The EUBAM Rafah mission returns to the back burner

(BRUSSELS2) At the beginning of the year, one might have hoped that the Eubam Rafah mission (the EU surveillance mission at the Rafah border point) could find a new role and a new vigor (read: EUBAM Rafah: redeployment in accelerated phase). All hope is now gone.

The mission therefore found a minimum staff: 18 people. And the mission's budget has therefore been reduced accordingly. Half of the budget of 1,12 million euros available for 2009 in commitment appropriations used in 2009 will be used for the other half in 2010 (*). Compared to previous budgets: 5,1 million euros in 2006, 7 million euros in 2007, 2,5 million in 2008, the fall is severe.
However, the mission is extended until May 24, 2010. And one might wonder what is the point of maintaining a mission that will not be used right away. There are several reasons for this:

1° The main one is of a strategic nature: if Europe wants to be able to play a role one day in the region, it must maintain its presence at all costs, on the borders of Gaza, and be ready as soon as the political moment approaches. to rise in power. As the 27 Foreign Ministers endorsed on 17 November " the EU (is) ready to rapidly redeploy its personnel to the Rafah crossing point, as soon as conditions permit ". The Middle East is, moreover, close to the heart of Javier Solana, the current High Representative for Foreign Policy, who has spared no effort to reconcile points of view and give Europe more weight in the region.

2° This mission is part of a more global agreement on border surveillance between Palestinians and Israelis, under the aegis of the Quartet. To close it would be for the Europeans to ratify the established fact: the virtual closure of the border.

3° The last point is more tactical and legal: currently there is a tacit agreement with the Israeli government to renew the mission ("every six months, unless the parties agree to close it") . If the mission closes shop, everything will have to be renegotiated today... It is not certain that tomorrow there will again be an agreement from Israel so that the Europeans are present. So a million euros to ensure Europe's presence in this region is not a lot...

(*) Point endorsed between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and formally approved by the Ministers of... Agriculture, on November 20 (in point A).