The foreign ministers of the 12 European Community member states decided Tuesday to ask the Parliament of Europe to approve three economic agreements with Israel that the Parliament refused to ratify March 9.
Diplomatic sources reported here Wednesday that the chairman of the E.C. Council of Ministers, West German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher, will ask the president of the European Parliament, Lord Plumb of Britain, that the assembly re-examine the matter and approve the protocols at an appropriate time.
The Strasbourg-based Parliament, the E.C.’s legislative body, traditionally has been strongly pro-Israel. But it expressed its disapproval of Israel’s handling of Palestinian unrest in the administered territories when it fell short of the 260 votes needed to ratify each accord.
A day later, the Parliament voted over whelmingly for a resolution condemning Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. The deputies also expressed displeasure over Israel’s reluctance to abide by an agreement allowing Palestinians in the territories to export their agricultural products directly to the Common Market.
But the E.C. foreign ministers are disturbed that purely economic agreements prevailed in a political context, the diplomatic sources said.
The accords the E.C. signed with Israel last year, after two years of negotiations, simply adapt Israel’s trade relations with the community to Spain and Portugal, which were admitted to the E.C. in 1986. They also provide financial aid for industrial projects in Israel.
According to the sources, Genscher is not expected to ask the Parliament to reverse itself before the scheduled meeting in May of the E.C.-Israel Cooperation Council. The council is the ministerial body that oversees the trade and cooperation accords between Israel and E.C. member states.
In the interim, the E.C. foreign ministers will press Israel on the issue of Palestinian exports. If that is ironed out, the main stumbling block to ratification of the accords will have been removed, diplomatic sources said.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
