the EP resumed its examination of the report by Véronique de Keyser (PES, Belgium) on relations with Syria. After the initialling of the association agreement with Damascus, on 19 October 2004, the drafting of the report was held up by the stalemate within the Council of the EU, which prevented its signature. The situation has become even more complex since the assassination of Rafiq Hariri, responsibility for which has been laid at the door of the Damascus regime. This was noted by Ms De Keyser, who tabled a resolution, which is set to be approved during the second October plenary, before the vote. The proposed resolution calls upon the Council and the Commission to review the dossier in the light of recent events in Lebanon and the Middle East in general. The view commonly taken by the MEPs is that, rather than to isolate Syria and risk sending it into the arms of Teheran, it would be better to offer it the opportunity to change its ways. "We have weakened the positions of the reformers", the rapporteur laments. This opinion is shared by the European Commission: Christian Leffler, Director of External Relations, wanted the Member States to resume their examination of the association agreement and to commit to a reflection similar to the one undertaken by the Parliament with a view to bringing Syria to cooperate and, in all likelihood, to contribute to the stabilisation of the region. The debate revealed a clear unanimous opinion on the substance: Syria must be given the opportunity to change its ways, although analyses of the ability of the Syrian regime to do so are not undisputed. "It is not, of course, a question of making the slightest concession on subjects essential to the EU", stated Ms de Keyser.