EU calls special summit on Libyan and North African chaos

The meeting will deal with the humanitarian and political response to the situation in North Africa, particularly in Libya, where an uprising against Muammar Gaddafi is closing in on the capital Tripoli.

"I will make proposals to the European Council on the strategic lines of the EU's reaction to developments in Libya and in our southern neighbourhood," Van Rompuy said.

French president Nicolas Sarkozy said on 27 February that Paris is calling for an EU summit meeting to discuss the consequences of events in Libya. The next day, the bloc adopted sanctions against Muammar Gaddafi and his supporters and UK Prime Minister David Cameron joined Sarkozy in calling for a special EU summit.

The leaders of the 17 eurozone countries were already due to meet on 11 March in Brussels to discuss competitiveness targets. The meeting is expected to take place on the sidelines of the Libya summit.

In the meantime, the UN has called for a mass humanitarian evacuation of people fleeing Libya for Tunisia, saying the border situation is at "crisis point". Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said thousands of lives were at stake.

Some 75,000 people have fled to Tunisia since unrest began and 40,000 more are waiting to cross, the UN says.

The enforcement of a no-fly zone also has not been ruled out so far despite how this would require bombing runs over Libya’s air and air defense assets before such a zone can be ensured.