The Europeans are considering a plan to lift the blockade (maj2)

(BRUSSELS2) The European Union is starting to work on a plan to lift the blockade in Gaza. The Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Miguel Angel Moratinos (1), confirmed, during his visit to Paris, that he wanted to propose to his European counterparts to promote within the Quartet a plan to resolve the crisis, involving the lifting of the blockade on Gaza. " We need to discuss this as soon as possible at EU level” he added, according to Spanish news agency EFE. This plan would be accompanied, according to my information, by international (European?) control over the border points, in order to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and avoid the smuggling of arms.

A point of view shared by several countries. The Portuguese Foreign Minister thus sent a letter to Catherine Ashton on Thursday asking for an attitude "Options" but also "more consistent" of the EU on the issue. We need to get more involved in order to "become a factor of development in the peace process in the Middle East" he explains. He also specified that this point should be on the agenda of the Council of Foreign Ministers on June 14, or even during an informal meeting convened for the occasion. A position also shared by France (read: Gaza: "No longer content to take out the checkbook but to get involved).

On the side of Cathy Ashton's cabinet, it is also confirmed that the question is under debate at several levels: ministerial (by telephone contact) and technical. Several experts are currently working on the issue, both on the legal context of the blockade and boardings at sea (read: Le blockade ships supplying Gaza: legal?) as well as the possibility of reopening border points and having a European control presence.

Talking about the redeployment of the EUBAM Rafah mission (assuming that this border point remains open for some time) is still too "precocious" according to the EU. This remains " subject to the authorization of the authorities concerned (in other words Israeli and Egyptian) specifies a close friend of the High Representative. PSC ambassadors are expected to discuss the situation in Gaza and the Middle East this week, ahead of a Foreign Minister-level debate at the June 14 Council.

(update) Sunday, in Paris, receiving his British counterpart, Bernard Kouchner proposed that the EU ensure the control of the ships going to Gaza. "We can control the cargo of the boats heading for Gaza. We can do it, we want to do it, we would do it willingly," he said, also referring to the resumption of European control over the Rafah land post.

(maj2) Tuesday in Berlin, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini was more reserved, according to AFP. "Both parties must agree. International control of Rafah was stopped because Hamas no longer wanted it and the Egyptians closed the crossing. (..) We must help our Israeli friends find a system to control the security of assets, while maintaining access to assets because the people of Gaza are not guilty". And to add: "We will talk about it on Monday in Luxembourg".

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

(1) Moratinos knows the Middle East well, having been the EU's special envoy to the region from 199§ to 2003.

(photo credit: Council of the EU - Moratinos and C. Ashton with the Spanish ambassador to the EU in the center - Bastarreche Sagues, during the council of January 18, 2010)