BRUSSELS: Security experts from the European Union's 15 member-states meet in Brussels today to consider how to sanction charities and individuals linked to Hamas.
The move comes after EU foreign ministers agreed during a weekend meeting at the Italian resort of Riva del Garda to designate the political wing of Hamas a terrorist organisation.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, said the move was a response to the ending of Hamas's ceasefire with Israel, but suggested that the ban could be lifted in the event of a restoration of the ceasefire.
"In the circumstances of the ending of the ceasefire, I believe there should be a signal sent by the European Union as to why that's not acceptable.
"But also maintaining a political perspective that, if people revert to the ceasefire position, clearly we want to encourage political leaderships of all groups to be part of the solution to this problem," he said.
Sources close to the talks said that Saturday's discussion of the Middle East was overshadowed by the news of Mr Abu Mazen's resignation as Palestinian prime minister.
Although the decision to blacklist Hamas had been agreed in principle, the ministers considered that the move should happen in the context of an appeal to both sides in the conflict to take action to restart the peace process.
Mr Cowen said that, while it was imperative that terrorist attacks on Israeli citizens end, Israel's policy of targeted assassinations was also making progress towards peace impossible.
"Since the end of the ceasefire there has been daily a targeted assassination of Hamas personnel, some of whom would be regarded on the more moderate side.
"This is no way in which we can try to revive a real perspective for peace in the Middle East. It's not a question of blacklist Hamas and we have the peace process up and running. We have to take cognisance of recent events," he said.
Mr Cowen said the Palestinian Authority should change its basic law, which demands that some police and security functions should remain under the authority of the President, Mr Yasser Arafat.
"We do want to find a pragmatic outcome here. Reforms took place in the Palestinian Authority where Abu Mazen was appointed prime minister and was given the public support of Yasser Arafat.
"He has indicated the need to bring security under his authority, his government, and I think cognisance should be taken of that.
"The Palestinians need to resolve this dichotomy. The whole idea here is to give operational authority to Abu Mazen with the support of Yasser Arafat and all factions within the Palestinian political family. If we fail to do that, we have disarray, and that is not in the Palestinian people's interests," he said.
The security experts are expected to agree today to freeze the assets of six individuals linked to Hamas who have already been blacklisted by the US authorities. They are also expected to examine links between four charities based in Europe and the Palestinian organisation.
The President of the European Parliament, Mr Pat Cox, welcomed the foreign ministers' decision, which he said would breathe life into the road map for peace in the Middle East.