EU warms to action on climate change

Iran

EU leaders warned Iran to return to the negotiating table or face sanctions over its uranium enrichment programme. Because of the country's “persistent failure to meet its international obligations” and its “apparent lack of interest in pursuing negotiations”, the summit instructed foreign ministers to “consider options” when they meet on 25 January - a reference to US plans for additional sanctions.

The European Council indicated it was ready to support action at the United Nations Security Council if Iran continued to prevaricate. However, member states are also considering, in concert with the United States, imposing tougher sanctions than those already in force even if Chinese and Russian hesitations prevent adoption of a UN Security Council resolution. The EU statement also expressed “deep concern” about the human-rights situation in Iran.

Stockholm Programme

The Council approved the Stockholm programme, the EU's five-year plan in the area of freedom, security and justice, already adopted by member states' justice ministers on 1 December and by the European Parliament in November. Spain, which takes over from Sweden in the rotating EU chair on 1 January, will prepare a timeline for legislative and non-legislative proposals through to 2014.

The programme aims to strengthen co-operation between member states in law enforcement, border management, civil protection and disaster management, as well as on criminal matters. Its ambitions include the creation, by 2012, of a common asylum system, and greater burden-sharing in combating illegal migration – of special interest to Spain, Italy, Greece and Malta, on the frontline in the fight against unwanted immigration.

Turkey

EU leaders chided Turkey for not opening its sea- and airports to traffic from the divided island of Cyprus, but stopped short of backing the call from Markos Kyprianou, the Cypriot foreign minister, for a complete freeze on accession talks. Cyprus is planning to block talks on five policy areas, or ‘chapters', in addition to nine that are already on ice.

The Council also accepted the foreign ministers' recommendation to defer until next spring a decision on opening accession talks with Macedonia. The European Commission concluded in October that Macedonia, a membership candidate since 2005, had met the preconditions for talks to begin. But Greece, which has a province of the same name, is resistant unless the country changes its name, and EU leaders nodded through foreign ministers' conclusions that the only realistic way to resolve the issue was to give the UN more time.