The European Union is putting into practice a new policy on weapons of mass destruction but difficulties with the approach are still far from resolved.

Yesterday the European Commission and Syria initialled an association agreement that would give Damascus greater access to EU markets but which also includes controls on WMD.

EU governments have yet to give their approval, but the draft association agreement is one of the clearest indications to date of the EU's philosophy of "engagement" on issues such as Middle East weapons proliferation.

By contrast, the US imposed a trade embargo on Syria this year in part because of its "pursuit" of WMD programmes. Washington says Syria is an "unusual and extraordinary threat".

"We've always said that it's better to stay engaged and to use the influence that being engaged gives you," countered a Commission official.

The Commission reached a preliminary agreement with Syria last December. But the UK, the Netherlands and Germany objected, saying it departed too much from a "model clause" on WMD.

That clause, drawn up last year, obliges signatory countries to abide by "relevant" international agreements and apply export controls on all WMD-related goods. The Syria deal is its first test.

Commission officials grumble that the differences between the texts were trivial. There are also doubts about whether tortuous disputes over wording are worthwhile, since similar human rights clauses have almost never been activated.

But other diplomats allege that the Commission is too focused on reaching agreements and neglects the wider political context.

A new agreement between the Commission and Damascus was reached last month but it is unlikely to be approved by EU member states for some time, even after yesterday's initialling.

First, the 1,300-page deal needs to be codified into legal texts in the EU's official languages. Then, the EU's 25 member nations have to endorse the agreement unanimously. At present, the situation is particularly delicate, since France is spearheading a push with the US for Syria to end its 28-year occupation of Lebanon. Yesterday all 15 members of the United Nations Security Council reiterated an earlier call on Syria to withdraw its 14,000 troops.

French officials say it will be "a long process" to approve the agreement and that Syria will have to make progress on the issue of Lebanon. But they add that there is no problem with the text of the trade deal itself.

The difficulties over the Syria deal have been mirrored by a debate over similar provisions in an EU "action plan" with Israel, one of a series of high profile agreements with EU neighbours intended to share some of the benefits of the EU's single market.

Yesterday, Israeli and EU officials were negotiating over a WMD clause for the text, as well as references the EU would like to see to the "road map" for peace.

Initially, the Commission had hoped to have action plans with seven EU neighbours ready by the summer. Now, it may not have them in place by the time the current commissioners leave office this month.