Brussels, 28/02/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 27 February, the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee adopted by 62 votes to 0 and two abstentions, the own-initiative report by Ana Maria Gomes (PES, Portugal) on the role of the EU in Iraq. The report, which is to be put to the vote in plenary on 13 March, contains a proposal for a recommendation addressed to the Council to “step up the quantity, but especially the quality, of EU support for UN efforts to build a safe, stable, unified, prosperous and democratic Iraq”.
Several areas in which EU assistance should be concentrated include support for the rule of law and justice reforms, improvement of the electoral process and capacity-building in the health care sector. The report also urges the Council to make extensive use of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights in providing technical and financial assistance to civil society organisations, and recommends that the Council urge the Commission to “ensure the transparency and efficiency of EU assistance for Iraq”. When it comes to security matters, the EU should above all make its code of conduct on arms exports legally binding and accelerate the destruction of stockpiles of weapons in the Balkans, thus preventing them from being sent on to Iraq. MEPs also demand clear guidelines for the use of private military and security companies by EU institutions.
MEPs from the parliamentary committee also urge Turkey to “respect the territorial integrity of Iraq and not to react to terrorist actions through military actions on Iraqi territory”. This appeal was passed on, on Thursday 28 February, by the vice-president of the Iraqi National Assembly, Shaykh Khaled al-Attiyah, on visit to Brussels. Speaking before the press, he denounced the flagrant violation of Iraqi sovereignty and demanded withdrawal as soon as possible. The day before, Turkey had refused to state a time limit for its incursion, intensifying its offensive against PKK rebels in northern Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malicki will be in Brussels in April in order to strengthen partnership with the EU, his spokesman has indicated. (A.B.)