Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 329: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position he has taken with regard to the upgrading of EU relations with Israel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25091/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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In June and December 2008, the General Affairs and External Relations Council decided in principle to agree to an Israeli request to further develop or 'upgrade' relations between the EU and Israel. This took place in the context where the Action Plan setting out the details of EU-Israeli cooperation, principally in practical spheres such as transport, health, etc., was coming up for renewal. It is perhaps unfortunate that the prevalence of the term 'upgrade' has suggested that what was envisaged was moving relations with Israel to a different, more privileged level than with other States. In fact the more ambitious political contacts proposed by Israel were not by and large taken up in the Council decisions in June and December, and we would envisage relations with all our Mediterranean partners, including the Palestinian Authority, being progressively deepened in this way, at speeds dictated by mutual capacity and progress already achieved.

Nonetheless, we were conscious of the possible political signal which might be sent, and the Government consistently maintained that the development of the EU-Israel relationship must take place, and be seen to do so, in the context of the achievement of our agreed goals, including overall progress in the Middle East Peace Process. At the insistence of Ireland and a number of other partners, language making this linkage was included in the Council's decision of principle.

In recent discussions, leading up to the General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting on 15 June, a broad consensus has emerged that now is not the time to be proceeding with implementing the upgrade decisions of last December and that any such decision must be linked to, and take account of, overall developments in the peace process. This message was conveyed by the Presidency on behalf of the Union to Foreign Minister Lieberman at the meeting of the EU-Israel Association Council in Luxembourg on 15 June.

The decision in principle to enhance relations stands, but the Council has decided that for the moment relations with Israel will continue to be governed by the existing Action Plan.