INFORMAL FOREIGN AFFAIRS COUNCIL: MINISTERS DISCUSS STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE.

Iraq.

On Iraq, there was little further clarity about what role the EU might play in post-war reconstruction beyond humanitarian aid. This evidently still depends on finding an international consensus on the question, and in particular defining the role of the United Nations (UN), from which the EU would evidently have to derive its authority for any potential involvement. It was however, agreed in principle to send charges d'affaires back to Iraq to ensure the EU's presence on the ground and bolster humanitarian aid activities. The specific details of the move are still to be hammered out.

Ministers asked EU External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten to prepare working plans for the provision of humanitarian aid, the policy for reconstruction of Iraq including preparing the putative role of the EU, and co-operation with international financial institutions (IFIs) such as the World Bank. But Greek Foreign Minister and Council President George Papandreou stated clearly that: "Everybody believes that the UN has to provide a mandate setting out what the next steps should be". The Greek Presidency reported that ministers had agreed to "contribute to the definition of a central UN role in Iraq", while Mr Papandreou explained that: "We must prepare for later involvement as and when political and legal conditions permit. We all agree that the EU should be as fully engaged as security permits in the humanitarian field, and can also contribute significantly to policy and other instruments for civilian crisis management".

The contribution of the European Commission and the Greek Presidency to the discussion on "options for a significant EU role in reconstruction in Iraq" (dated April 29) makes clear that "without political agreement amongst Ministers it would be impossible for the Commission to be as pro-active as it has been in other post-conflict resolutions", such as Kosovo, East Timor or Afghanistan. In the short term, it is said for example that the EU could contribute to ensuring public order and pre-empting the emergence of organised crime through the deployment of EU/bilateral civilian police missions. EU support in the medium term politically, economically and socially would depend on the existence of an "acceptable international framework". EU Ministers might, it is suggested, consider more precisely what would constitute a "central

role" for the UN; what any new UN Security Council resolutions might deal with; and what the EU's view should be on the Oil for Food programme, Iraqi debt, or an international...