SANCTIONS:EU LEADERS have agreed to increase pressure on Col Muammar Gadafy by starving Libya of its oil and gas revenue, while increasing humanitarian aid to the civilian population.
As Nato announced a 90-day campaign in the north African country, British prime minister David Cameron insisted Europe was “united” on Libya despite summit disagreements between France and Germany.
Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council, said: “We set out an appropriate course of Libya to stop Gadafy from killing his own people . . . Europeans are in the lead and have helped save thousands of lives.”
EU leaders found the humanitarian situation “worrisome”, he added, and backed “further actions against the regime to stop income flow from oil and gas sales.
“We confirmed the political objective that Gadafy must go and there must be a democratic transition led by Libyans.”
The EU agreed its first sanctions against Libya last month and has already broadened the measures several times. Despite the show of unity, however, the summit exposed a growing policy gap between Berlin and Paris.
French president Nicolas Sarkozy said the military action against Libya set a precedent in western relations with the region. However his appeal for wider military action was greeted cooly by German chancellor Angela Merkel.
“Every ruler – in particular every Arab ruler – has to understand that the reaction of the international community and Europe will always be the same,” said Mr Sarkozy, in an apparent nod to Syria. “We will always be on the side of the population that demonstrates without violence.”
The French leader said the conflict was “about Europe as a political force, with a military means serving its political ambitions and its relations with the Arab world”.
That has set alarm bells ringing in Berlin, which is still fending off criticism of France and other western neighbours for abstaining from the UN Security Council resolution on Libya.
“I see here a very dangerous discussion that will have difficult consequences for the region and the Arab world as a whole,” German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle said on national radio.
David Cameron said the 27 EU leaders agreed that “military action should continue until people are safe and secure”. They have also instructed the European Investment Bank to make €1 billion available for countries in northern Africa pursuing political reform.