EU ministers underlined their commitment to the Iran nuclear deal and increased pressure on the Assad regime in Syria on Monday, as Europe braced itself for a possible shift in US foreign policy in the wake of the presidential election.
Donald Trump's surprise victory overshadowed two days of scheduled meetings in Brussels, as the EU tried to maintain a united front on an array of foreign policy issues, from Iran to Turkey and Ukraine.
An informal dinner convened to discuss the fallout from the presidential result on Sunday evening resulted in controversy after Britain, France and Hungary declined to send ministerial representatives to the meeting.
Among the key decisions reached by ministers on Monday was an expansion of sanctions against the Syrian regime, with the EU adding 17 government ministers and the central bank governor to the list, bringing the total number of Syrian individuals subject to EU sanctions to 234. This is in addition to the 69 Syrian companies and other entities that are subject to travel bans and asset freezes in the EU.
Iran deal
On Iran, foreign ministers also reiterated their “resolute commitment” to last year’s historic nuclear deal, which ended years of diplomatic and economic standoff between Tehran and the West. Mr Trump threatened to unpick the deal during his presidential campaign, describing it as the “worst deal ever negotiated”. Many EU exporters see Iran as an untapped market, and EU ministers pledged to engage further with the private sector in the country.
Greater European defence integration was also on Monday's agenda, though EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini denied that the notion of an EU army was on the table. "It is not about a EU army. It is about a European Union security and defence that becomes more credible and more effective than it is today," she said, adding that the European Union was failing to utilise its existing potential in terms of defence capabilities.
Britain's decision to leave the European Union, coupled with concerns that the incoming regime in Washington may be less keen to support European defence through Nato, has galvanised support in some member states for a strengthening of the EU's military capacity.
European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker outlined his support for an EU army in a speech in Berlin last week, while France and Germany have been leading calls for a strengthening of the EU's defence and security capabilities, particularly in light of Brexit. London has long opposed the prospect of Brussels gaining greater control over security and defence matters, which it sees as the preserve of Nato.
EU-Nato co-operation
Ministers also discussed greater EU-Nato co-operation following a joint declaration between the two blocs in July.
Speaking in Brussels, Minister of State for European Affairs Dara Murphy said Ireland was very happy with the text agreed by ministers, which posed no threat to Ireland's national policy of neutrality.
“We are content that the specific case of Ireland, and the other EU member states that are not members of Nato, were taken into account,” he said, following the meeting.
The final communiqué issued by ministers refers to greater co-operation between the EU and Nato, while respecting the “decision-making autonomy of both organisations” and “without prejudice to the specific character of the security and defence policy of all EU member states”.
Both Mr Murphy and Minister for Defence Paul Kehoe intervened during the meeting to set out Ireland's position.
Speaking in Brussels, British foreign secretary Boris Johnson said that while he supported greater spending by EU governments on defence, any new EU structures should be complementary to Nato. "You shouldn't undermine the fundamental security architecture that's looked after us for the last 70 years," he said.
