Foreign Affairs Council, 15/12/2014, 15 December 2014

A EU regional strategy for Syria and Iraq

Syria and Iraq as well as the fight against ISIL were the main themes of the Foreign Affairs Council. In the margins of the Council meeting, the first EU-Ukraine Association Council was also organised.

Syria and Iraq

In their Brussels meeting, EU Foreign Affairs ministers repeated their full support to Staffan de Mistura, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, in his efforts to de-escalate violence and set-up the basis for a broader political process. The EU will work with all the actors that can be part of the solution to the Syrian crisis.

EU ministers also agreed on concrete measures:

• to support plans to freeze hostilities, especially in Aleppo
• for humanitarian aid  

Ministers also pledged full support to Iraq's government for developing inclusive policies and moving forward on reconciliation.

The outcome of the EU ministers discussions will contribute to the preparation of an EU comprehensive regional strategy on Syria and Iraq as well as the ISIL / Da'esh threat.

Other topics on the agenda

EU foreign ministers discussed Bosnia and Herzegovina's prospects for EU membership. They agreed to launch a process on a new basis without altering the conditions attached to the enlargement process.

The Council will decide on the entry into force of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement when all BiH leaders and the BiH Parliament endorse the necessary reforms.

Finally, the EU's Ebola coordinator briefed ministers on the European response to the outbreak.

On Ukraine, the Council confirmed its agreement in principle to a proposal for additional EU restrictive measures in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol.

EU ministers also approved several other items without discussion ("A-items"):

• conclusions on Central African Republic
• conclusions on South Sudan
• conclusions on the Southern Mediterranean investment initiative (AMICI)
• appointment of General Mikhail Kostarakos from Greece as the next Chairman of the EU Military Committee
• EU actions against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and of small arms in the Sahel region

First meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council

On 15 December, the Association Council recognised the necessity to intensify political and economic reforms in Ukraine for the implementation of the Association Agreement. 

Prime Minister Yatsenyuk and High Representative Mogherini also discussed the ongoing conflict in eastern-Ukraine as well as the EU's non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia.