I thank the Chairman and agree it will be a long agenda.The Minister of State, Deputy Peter Power and I, will attend. At the last or perhaps second last meeting of this committee it was suggested we should report on the previous GAERC as well as looking forward, and I will do that today. I apologise as it makes the address a little longer, but it is important.
I thank the Chairman for the opportunity to discuss the agenda for the upcoming GAERC but before the preview I will provide a full account of the April meeting of the Council. The principal item discussed during the general affairs session of last month's meeting was the current state of play in the Croatian accession negotiations. This, incidentally, was also discussed at the Gymnich which preceded that meeting. The main feature of the discussion was Croatia's border dispute with Slovenia, which involves a small sliver of sea to the front of Izola and Piran. Ministers supported Commissioner Rehn's mediation efforts and hoped that issue could be resolved soon to allow the accession process to move forward.
The Presidency also briefed the Council on the summits which were held last week in Prague. These were the eastern partnership summit, which was attended by the Taoiseach and which successfully launched the eastern partnership initiative of the European neighbourhood policy, and the southern corridor summit, which dealt with the issue of the gas transit. In an important development, Turkey signed up to the southern corridor, thus advancing the prospects of diversification of energy supplies into the EU. Members will recall the dispute that took place earlier this year over the passage of gas through Ukraine.
The Presidency also briefed Ministers on the arrangements for the employment summit, which was held in Prague on 7 May and was attended by the Prime Ministers of the Czech Republic, Sweden and Spain, the President of the European Commission and the European social partners. The summit agreed a general strategy aimed at alleviating the worst effects of the present economic crisis as well as maintaining employment and promoting job creation, including measures to increase access to employment for young people, upgrade workforce skills, match labour market needs with skills and promote mobility in the labour market. At the meeting, Malta raised the issue of illegal immigration and the particular problems faced by it — which are significant, given Malta's size — and other southern Mediterranean states due to illegal migration flows from north Africa. Malta, supported by Italy, called upon the EU to intensify its efforts to address, in particular, the issue of illegal immigration in the region. No conclusions were reached.
Discussion of external relations issues began with the prospects for the Middle East peace process, particularly in the context of the formation of a new Israeli Government and the recent EU-US informal summit which took place in Prague in early April. This was followed by a presentation by Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner on the communication and progress reports on the European neighbourhood policy recently prepared by the Commission. Ministers then agreed the renewal of the EU's Common Position on restrictive measures in the case of Burma and adopted Council conclusions. Recognising that there is not yet sufficient political progress which would justify changes in the Common Position at this time, Ireland proposed that the roll-over of this Common Position be accompanied by forward-looking conclusions. These conclusions reflected the fact that while there has been no political progress to date, the EU remains willing to review the Common Position and to consider positive incentives in the event that genuine political progress is made. Members in the committee will be aware that the situation in Burma has, if anything, deteriorated in the past 24 hours after a foolhardy action by a representative of an American NGO in swimming to Aung San Suu Kyi's lakeside home. As a consequence, she is now in difficulties. That person should have curbed his enthusiasm.
The Council also briefly discussed Sri Lanka and issued comprehensive conclusions. These expressed deep concern at the continuing conflict in Sri Lanka, the mass civilian casualties and the deteriorating humanitarian situation there. In particular, Ministers urged an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to allow for a UN-assisted evacuation of those still trapped in the conflict zone and urged the Government of Sri Lanka to co-operate fully with the UN and to allow international oversight of all internally displaced persons as soon as they have left the conflict zone. Ministers repeated their call on the Sri Lankan Government to proceed urgently towards an inclusive and peaceful political process.
Unfortunately, the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka has not improved since the last meeting. Members will have read daily reports of continuing violence in the north of the country, including the terrible assaults which took place over the weekend in which hundreds of innocent civilians are reported to have been killed and injured. As a result of the exacerbation of that situation over the weekend this item has now been added to Monday's agenda. I very much commend the interest members of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs have taken in this issue.
At Belgium's request, there was a brief discussion on ways to enhance the effectiveness of the EU naval operation against piracy on the Somali coast. This item will be discussed in greater detail at the Council this month and I shall return to it in more detail later.
Over lunch, Ministers discussed future steps following the recent meeting of Heads of State and Government with President Obama. The discussion focused on areas of shared interest such as Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan and the situation in the Middle East. The Council also discussed Moldova, focusing on events in that country after the recent elections. Ukraine was also discussed, particularly with regard to the political crisis there which has been compounded by the energy and global economic crises. At a meeting in Madrid last Monday I had a bilateral meeting with the Ukrainian Minister for Foreign Affairs.
There was a brief discussion of the approach adopted by the EU at the Durban review conference on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
Concerning next week's meeting of the General Affairs and External Relations Council, GAERC, there are several significant items on the agenda. As the Chairman noted, it is a jumbo council. As members of the committee may be aware, it is the practice for development co-operation Ministers to attend one meeting of the Council per Presidency and this month the Council will consider a range of issues relating to development and co-operation policy. My colleague, the Minister of State with responsibility for development co-operation, Deputy Peter Power, will represent Ireland during these discussions.
With the Chairman's permission, I propose to address the GAERC items in turn, as they appear on the agenda.
The only item for discussion during the general affairs session is the Presidency's current version of the annotated draft agenda for the European Council on 18 and 19 June. The Council's rules of procedure require the GAERC to draw up an agenda at least four weeks ahead of a European Council. Although the draft agenda, which was circulated on Tuesday, is very much an outline, it is clear that a key issue to be dealt with will be the legal guarantees for Ireland in respect of the Lisbon treaty. We are working actively on these guarantees and hope they will be agreed at the June European Council. The scope of these guarantees was set down in the conclusions of the December European Council, which were very specific. We were very happy with them and are working on them. The process in which we are engaged at present involves turning these commitments into legally robust guarantees that will provide our people with genuine reassurances on the key issues that caused concern last year.
Only when we are fully satisfied with the form and content of these guarantees will we proceed to consult the people on a new Lisbon treaty package which will be adjusted in Ireland's case on foot of these guarantees. We will be engaged in intensive consultations in the coming weeks as we prepare for the June Council. I know members present today are particularly anxious about this. This work will include discussions with other Oireachtas parties aimed at ensuring maximum political support for this process, the success of which is a national priority. I believe, and am sure most people in this room believe, it transcends all political party issues in this nation. It is in our best interests as a nation to resolve the uncertainties surrounding the treaty sooner rather than later. For that reason, we are determined to press for agreement on our legal guarantees in June.
The summer European Council will also address the current economic, financial and social situation. The crisis currently affecting all EU member states has served to underline the value of working together as Europeans and, in Ireland's case, of belonging to a strong currency like the euro. If there ever were any doubts about that they have been dispelled by what has happened here and elsewhere in Europe in the past 12 months.
The meeting will also deal with the vital issue of climate change and sustainable development, which is a major priority for the Union in the run-up to the Copenhagen summit later this year.
Concerning external relations, the Presidency has indicated that the European Council may have an exchange of views on two or three relevant international issues. I shall deal with these now.
The first item on the external relations agenda is the preparations for the EU-Russia summit, which will take place on 21 and 22 May. The summit will be hosted by Mr. Dmitry Medvedev, President of the Russian Federation, who will be accompanied by Mr. Sergey Lavrov, Minister for Foreign Affairs. The EU will be represented by the Czech President, Mr. Václav Klaus, the Secretary General and High Representative, Dr. Javier Solana, and the President of the Commission, Mr. José Manuel Durao Barroso. It should be a very interesting meeting. This will be the third occasion on which President Medvedev has represented Russia at an EU-Russia summit. The meeting will take place at a less tense time in the relationship than was the case during last November's summit, which was overshadowed by the August crisis in Georgia and its aftermath.
The EU and Russia share very important economic, political and security interests and remain interdependent and essential partners on many issues. We also have points on which we disagree. This is normal in any relationship as broad as that between the EU and Russia. Our ongoing dialogue with Russia is very important in that it allows us to discuss all aspects of the relationship. The summit is an important opportunity for the EU to interact with Russia at the highest level. The meeting is expected to focus on EU-Russia relations, the financial crisis, and international relations. On EU-Russia relations, the two sides will assess developments on the four "common spaces", namely, economic freedom; security and justice; external security; and research and education. They will review progress on negotiations on the new EU-Russia agreement and will underline the need to work together on a co-ordinated response to the current world economic crisis. The need to pursue a peaceful resolution of a number of protracted conflicts in the common neighbourhood will also be discussed. There are many so-called frozen conflicts in the space between the European Union and Russia and it is in everybody's interest that they be thawed out and resolved. Having a more normalised relationship between Russia and the European Union is a priority.
Over lunch, other international issues of concern will be raised. There may also be some discussion of Russian proposals for a new European security treaty.
As members of the committee will be aware, the May Council traditionally includes a joint session with Ministers for defence, to review significant developments in respect of certain aspects of the EU's European Security and Defence Policy, ESDP, operations. At this joint session, Ministers will consider the future of Operation EUFOR ALTHEA within the evolving political context in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is generally acknowledged that EUFOR has substantially accomplished its mandate, in particular the completion of the military and stabilisation tasks provided for by the Dayton-Paris Agreement. Six months ago, at the November 2008 Council, it was agreed that the transition of the existing ALTHEA mission to a support and training operation should be explored in greater detail. Next week the Council may approve this concept and ongoing planning for the possible evolution of Operation ALTHEA into such a mission. This is very welcome in that it recognises there has been normalisation of issues in that part of the world. However, the transformation of Operation ALTHEA can occur only within a broader context of stability, in particular the stability which would be achieved by a transition from the Office of High Representative to an enhanced EU Special Representative presence. If this transition is decided upon at the June meeting of the Peace Implementation Council, the drawdown of ALTHEA could occur within the following six months. Ireland fully supports the view that the transition to a support and training operation is the most appropriate EU position once a decision has been taken on the transition from the Office of High Representative to that of an EU Special Representative.
We will also consider the situation in Somalia, specifically the progress being made by the EU naval operation, Atalanta, which was launched last December to counter the increasing threat of piracy. Although Ministers are expected to commend the mission's achievements to date in protecting World Food Programme deliveries of aid and other vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali coast, they are also likely to express concern at the surge in piracy acts occurring at distances increasingly remote from the coastlines of east Africa. Ironically, this geographical shift in the focus of the piracy threat is being read, at least in part, as evidence of the success of the EU naval force, EUNAVOR.
In its conclusions, the Council is expected to reiterate the importance of co-ordinated action by the international community in tackling the threat of piracy, including co-operation between Operation Atalanta and other naval forces active in the region. With regard to Somalia, Ministers are also expected to agree Council conclusions welcoming the new Somali President's commitment to dialogue with political and military groups currently outside his Government. Ministers will also reiterate the EU's support for security sector reform as a key element in the long-term reconstruction of Somalia. After these joint sessions, Ministers for defence will then consider the EU's co-operation with partners such as the United Nations, NATO and the African Union.
Meanwhile, Ministers for foreign affairs may be asked to discuss Moldova, which is currently listed as a possible agenda point. Any discussion is likely to focus on the relationship between Romania and Moldova in the aftermath of the 7 April post-election demonstrations and, specifically, the introduction by the Moldovan Government of visa requirements for Romanian nationals. No conclusions have been drafted.
Ireland fully supports all efforts to ensure political stability in Moldova. We remain concerned by reports of possible human rights abuses that occurred during the post-election demonstrations. We commend the work of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Thomas Hammarberg, on this issue. We support an independent inquiry into the events surrounding the protests which should reflect the recommendations of Commissioner Hammarberg, once issued. We also support efforts to persuade the Moldovan Government to reverse its recent decision to impose visa restrictions on Romanian nationals.
Over lunch, GAERC Ministers will discuss relations with Iran. No conclusions are anticipated because the Council adopted conclusions on Iran last month. The April conclusions reaffirmed support for the twin-track approach of incentives and sanctions, which the EU has been pursuing for some time in respect of Iran's nuclear programme, and once again called on Iran to comply with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and cease uranium enrichment.
Iran is currently in the midst of preparations and planning for the presidential elections scheduled for 12 June. In these circumstances, it is unlikely that there will be any response on the part of the Iranian Government to the overtures for greater engagement and a more constructive relationship which President Obama recently outlined in his Iranian new year address to the people and Government of Iran. All the indications are that the Iranian authorities are still contemplating how best to respond to the US President's overtures and are unlikely to be rushed into any premature response in this regard.
The efforts to promote a diplomatic resolution to the major international concerns regarding Iran's nuclear programme continue to be led by the EU 3, that is, France, the UK and Germany, working alongside the United States of America, Russia and China. The USA has now stated that it will be prepared to sit down directly as part of this group to discuss the nuclear issue with Iran. There has been no formal response on Iran's part as yet to this invitation, although this is not unexpected in view of the elections which I mentioned previously.
At this very sensitive juncture, it is obviously of great importance that the European Union and the United States of America continue to co-ordinate and work closely together on and with Iran. President Obama has extended an olive branch to Tehran and we must hope and continue to encourage the Iranian Government to respond positively. The European Union can perhaps best serve and complement this approach by making clear that it would be prepared to impose sanctions, including economic sanctions, if Iran does not respond to the very deep concerns, not least within the Middle East, which now exist about its nuclear ambitions.
Discussion of Iran at the Council is also likely to cover the continuing very serious human rights situation in Iran, which has witnessed the recent appalling execution of a young woman for offences committed as a minor. The EU has made known to the Iranian authorities its strong condemnation of such actions in addition to its concerns over other current human rights cases, including the journalist, Roxanna Saberi, who was released yesterday, which I welcome. Ireland and our EU partners will continue to speak frankly with the Iranian authorities on these and related issues, including the Iranian President's unacceptable comments regarding Israel at the Durban II conference last month which prompted those EU delegations present, including the Irish delegation, to leave for the duration of his address.
There will be a discussion on Georgia which would be a follow-up to the extraordinary European Council on Georgia held on 1 September last, in the aftermath of the fighting between Georgia and Russia. The extraordinary Council made a commitment to build relations with Georgia and to contribute to its reconstruction. It decided to step up relations with Georgia, including through visa facilitation measures and the possible establishment of a full and comprehensive free trade area agreement. Since the Council on Georgia on 1 September, the EU has significantly increased its role in the country, sending a monitoring mission, to which Ireland has contributed four personnel to monitor the ceasefire, organising a donor conference and convening,with the United Nations and the OSCE, peace talks in Geneva, the next session of which will be held on 18 May and 19 May.
Progress has continued on implementing the EU-Georgia European neighbourhood policy which is intended to support the reform process in the country. Georgia is now a participant in the European neighbourhood policy partnership, which was launched at a summit in Prague on 7 May, attended by the Taoiseach. Progress on a free trade agreement and on visa facilitation have, however, been slow. On Monday at a meeting in Madrid I met the Georgian delegation and I spoke to it, especially on issues in respect of Ireland and Georgia and developments to which we can look forward in that regard. Ireland fully supports the EU's actions in Georgia, which have sought to help the country following the August crisis and further develop its links with the European Union.
That concludes my observations on external relations issues. The last part of my presentation today will deal with development issues. Ireland will be represented by the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Peter Power, at Monday's meeting. Inevitably, the central issue for discussion will be the effect of the global financial and economic crisis on the developing world and the response of the EU. Developing countries are being severely hit by the global economic crisis, a crisis which is not of their making. It is a crisis which originated in the financial markets of the developed world, among some of which there has been scandalous behaviour. There is a strong recognition across the European Union that we have an obligation to ensure that the poorest people in the world do not become the chief victims of misbehaviour in the developed world. The reality is that economic growth and social progress achieved in many developing countries in recent decades is, in many cases, now being reversed. Progress on the UN millennium development goals is endangered and millions of people face poverty and hunger. It is clear, as confirmed by the G20 summit in London in April, that the developed world and the developing world must work together to deal with these developments. The global crisis requires a global solution and response. The EU is the world's largest provider of official development aid and it is the number one trading partner for developing countries. We need to act in partnership with the developing world, in our common interest.
At the Council on Monday, Ministers will discuss the actions and instruments we can use in response to the crisis. Ireland has strongly supported the view that these measures must have a quick impact and that their benefits must be felt in the short term. In line with the central priorities of our aid programme, we will emphasise that measures taken should protect the lives and livelihood's of the poorest and most vulnerable. We will wish to ensure that the focus of the response is on sustaining poverty reduction and maintaining the provision of basic services for the poor. In this context, we cannot avoid the reality that with national income falling across the developed world aid budgets everywhere are now under pressure.
In Ireland, we have had to adjust our overseas development aid budget for 2009 as part of the Government's determined effort to restore the public finances. We have made a firm commitment to resume expansion of the aid programme as soon as the conditions for sustainable economic growth have been restored. In the meantime, it is important to recognise that with a budget of €696 million this year and with a firm focus on global poverty and hunger, Ireland is again expected to be the sixth most generous donor in the world in per capita terms and the fifth most generous in the European Union.
It is expected the Council will reaffirm the European Union's collective commitments to support developing countries in meeting the millennium development goals and to achieve collectively the target of 0.7% of GNP on overseas aid by 2015. We are continuing to work towards meeting the target in 2012 and Ireland remains ahead of most of the member states, including all the large member states, in our progress towards fulfilling EU commitments.
However, the discussion at the Council will rightly cover more than the volumes of ODA. Development aid, while crucial, will not be enough to help developing countries overcome the crisis. The EU must use all the sources and instruments available to leverage assistance aimed at stimulating growth, investment, trade and job creation.
The global response should support and facilitate the development and implementation of developing countries' own strategies for dealing with the crisis. In addition, it is important that support should have a direct counter-cyclical impact. We consider that measures are needed at the EU level to adapt priorities, to disperse aid more quickly and where necessary and feasible, to front-load assistance. Action on the economic front should be to sustain productive activity and to maintain productive capacity.
An important aspect of the EU's support will be to revitalise agriculture. While the food price crisis has abated somewhat in recent months, Ireland has been to the fore internationally in highlighting the growing impact of the global hunger crisis. There remains a serious lack of infrastructure and investment. In line with the priorities outlined in the Government's hunger task force, we will advocate particular attention for food security, focusing on small-scale farming and the crucial role of women in agriculture, in particular in Africa.
The Council will also discuss what measures can be taken to increase the effectiveness of aid, with a stronger focus on measurable and clear development results. This is an area in which the OECD development assistance committee last week singled out Ireland's aid programme as the world leader. The EU's code of conduct on the division of labour in aid represents a significant contribution to improving aid effectiveness. In current circumstances, the implementation of that code of conduct needs to be strengthened.
On Tuesday morning, Ministers will take stock of progress in the negotiation of the EU's economic partnership agreements with the ACP countries. They will hear a report from the trade Commissioner, Catherine Ashton, and the issues involved are very complex. However, Ireland has consistently argued that the EU must ensure the agreements are focused on supporting the development needs and plans of the partner countries. In particular, we have highlighted the concerns of some developing countries that the agreements could undermine progress towards regional integration. Together with several other member states, we have advocated the full use of the flexibility, which is allowed under current WTO law, to take full account of the different development levels and needs of the ACP countries and regions. That concludes my presentation.
