The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted the own-initiative report by Pier Antonio PANZERI (S&D, IT) on a European Parliament recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on Libya.
The situation in Libya is highly fragile and the country is facing a number of complex, interrelated challenges regarding political stability, economic development, and security which is also affecting the surrounding region and the EU.
EU action is showing results on the migration front, given that the figures fell by one third at the end of 2017 compared to 2016 and for the early months of 2018 the figures are 50 % down on those for the same period last year.
Members recommended, inter alia, the following to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy:
- to intensify their diplomatic efforts to support the UN plan and help consolidate a Libyan Government in its efforts to create political consent, guarantee security and extend its authority to the whole territory of Libya, beyond the narrow territorial control of the internationally recognised Government of National Accord;
- to support Libyan efforts to work on a new constitutional order which should include a formula for the just distribution of oil wealth, as well as a clear division of tasks and obligations for the historic regions on the one side and any national government on the other;
- to further prioritise work within the EU institutions on how better to address all aspects of the Libyan crisis, and which instruments and sectors to engage, including by devoting greater attention to local dynamics;
- to continue to emphasise that there can be no military solution to the Libyan crisis;
- to support UN efforts aimed at holding elections in Libya by the end of 2018, particularly efforts to register voters as currently only around 50 % of eligible voters have been registered;
- to put pressure on those obstructing the political peace talks and to effectively enforce the UN arms embargo on Libya;
- to consider introducing new sanctions on those supporting illegal oil deals;
- to promote and facilitate Libyan cooperation with its Sahel neighbours;
- to address the issue of irregular migration through and from Libya, bearing in mind the need for long-term, effective and viable solutions that should address the root causes of migration in Africa in the countries of origin and transit;
- to develop a comprehensive policy towards Libya which takes into account the regional and pan-African perspective covering broader development, security and migration policies, countering terrorism and the fight against slavery and exploitation and ensure that this policy is backed by adequate and sufficient funding for its implementation, including the next Multiannual Financial Framework, in order to yield concrete results;
- to continue and intensify where possible the cooperation between NATO’s Operation Sea Guardian and the EUNAVFOR MED operation Sophia;
- to reaffirm its full support for the International Criminal Court’s mandate on ongoing human rights violations in Libya and call on the EU and Member States to support international mechanisms in providing the national justice system with all necessary means to start investigating previous and ongoing grave violations;
- to continue the embargo on the export of arms to Libya, thus stopping these falling into the hands of extremists and armed groups, a factor which further feeds into the insecurity and instability of Libya as a whole.