The EU has appealed to Macedonia not to declare a state of war with ethnic Albanian rebels and to exercise restraint in response to rebel attacks. EU foreign ministers meeting in the Swedish town of Nykoping condemned the rebels and held out the prospect of future EU membership to Macedonia and other states in the western Balkans.
But Sweden's Ms Anna Lindh, who chaired the meeting, warned that the Macedonian government's response to the rebel attacks must be proportionate. "We strongly condemn the terrorist attacks. The purpose of these attacks is to provoke the government into a full-scale war. We therefore urge the government to exercise maximum restraint and to do everything to avoid civilian casualties."
The EU's foreign policy chief, Mr Javier Solana, flew to the Macedonian capital of Skopje last night for talks with the government. The EU External Affairs Commissioner, Mr Chris Patten, NATO's Secretary General, Lord Robertson, and Ms Lindh begin a tour of the region today.
The weekend meeting of EU foreign ministers was an "informal" event at which no decisions were taken but strategic issues of foreign policy were discussed. In a letter to the ministers, Mr Patten called for a more focused EU approach to human rights.
The Commission will publish a Communication on Human Rights and Democratisation tomorrow that will urge the EU to use the agreements it has with many countries throughout the world more effectively to improve human rights.
The EU has included a human rights clause in all agreements signed with third countries since 1992 but sanctions have been imposed in only seven cases. Mr Patten cited Russia and Israel as examples of states whose human rights record has been criticised by the European Parliament and by NGOs, but where the EU has taken no action.
"If these clauses are to be credible, we should make use of them consistent, in a framework based on established international standards such as UN human rights instruments and recommendations. We should monitor progress and measure deterioration, rewarding the former and - in extremis - sanctioning the latter," he said.
The foreign ministers agreed that their approach to human rights should be more coherent but there was reluctance on the part of some member-states to develop a new, common policy on the issue.
In his letter Mr Patten said the EU should consider renegotiating agreements signed before 1992 to include a human rights clause and to invoke suspension clauses in circumstances not directly related to undemocratic changes of government.
"These are difficult questions. Some would maintain that they represent a clash between hardnosed Realpolitik and unrealistic principle. I do not buy that. Democratic societies which respect human rights are also the EU's best trading partners and the least likely to sink into expensive conflict. The moral case for action is unquestionable. But it is also in our interests."