European Council, Seville, 21-22 June 2002

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Series Details 24.6.02
Publication Date 24/06/2002
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EU leaders gathered in the Spanish city of Seville on 21-22 June 2002 for the final European Council meeting of the Spanish Presidency. Against a background of five terrorist attacks in 36 hours by the Basque separatist group, ETA, ministers reached key decisions on immigration, enlargement and Council reform.

José Maria Aznar, the Spanish Prime Minister, forced immigration to top the agenda because of the increasing problem facing Spain as thousands of North Africans use Spain as a gateway to Europe as well as the recent rise of far-right anti-immigration parties in France and the Netherlands. While Aznar had been joined by Tony Blair and Silvio Berlusconi in calling for a tough stance against illegal immigration, they were forced to compromise with France and Sweden in order for an agreement to be reached. Under the plan, EU leaders agreed to:

  • Review by the end of 2002 the list of third countries whose nationals require visas or are exempt from that requirement
  • Introduce as soon as possible of a common identification system for visa data
  • Speed up the conclusion of readmission agreements with third countries
  • Adopt by the end of 2002 the components of a repatriation programme based on the European Commission Green Paper
  • Adopt at the next Justice and Home Affairs Council the Framework decisions on combating human trafficking, strengthening the penal framework to prevent the facilitation of unauthorised entry, transit and residence and the Directive defining these actions
  • Joint operations at external borders by the end of 2002 as well as the creation of a network of Member States' immigration liaison officers (The UK blocked the proposal to create a common external border police)
  • Common integrated risk assessment by June 2003 as well as a common core curriculum for border guard training and consolidation of European provisions concerning borders
  • Any future co-operation or association agreement between the EU and a third country shall include a clause on joint management of migration flows and on compulsory readmission in the event of illegal immigration
  • In a case where the Council unanimously decides that a third country has shown an unjustified lack of co-operation in joint management of migration flows then it may adopt measures or positions under the CFSP or other EU policies.
  • Speed up current legislative work on the framing of a common EU immigration and asylum policy including the adoption by the Council by December 2002 of the Dublin 2002 Regulation followed by the minimum standards for qualification and status as refugees by June 2003 and finally the adoption of common standards for asylum procedures by the end of June 2003.

Although the measures do not include the joint proposal by the UK and Spain to impose sanctions on third countries who fail to co-operate over illegal immigration, they do represent a significantly tougher and more unified stance by the EU Member States.

On the issue of enlargement, European leaders agreed to reach a common position on agriculture negotiations with the candidate countries by the beginning of November 2002 despite opposition from Germany and the Netherlands. They also confirmed the aim of concluding negotiations with ten countries by the end of 2002 so that the Treaty of Accession may be signed in 2003 and these countries should participate in the European Parliament elections in 2004 as full members. The European Council also noted the increasing progress made by Bulgaria and Romania and agreed that a more precise timetable for these countries' accession process could be set by the end of 2002. Similarly, the EU leaders noted the reforms adopted in Turkey and based on the European Commission's regular report in October 2002 suggested that new decisions on the next stage of Turkey's candidature could be taken at the European Council in Copenhagen on 12-13 December 2002.

In preparation for EU enlargement, the future shape of the European Union was also on the agenda at Seville. EU leaders heard a report from the Chairman of the Convention on the Future of Europe, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and agreed on the general approach followed by the Convention. On the specific issue of the reform of the Council, leaders agreed to specific measures concerning the organisation and functioning of the European Council and Council of Ministers, outlined in two separate annexes of the Presidency Conclusions. They include the creation a new 'General Affairs and External Relations' Council and the reduction of the number of Council of Ministers from sixteen to nine. Member States rejected a Spanish proposal to introduce majority voting to summit meetings. The new rules will enter into force under the Danish Presidency and their implementation will be evaluated at the European Council in Dec!ember 2003. The European Council also called on the Danish Presidency to prepare a report on possible changes to the system of a six-month rotating Presidency for discussion at the Copenhagen European Council. At the same time a report on the use of languages in the context of an enlarged Union will also be submitted.

Aside from these three key areas, the European Council also discussed several other topical issues. Notably, leaders agreed to the Declaration presented by Irish Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern, which recognises Ireland's military neutrality. This should pave the way for Ireland to ratify the Treaty of Nice following a second referendum in Autumn 2002.

The European Council also agreed on several economic decisions at the summit such as the full implementation of the Financial Services Action Plan and plans to facilitate the development of digital television and the new generation of mobile phone networks. The leaders also endorsed the objectives of the European Commission's Action Plan for eEurope 2005 as an important contribution to the Lisbon goal of achieving the world's most competitive and knowledge-based economy by 2010 and called on all EU institutions to ensure the plan was fully implemented by 2005.

In terms of external relations, the European Council confirmed the EU's overall position for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in August 2002. It stressed the need for good governance at national level to ensure sustainable development and called on other developed countries to help developing countries access developed markets so they too could benefit from globalisation.

The European Council failed to reach a solution to the Kaliningrad issue but called on the European Commission to submit a further study on possible solutions by the time of its next meeting in Brussels.

Overall, several concrete results were taken at the Seville Summit, bringing the Spanish presidency, which began with a fire at the country's permanent representation in Brussels, to a successful end. Enlargement will be the top priority for the Danes who will now take over the EU Presidency but the Danish Prime Minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, has also suggested that safety and security, sustainable development, food safety and global responsibility will be on their agenda.

Links:

Council of the European Union :

The Spanish Presidency of the EU :

BBC News Online:

European Sources Online: Financial Times:

The European Policy Centre:

The Danish Presidency of the EU:

Helen Bower
Compiled: Monday, 24 June 2002

EU leaders gathered in the Spanish city of Seville on 21-22 June 2002 for the final European Council meeting of the Spanish Presidency. Against a background of five terrorist attacks in 36 hours by the Basque separatist group, ETA, ministers reached key decisions on immigration, enlargement and Council reform.
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