Brussels, 10/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 8 December 2008, EU foreign ministers reaffirmed their determination to “upgrade” EU-Israel relations in terms of both the level and the intensity. To this end, they called for the signing of a new cooperation instrument by April 2009 to follow on from the current action plan on implementing EU neighbourhood policy. Details of the new instrument have yet to be defined. Diplomats explain that it is planned for the new 'instrument' to be submitted to the next EU-Israel Association Council meeting in May 2009. At the last Association Council meeting, in June 2008, the EU27 agreed in principle to an “advanced status” for Israel while linking the upgrading of relations with respect for shared values and continuation of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process (see EUROPE 9685). At the External Relations Council on Monday the foreign ministers confirmed this line. The conclusions document notes that the upgrading of relations must be based on the two sides' shared values, particularly democracy, respect for human rights, the rule of law, fundamental freedoms, good governance and international humanitarian law. This deepening of cooperation with Israel should also be accompanied by an upgrading of political dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians and Israel and Arab nations to ensure progress in the peace process to reach a solution based on two separate states living peacefully alongside each other, add the ministers. The EU also expects Israel to contribute to the development of economic, financial and cultural relations at regional level, to help improve the daily lives of Palestinians, to facilitate implementation of the association agreements between the EU and other countries in the region (including the interim EU-PLO 1997 Association Agreement) and to pursue its active involvement in trilateral talks (EU-Israel-Palestinian Authority).
Guidelines on political dialogue. Diplomats explain that the new cooperation instrument will have three sections - greater involvement by Israel in the EU common market, tighter association of Israel with the main areas of EU and EU programmes, and stronger political involvement. The European Commission has been working on the first two areas for several months now and the Council on Monday adapted guidelines on preparing for future political dialogue with Israel. These guidelines include the option of organising summits of heads of state (the Czech foreign minister, Karel Schwartzenberg, did not rule out the possibility on Monday of a summit being held at heads of state level under the Czech Presidency in the first half of 2009) and three annual meetings at foreign minister level: one Association Council meeting, one on the fringes of the UN General Assembly and one as part of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). Troika-type ministerial meetings would be organised on specific issues as and when needed. Each rotating EU Presidency could invite an Israeli foreign minister to a COPS meeting of EU ambassadors on security questions. Moreover, Israeli experts could be invited by the Presidency of the EU to attend meetings of Council working groups as appropriate on issues like the Middle East peace process, human rights, counter-terrorism, repression of organised crime, CFSP, CFDP, the Millennium Development Goals and arms reduction. Policy planning officials from the Israeli foreign ministry and the EU Council's General Secretariat would meet at least once a year. The guidelines approved by the EU27 also include the option of inviting Israel to attend civilian CFSP missions in order to boost capacity, for example, on a case-by-case basis and when such action would be of mutual interest. The EU will invite Israel to align itself with EU CFDP positions and pursue its efforts to normalise Israel's status at the United Nations. The Council hoped the above measures would help boost the EU's involvement in supporting peace in the Middle East.
The announcement was greeted by mixed reaction. Israel's foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, hailed “significant success that opens a new page in relations with the EU,” but Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said he was astounded at the EU's offer, particularly because Israel has not displayed any openness in the peace process, quite the opposite in fact. He said that the EU's message handed the Israelis a blank cheque to pursue its negative policy with its disastrous impact on the peace process. Belgian PES MEP Véronique de Keyser also called the moves a “blank cheque,” criticising what she described as a hasty political error by the French Presidency of the EU. De Keyser regretted that the European Parliament did not have the right to monitor the “political upgrading” of the EU's relations with Israel. (H.B./transl.fl)