EU leader: Europe not ready yet to blacklist Hezbollah

The president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, has said that the EU would consider adding Hezbollah to its list of terrorist organizations but added that it did yet possess sufficient evidence of the Shiite militia's activities in Europe to take such a decision now. Last month, Bulgaria - one of 27 member states - implicated Hezbollah in a bombing in the Black Sea resort of Burgas last year that killed five Israelis, putting pressure on the EU to take action against Hezbollah.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Israeli President Shimon Peres in Brussels, Barroso said Bulgaria was still finalizing its investigation into the attack and had asked the Lebanese government for help."The judicial process will show whether we should take political decisions. We cannot decide this in advance," Barroso said, according to 'Reuters' news agency. "Once the perpetrators are known, their inclusion in the list ... may be considered," he added.

Many European governments are cautious, arguing that imposing sanctions on Hezbollah could destabilize the government in Beirut and contribute to tensions in the Middle East. Hezbollah is a dominant force in Lebanese politics, with Prime Minister Najib Mikati relying on the group for support. Peres warned that if the EU delayed in imposing sanctions on Hezbollah, it would only empower the group, whose military wing is involved in the conflict in Syria, where it is supporting the forces of President Bashar al-Assad. "I hope that Hezbollah will be called to order," Peres said. "If you don't take measures against Hezbollah, they may think they are permitted to do so."

A European diplomat close to the issue said on Wednesday one EU member state was expected to file an official request to blacklist Hezbollah's military wing in the next month. "A request should be made within a month and be considered in two to three months," the diplomat told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It has become an overwhelming case."

In Europe, only the Netherlands has listed Hezbollah as a terrorist group, while Britain blacklists the group's military wing. A Dutch diplomat said the Netherlands had no intention of filing a formal request to list Hezbollah's armed wing. "The Netherlands has pleaded since 2004 to include Hezbollah on the EU list of terrorist organizations and has consistently expressed that view to its EU partners. The Netherlands will continue its efforts to list (all) of Hezbollah," he said.

France and Germany have opposed similar moves, but diplomats say sufficient evidence from Bulgaria linking Hezbollah to the Burgas bombing could change that. If the EU decides to add the militant movement, established nearly 30 years ago to confront Israel's occupation of south Lebanon, European governments and companies would have to cease any financial dealings with it.

Barroso pledges support for peace process

On the Middle East peace process, Barroso said to Peres: "Let me tell you that you can count on the European Union as your committed partner for these very important goals." He called for the resumption of negotiations, affirming that the EU remained firmly attached to a two-state-solution. “Israel should be fully recognized by its regional partners and should live in security within its borders. At the same time, the Palestinian aspiration to have its own state must be fulfilled," Barroso told the Israeli president.

During their talks, the two leaders also addressed cooperation between the EU and Israel in the field of research and innovation. “We highly appreciate the strong personal support of President Peres for this partnership and we welcome Israel’s request for association to the next program Horizon 2020. We will cooperate to address all issues related to the scope of such association that we believe is mutually beneficial,” said Barroso.