The leaders of the European Union (EU) countries meeting this Thursday gave the green light to the opening of accession negotiations with Bosnia-Herzegovina. They also called for a “ immediate humanitarian pause » in the Gaza Strip. European leaders also want to support European rearmament against Russia.
♦ The 27 call with one voice for a “ immediate humanitarian pause » in Gaza
The leaders of the 27, meeting at a summit in Brussels, called on Thursday for a “ immediate humanitarian pause ” has Gazaand urged Israel not to launch a ground operation in Rafah, in a joint declaration. “ The European Council calls for an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a lasting ceasefire, [appelle] for the unconditional release of all hostages and the provision of humanitarian aid ”, according to this text. In this declaration on the situation in Gaza, the first adopted by the 27 since the end of October, European leaders also urge Israel to “ not carry out a ground operation in Rafah », in the south of the Gaza Strip, where hundreds of thousands of Gazans are refugees.
Very divided since the unprecedented attack launched by Palestinian Hamas against Israel on October 7, the 27 had failed during two previous summits, in December and February, to agree on the terms of a declaration common. The text adopted Thursday by the 27 follows the decision of the United States, also announced Thursday, to submit it to the vote of the UN Security Council a draft resolution insisting on the need for a “ immediate ceasefire “.
Europeans also say to themselves “ deeply concerned » by the humanitarian situation « catastrophic » in Gaza and « its effects on civilians, particularly children, as well as the risk of famine caused by the insufficient arrival of aid “. They demand a rapid, total, secure and unhindered access » for humanitarian aid, a large part of which is blocked at the gates of the Palestinian territory.
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♦ Use for Ukraine of profits from Russian assets frozen in the EU
The Twenty-Seven, meeting at a summit in Brussels, decided on Thursday to move forward with a project aimed at using profits from Russia’s frozen assets in the EU to arm Ukraine. The leaders of EU member countries have said they want advance the work » on a proposal presented on Wednesday by the European Commission, which should make it possible to free up between 2.5 and three billion euros per year in favor of kyiv.
The head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell proposed on Wednesday to use the profits from frozen Russian assets to finance military equipment for Ukraine. “ We are determined to act very quickly so that we can use some of this money to support Ukraine », affirmed Thursday evening the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, during a press conference. How to use Russian state assets that were blocked after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine two years ago has been the subject of intense discussion.
These assets represent around 210 billion euros in the European Union, and are almost all in the hands of Euroclear, a financial institution based in Brussels. Most of the windfall generated by the interest earned on these assets should make it possible to facilitate the purchase of arms for Ukraine, from July onwards, if the 27 manage to quickly formalize their project, according to Josep Borrell.
♦ Investment in the defense industry
The Twenty-Seven asked the European Investment Bank (EIB), the EU’s financing body, on Thursday to expand its loans to defense companies to support European rearmament against Russia. The EIB “ is invited to adapt its lending policy to the defense industry », wrote the European heads of state and government, in a joint declaration.
This bank based in Luxembourg, whose shareholders are the member states of the European Union, provides credits and guarantees to businesses to finance Europe’s priority policies. Equipped with the prestigious AAA financial rating, a guarantee of solidity which allows it to borrow cheaply, the EIB on the other hand plays a key role in financing the energy transition.
France in particular has campaigned to extend the EIB’s mandate to defense industries. She had written a letter to this effect this week, with thirteen other countries, including Germany and Italy. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, “ caused an increased need for investment in the security and defense sector », These countries underlined.
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♦ Accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina
“ By relying on the Commission recommendation of March 12, 2024the European Council decides to open accession negotiations with the Bosnia and Herzegovina », Indicates the joint declaration adopted by the leaders. The latter invite “ the Commission to prepare the negotiating framework with a view to its adoption by the (EU) Council when all the appropriate measures set out in the Commission recommendation of 12 October 2022 have been taken “. Discussions can only begin after all member state governments have agreed to this negotiating framework.
“ Congratulations ! Your place is in our European family. Today’s decision is a key step in your journey to the EU. Now the hard work must continue “, declared the President of the European Council Charles Michel on the X network. This decision of the Twenty-Seven, meeting at a summit in Brussels, is the latest in a movement towards the enlargement of the EU which has gained in in force since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country of 3.5 million inhabitants, obtained candidate status in 2022 after the favorable opinion of the Commission, which had determined 14 “ key priorities » for reforms. These consist in particular of improving the functioning of central institutions, strengthening the rule of law and fundamental rights, the fight against corruption and organized crime in this country, one of the poorest in Europe.
Bosnia recently opened negotiations for a cooperation agreement with the European border guard agency Frontex, its Parliament adopted an anti-money laundering law demanded by Brussels as well as a law on conflict prevention interests in institutions. But there is still no agreement on the reform of the courts and on the electoral law.
The country remains very divided after the intercommunity conflict which devastated this former Yugoslav Republic and left more than 100,000 dead. Nearly thirty years after the Dayton Accords which ended this conflict in 1995, the country is divided into two: a Serbian entity, Republika Srpska (RS), regularly accused of playing into the hands of Moscow in the region, and another Croat-Bosnian, whose leaders want the country to join NATO.