The Eu Barcelona Summit

Why is the EU meeting in Barcelona?

Spain currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, and so must host two summits during its six-month tenure. The first two-day summit starts in the east coast city of Barcelona today.

What is on the agenda?

The key item is the ongoing process of economic reform in Europe ahead of the accession of new member states from the former Soviet bloc. Tony Blair has said that this summit marks the "make or break" time for economic reform in Europe.

Britain has drawn up a list of six key objectives on which it wants to make progress at the summit. These are: welfare-to-work policies for the long-term unemployed; a single market in financial services; closing the research and development gap with America; broadband internet access across the EU by 2005; deregulation; and liberalisation of the energy market.

The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, has also indicated that the EU leaders will discuss two key international events - the controversial elections in Zimbabwe and the upsurge in violence in the Middle East. Britain is expected to put pressure on its European partners to step up sanctions that the EU has imposed against President Robert Mugabe and his entourage.

Is progress on these issues likely?

With the US thought likely to follow the EU's lead on sanctions against President Mugabe, the EU may feel bold enough to impose tougher sanctions against Zimbabwe after widespread reports of political violence and electoral fraud.

However, progress on the key economic agenda may be limited. France has already voiced its objection to any changes to the energy market that would lead to higher household bills (President Chirac and Prime Minister Jospin both face presidential elections this May). Mr Straw has already sought to play down expectations of a major breakthrough on the economic front, insisting that the summit is part of an ongoing process.

Are protests likely?

As with recent meetings of cross-national bodies such as the G8 and the IMF, a multitude of malcontents will highlight their own agendas on the sidelines of the EU summit. The Spanish authorities are expecting tens of thousands of demonstrators to converge on the meeting. Trade unions are due to hold demonstrations today, and there will be a major anti-capitalist rally tomorrow. The British protest group, Globalise Resistance, is among the many groups to have mobilised its supporters.

What do the authorities make of the protesters?

Mr Straw is determined that the protesters will not be allowed to overshadow the EU leaders' discussions. "What one looks for is people having the right to demonstrate in a peaceful way and, at the same time, the democratically-elected heads of government and their ministers to be able to discuss, on behalf of the people of Europe, how we make Europe more prosperous and how in doing so we spread prosperity across the world," he said.

The Spanish police are less loquacious. They are reported to have drafted in 8,500 police, armed with tear gas and rubber bullets.

What do the authorities fear?

The spectre of Genoa hangs over the summit. The Spanish are desperate that the thousands of anarchists, environmentalists and assorted pressure groups do not stage a repeat performance of the riots at last year's G8 summit in Genoa, where one demonstrator was killed by police.

There are also concerns that Islamist militants or Basque separatists might use the demonstrations as cover to attack the heads of government. The Egyptian secret services have reportedly warned Spain of an Islamist plot to target Tony Blair during the summit.

Spanish police have twice in the past six months captured units of Eta separatists preparing to disrupt the summit with car bomb attacks.

While most anti-globalisation protesters have promised peaceful protest and to avoid the summit zone, members of Barcelona's radical anarchist groups are thought likely to mount violent attacks on police.

What has been done to quash the threat of violence?

Spanish police have clamped a ring of steel around Barcelona. F-18 fighters and warships have been called in to protect delegates. Part of the city has been closed off to all but summit delegates. Spain has also temporarily suspended its adherence to Europe's free transit Schengen agreement, and has set up border controls at its northern frontier and on air routes from other European countries to keep out anti-globalisation protesters suspected of planning violence.

Nato has dispatched an Awacs surveillance plane to patrol above the city and guard against a possible air attack. Two F-18 fighter aircraft and two smaller air force jets have been posted to intercept any unauthorised aircraft. Warships and speed boats are patrolling off the city. Extra beds have been put in Barcelona's jail and the courts have been put on alert ahead of an expected flurry of arrests.