The EU's policy toward Syria: a costly wait and see approach

What is the EU' s leverage vis-à-vis Damascus? Do the frequent visits of European foreign ministers, the last being French Foreign minister Kouchner last week, foster dialogue and warm ties or are they merely national diplomatic exercises?

Given the lack of a coherent and comprehensive EU approach to Syria and its role in the Middle East, it would be useful to look the costs and benefits of developing a proper policy towards Damascus.

In 2004, the EU total assistance aid allocate...