BRUSSELS (EJP)--- Any decision to add Hezbollah to the European Union’s list of terror organisations must be taken unanimously by the 25 EU members states, an EU official has told EJP.

In a letter to Javier Solana, the EU’s foreign policy chief, 210 members of the US Congress, both democrats and republicans, renewed a call for the EU to list Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation.

The letter came following a recent statement by Solana in which he argued that there was no sufficient data tying Hezbollah to terrorist activities.

“We were dismayed to hear your July 19 assertion,” the letter wrote.

Several demands

Solana’s spokeswoman, Christina Gallach, told EJP that during the last years there had been several such demands. “But the unanimity of the 25 member states is needed for such a decision to be taken” she said.

“Until today there has never been unanimity among the EU and we are not able to assess the reasons why such unanimity could not be reached,” she said.

The decision would be taken within the EU Council by a group of experts in terrorism from the 25 countries which is meeting regularly to analyse the lists of terror organisations and individuals. “This group makes its deliberations in a very discrete way,” Gallach added.

Hamas is on the EU list of terror groups.

Solana has not yet responded to the congressman’s letter.

Israeli attack suspension welcomed

A spokesman for the European Commission welcomed Monday the decision by Israel to suspend its aerial attacks of southern Lebanon for 48 hours, to allow for an investigation into Sunday’s bombing that killed 54 civilians.

"This is a positive step especially for the humanitarian situation," Amadeu Altafaj, told the Commission’s daily press briefing.

He added, however, that the Commission favours "a final mediated ceasefire between the parties and a long lasting solution to the conflict."