The EU should impose sanctions on Gaddafi's Libya
Mats Persson 1:58pm
The EU spends €460 million a year in operational costs alone on its new foreign
policy department, the External Action Service, headed up by Catherine Ashton. This body - created by the Lisbon Treaty - was Europe’s ‘great white hope’ for the global stage,
finally allowing it to speak with one voice and therefore giving it leverage where it previously had none.
It hasn’t quite worked out that way. Caught between Cairo and Tripoli, the EU has received yet another reminder that its bureaucracies and institutions cannot magically replace 27 individual
foreign policies, as EU leaders continue their bickering over what to do.
The EU’s response to the turbulence in Libya has been fragmented at best, and contradictory at worst. Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi – one of the few EU leaders with some clout in Libya
– initially said that he didn’t wish to “disturb” Colonel Gaddafi since the situation was “evolving”. Czech Foreign
Minister Karel Schwarzenberg maintained that the EU should not "get involved too much" because, "If Gaddafi falls, then there will be bigger catastrophes in the world”, though
he later said he had meant something else.
In stark contrast, Finland, France – and in more careful language also Germany – have called for sanctions to be imposed on Gaddafi, including a travel ban and a freeze on his and his family’s assets, something categorically rejected by Italy and a few other countries. Still others have spoken in terms of general condemnation but proposed no concrete action, a group including Britain so far. Meanwhile, no one is paying much attention to the EU’s alleged foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton. It all feels awfully familiar.
Does the absence of a common EU stance matter? I believe it does. While it’s true that the EU’s leverage in Libya and some other parts of Northern Africa and the Middle East is very limited, when Europe does pull together it can actually exert influence in its backyard. Enlargement remains the EU’s greatest foreign policy achievement made possible through a mix of aid and trade incentives.
So what should be done?
The UK should throw its full weight behind German, French and Finnish calls for sanctions, including an EU-wide travel ban on Gaddafi and his family, as well as a freezing of their assets across the bloc. Other possible responses, such as imposing a no-fly zone over Libya, should also be explored. The Colonel’s delirious speech yesterday – and his son’s comments that the family will fight “to the last bullet” – have confirmed that Gaddafi ranks amongst the Mugabes of this world (if anyone for a second thought otherwise).
Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb put it best when he said that "How can we on one side look at what's going on in Libya, with almost 300 people shot dead, and not talk about sanctions or travel bans, and at the same time put travel bans and sanctions in Belarus?". EU-wide sanctions could hurt Gaddafi – financially and politically – but waiting for too long will lessen their impact.
In terms of responding to the challenges in the wider region, David Cameron is absolutely correct in calling for radical reform of the EU’s neighbourhood policy, which together with other European programmes (such as the European Investment Bank), has dished out billions to the region, with few strings attached. In future, no reform on the human rights front should mean no cash.
At the same time, the EU needs to use other incentives and tools to promote long-term democratic and economic transformation in the region. For example, the EU should consider opening up its markets to more goods from North African countries on the path towards democracy. This should include agricultural products, which at the moment face a patchwork of tariffs in various guises before they can enter Europe. These barriers are contributing to rural poverty in North Africa and therefore instability. The UK is in a strong position to spearhead such trade reforms.
To give with aid on the one hand and take away through trade restrictions with the other makes no sense. Alas, it’s symptomatic of the inconsistency that too often characterises the EU’s relations with the outside world.
The Libyan protesters’ push for change presents an opportunity for Europe to put this right.
Mats Persson is Director of Open Europe.
Previous
John Moss
February 23rd, 2011 2:08pm Report this commentTwo things the EU could do which would help Africa and the EU.
Scrap the EAS and Scrap the CAP.
Victor Southern
February 23rd, 2011 2:18pm Report this commentNothing to do with us. Baroness Ashton does that sort of thing with her staff of 7000.
Geoffrey HARRISON
February 23rd, 2011 2:27pm Report this commentSanctions? Pointless. He'll be gone in days.
In2minds
February 23rd, 2011 2:36pm Report this commentMatts Person says - "Enlargement remains the EU’s greatest foreign policy achievement" - but he also bemoans the fact 27 countries cannot come up with a joint policy even with the help of Catherine Ashton.
But then the very idea that an unelected waste of space like Ashton has a role to play helping Egypt, Libya and other countries towards democracy sums up the EU beautifully, it's just crazy.
Nicholas
February 23rd, 2011 2:37pm Report this commentActually, pressing events in the Middle East notwithstanding, the non-job of Baroness Ashton is a scandal. She epitomises the bureaucratic parasite the EU has become with the cost (and waste) of its obese institutions borne by taxpayers before any consideration of their requirement and effectiveness. The EU is just a legislating bureaucracy which simply adds yet more turgid layers of regulation and taxation upon its unhappy members. The idea that Baroness Ashton can represent any kind of cohesive or cogent foreign policy is laughable. A pretence. But a very expensive pretence.
And if she does presume to take an identifiable stance for all the member states how can she possibly represent the foreign policy interests of Britain as a nation or be accountable to its people for them? It is utterly ridiculous - the stuff of Lewis Carroll. What she is really is a glorified saleswoman peddling EU propaganda with nothing tangible to sell and no tangible profits to earn. A total waste of money. Meanwhile you, I and the man in the street are forced to subsidise her extravagant lifestyle every time we pay a tax bill or PAYE claws at our earnings. It is a sort of higher level version of local government CEO's earning more than the Prime Minister out of our taxes. Outrageous.
The money being spent by the EU is justified to whom and accountable to whom? Who decides value for money or cost effectiveness? In these supposedly austere time what is the EU doing to share the burden or reduce it?
Cameron the Boy Wonder needs to grasp this nettle and send a very clear message to Brussells that in the current financial climate it simply cannot continue to stuff the gravy train with more and more sinecures and useless hangers-on which the British people have to pay for, directly or indirectly.
PS The fact that she is an ugly socialist hag just adds insult to injury.
Tom (Bristol)
February 23rd, 2011 3:03pm Report this commentQuick get Bliar this is just the job for him for a VERY large sum of UK Citizens Money & of course Tax Free plus Expenses !
Tarka the Rotter
February 23rd, 2011 3:03pm Report this commentThe best thing the EU can do is bugger off, taking it's legislation, bureaucrats and arrogance with it. Period.
ellis000
February 23rd, 2011 3:05pm Report this commentAshton (a woman who makes Margaret Beckett appear attractive) gave a truly attrocious performance on Newsnight last night. How on earth can we get rid of this useless woman?
Extranea
February 23rd, 2011 3:08pm Report this commentIts not just the EU foreign policy that is confused, the UK is at the forefront of this. The west's foreign policy generally is contradictory and does not follow it's own rhetoric.
Can we take any of our leaders seriously when it comes to speeches to the people of the middle east like Cameron's yesterday and UN resolutions that are constantly watered down. http://bit.ly/gGFZGQ
Perry
February 23rd, 2011 3:24pm Report this commentSo, the Great White Elephant and it's fascinating keeper disappoint!
I faint with surprise.
Perry
February 23rd, 2011 3:26pm Report this comment@ ellis000
Offer her to Gadaffi?
Vulture
February 23rd, 2011 3:45pm Report this commentLady 'Donkey Face' Ashton is an apt symbol of the EU in all its ugliness, uselessness, and unaudited expensiveness.
Long may she reign!
Gawain
February 23rd, 2011 3:50pm Report this commentellis00 is right. Ashton's performance on Newsnight was cringe makingly comical. She reminded me of a pantomime horse. In this case a push-me pull-you pantomime horse. Not left, not right, neither forward nor back, never this nor that. And it takes 7,000 people to arrive at this impasse ! Almost a perfect paradigm for all EU initiatives.
salieri
February 23rd, 2011 4:12pm Report this commentThe proposition that it would be a good thing for the EU to speak with one voice raises a much more fundamental question: who the hell would listen?
In2minds
February 23rd, 2011 5:06pm Report this commentAshton and the EU, yes it's bad but we all know Cameron will back her/it.
quadratus
February 23rd, 2011 6:03pm Report this commentSanctions are only likely to damage the already deprived.but we could withdraw financial support? -This is an oil-rich country ( and one we have been bending over backwards to do business with).
As for increasing imports 'such as agricultural products',Is Libya not principally desert,but they do a nice line in dates.
David Ossitt
February 23rd, 2011 7:29pm Report this commentNicholas
February 23rd, 2011 2:37pm
Nicholas an excellent post as usual and I agree with every point bar one.
You wrote; “What she is really is a glorified saleswoman peddling EU propaganda”, here I must beg to differ, she is not a saleswoman glorified or otherwise, the ability to sell requires certain qualities, skills and aptitude that this harridan does not have.
Seasurfer1
February 23rd, 2011 7:30pm Report this commentMethinks, this Libyan crisis will impose its own Sanctions on the rest of the World when a Financial Crisis kicks off consequent of the Oil Price rise.
egh
February 23rd, 2011 7:48pm Report this commentThe euSSR is irrelevant, so long as it gets out of Britain.
Noa.
February 23rd, 2011 9:46pm Report this commentVulture
"Lady 'Donkey Face' Ashton is an apt symbol of the EU in all its ugliness, uselessness, and unaudited expensiveness.
Long may she reign"!
Amen.
And may it be a golden reign.
yank
February 23rd, 2011 10:58pm Report this comment"For example, the EU should consider opening up its markets to more goods from North African countries on the path towards democracy. This should include agricultural products, which at the moment face a patchwork of tariffs in various guises before they can enter Europe. These barriers are contributing to rural poverty in North Africa and therefore instability."
.
Of all the hot air blown on this blog over North Africa recently, this is the first bit that actually makes sense, and gets to a solution to a problem. It's criminal that Europe cuts Africa off from trade, particularly agricultural trade.
If the EU can't do anything about this crime, then it is truly feckless and should be disbanded.
revolution
February 24th, 2011 8:03am Report this commentIf ever there was a case for the burka and full face cover it is this disaster inflicted on the EU by Gordon the clown Brown in Cathy Ashton.
Alexander Pelling
February 24th, 2011 9:04am Report this commentMs. Ashton may be - indeed is - the useless leeching leftist propagandising beneficiary of a corrupt, wasteful and morally bankrupt system but I don't personally think that her critics gain any credibility by going on about her looks. Or the lack of them.
Ghengis
February 24th, 2011 10:46am Report this commentAP: However, considering the size and scope of the gravy train in which she is immersed, it is untypical that she does not consider surgically improving her aspect at our expense.
Dean
February 24th, 2011 11:32am Report this commentSnide remarks about Baroness Ashton's looks miss the point entirely. She has never stood for election to any public office. She has no experience in foreign affairs or diplomacy. She started her career with CND, then spent it sitting on quangos. That's the real story.
Martin Cole
February 24th, 2011 2:55pm Report this commentMats Persson states Enlargement remains the EUâ™s greatest foreign policy achievement made possible through a mix of aid and trade incentives
This does not fit at all well with the mission statement of the organisation he heads "about us" at:
http://www.openeurope.org.uk/about-us/
The lesson of events in Libya, is surely that a thoroughly rotten and corrupt organisation, such as the EU, which has destroyed democracies in 27 once sovereign independent nations across Europe, and encouraged the toleration of regimes such as that in Libya over the past 42 years,cannot spread either decency or democracy along the coast of North Africa.
Baroness Ashton, perfectly represents the EU by mirroring its lack of statesmanship, experience or common sense.
Before reading this column, I had believed Open Europe was an ally in destroying the monster that we have created in the form of the EU.
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