21-22 June: General Affairs Council

Date: 24/06/1999

EU FOREIGN ministers focused on plans for managing Kosovo after the peace deal struck with Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic brought an end to the NATO air-strikes. German Deputy Foreign Minister Günther Verheugen stressed the importance of getting the hundreds of thousands of Kosovar refugees back into their homes before the onset of winter in October. “It's a race against time,” he said.

MINISTERS agreed to provide an extra €150 million this year to help in the process of reconstruction and refugee return. They also asked the European Commission to identify potential sources for a further €500 million, which will be needed over the next three years. The €150 million is on top of the €196 million the EU has given for purely humanitarian purposes, but does not represent the full bill for the reconstruction of the province's infrastructure. This sum will be decided in time for an international donors' conference in July.

A LIST of EU candidates to become the United Nations' special representative to Kosovo was also discussed, but no decision was taken. Former UK Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown, Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Emma Bonino and French Health Minister Bernard Kouchner have all been tipped for the post. Ministers also discussed candidates for other jobs in the region including a replacement for the High Representative in Bosnia Carlos Westendorp, someone to head the reconstruction agency in Kosovo and a coordinator for the stability pact for the region.

A MANDATE for the Commission to negotiate Association Agreements with the four countries of Mercosur and Chile was approved by ministers in time for next week's EU-Latin American summit. Ministers agreed that talks could begin on non-tariff barriers immediately, but said negotiations on reducing tariffs and liberalising services should only begin on 1 July 2001 and be held in parallel with the forthcoming round of World Trade Organisation talks.

MINISTERS approved a new Association Agreement with Egypt, bringing to an end four years of negotiations. The deal was reached after the EU improved a range of import concessions on strawberries, green beans and potatoes.

Both sides agreed to postpone setting precise rules on illegal immigrants, labour mobility and human rights to get a deal. Verheugen said the agreement underlined the EU's commitment to forging cooperation partnerships with Mediterranean countries.

A NUMBER of changes were agreed to bring greater transparency and effectiveness to the workings of the hundreds of committees which handle EU business. These include reducing the number of decision-making procedures from five to three and undertaking to supply the European Parliament and the public with information about proposals, agendas, and voting and membership records.

THE EU signed a series of land-mark accords with Switzerland covering agriculture, transport and the free movement of labour. Germany's Joschka Fischer said the agreements signalled a “new era” in relations with Switzerland.