The European Neighbourhood Policy

1. The European Neighbourhood Policy OECD/BSEC Regional Forum on Private Sector Development in the Black Sea Region, Thessaloniki 24-25 February 2005 Andreas Herdina European Commission

2. Enlargement is changing the European political geography • EU’s 5th Enlargement (2004 / 2007) - EU-25 (EU-27) • 450 Mio citizens – (new borders) • New opportunities – new challenges • The enlarged EU needs to intensify relations with its neighbours East & South

3. The map of Europe- a set of policies - • EFTA / EEA • Candidate Countries • Western Balkans • Neighbours

4. What is the ENP? • A specific policy for the neighbours of the enlarged EU, defined by proximity • … but not countries with an accession perspective (Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Croatia… ) • Draft Constitutional Treaty (Part I, Title VIII – “The Union and its neighbours”)

5. ENP partners • Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus • Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan • Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestinian Authority, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco • Strategic partnership with the Russian Federation

6. The EU and its partners

7. Russian Federation • Strategic partnership – 4 common spaces • economic (inc. environment and energy) - promote integration via market opening, regulatory convergence, trade facilitation, infrastructure • freedom, security and justice – JHA, human rights and fundamental freedoms • external security - partnership on security issues and crisis management • research and education (inc. cultural) - capitalise on strong intellectual and cultural heritage • Work on common spaces draws on elements of ENP that are of common interest to the EU and Russia

8. Designing the ENP

9. Content of the policy • A joint agenda to manage our common space (EU – neighbourhood) • Promote good governance and reform • Progressive economic integration; deepening political co-operation • Based on specific values and common interests • Assistance re-oriented to support reforms

10. Common values & interests • Democracy, human rights, rule of law; market economy; sustainable development • Stability, security, prosperity; joint response to common challenges (border management, prosperity gaps, crime, environment, health, terrorism, etc.)

11. Principles • ENP is not about enlargement - a distinct policy • ENP opens doors and aims to avoid new dividing lines • Differentiation • Partnership & joint ownership (result of consultations)

12. Building on current framework • ENP builds on legal and institutional accords (Association Agreements, Partnership and Co-operation Agreements, Barcelona Process, etc.) • Established instruments (Association and Co-operation Councils, Committees, sub-Committees) provide mechanisms for promoting and monitoring implementation of Action Plans

13. Method • Invigorate existing relations • Selectively use experience from the enlargement process • Gradual approximation with the acquis

14. Added value • Focused policy approach, bringing all thematic policies into bilateral relations, making “neighbourhood” a special category (focus) in external relations • Intensify relations and deeper cooperation • Encourage reforms, (economic, political, institutional) • Increase financial and technical assistance

15. Action plans • Key operational instruments • Country-specific, political documents • Jointly defining agenda on political and economic reforms • Short & medium term priorities • Guidance for assistance programming

16. Action plans – Main areas • Political Dialogue and reform • Economic and social cooperation and development • Trade related issues, market and regulatory reform • Co-operation in Justice and Home Affairs • Transport, energy, information society, environment, research and development • People-to-people contacts, civil society, education, public health

17. Financial support Current: • 2000-2006: MEDA €5,3bn, TACIS €3,1bn • 2004-2006: Neighbourhood Programmes (cross border) • EIB lending (€2bn Med, €500mio Eastern Europe) Future: • 2007-2013:  European Neighbourhood & Partnership Instrument (ENPI) - policy-driven instrument covering (all) assistance to partners with simplified approach for cross-border co-operation, €13,9bn • Technical assistance for institutional capacity building

18. Conclusions • ENP is an ambitious offer for a new political framework for EU relations with neighbouring states • ENP is of mutual, long-term interest • ENP is an EU priority, also in the next Financial Perspective 2007-2013 • EU offers considerable financial and technical assistance • How far can we go? – A matter of political will!

19. Questions – an impulse for discussion: • Is the ENP an attractive means to encourage and sustain reform? • ENP – a "Community approach" to external relations (the institutional angle)? • Ukraine: The ENP as a policy distinct from EU enlargement – an alternative or a postponed accession perspective? • Questions on the "borders of Europe"? Countries of which we know little? • One common EU neighbourhood (Eastern Europe, Southern Caucasus, Southern Mediterranean) – European v. national neighbourhood? Eastern dimension? Black Sea? • ENP and the Barcelona Process: bilateral v. multilateral, bilateral < or > multilateral, mutually reinforcing?

20. ENP – More information Dedicated web site on Europe server under “Commission – Europe in the World”: http://europa.eu.int/comm/world/enp/index_en.htm