An exploratory mission ready to go. The watchwords of European aid
(BRUSSELS2) A European Union exploratory mission is ready to go to Libya, to Tripoli, as soon as possible, to examine possible European aid. The High Representative of the EU, Catherine Ashton, confirmed this during a press briefing held at the end of the afternoon. " We are preparing to send a mission very quickly to verify the needs. You have to be ready to answer everything”.
This mission, according to our information, could include between 4 and 8 people, representing the different components of possible European assistance (people from development and from the EEAS, from the planning of PeSDC missions, from the neighboring delegation in Tunis). She could go" as soon as possible” “Tomorrow if necessary” said a relative of Catherine Ashton. NB: Note that in Tripoli, the EU is represented by the Hungarian ambassador - the Hungarian diplomatic mission has never closed its doors, even if the working conditions were sometimes very difficult and limited to a minimum.
The key words of European aid
But this European aid will obey several key words.
1° Start from the needs of the Libyans. It is necessary " evaluate precisely with the Libyans what they want » and provide the « needs that Libyans expect ". It is important that all Libyans are masters of their destiny said Lady Ashton.
2° An action under the aegis of the UN. The European Union places its role under the aegis of the United Nations rather than certain multinational initiatives. Catherine Ashton will thus attend “ the Cairo group meeting this Friday in New York (Nb: she will leave Brussels on Thursday).
3° The coordination of the efforts of the Member States. " The key word is coordination to channel all the aid from the Member States. We are setting up a sort of clearing house to provide the Libyans with what they expect, by mobilizing the full range of our instruments”.
Rather than direct economic aid, restart assistance
On the eventual economic aid, it is not automatically necessary. It is obvious that Libya - with its potential resources - is not in the same situation as other countries. " The economic assistance provided to Libya will not be the same as that of an economy starting from scratch. (...) I do not anticipate additional economic aid. » It is more about helping the new power to restart the Libyan economy. The most urgent - explained a senior European official - will certainly be " the supply of oil and electricity because without that nothing can be done, neither care in hospitals, nor the supply of water or food ».
The unfreezing of assets in good order and through a transparent process
The thawing of Libyan assets is of course on everyone's lips. But the High Representative of the EU has put a condition: the agreement of the United Nations. She also does not hide that there is a "great challenge" to reallocate her resources " according to a process that should be open, transparent, to rebuild a state structure, pay civil servants ". Member States are ready to do so, the meeting of PSC ambassadors proved it. According to an expert on the file, who confided in B2, if the governments agree, this can happen fairly quickly, without a new meeting, if necessary by a written procedure.
