Minister,
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a
pleasure to be here with you today to exchange views on the priorities and
future directions of the European Neighbourhood Policy. I would like to start
by making three remarks about the overall policy framework:
·
Second, the ENP is a prime
example of the European Union's comprehensive approach to foreign policy -
using all instruments in a coherent way under the umbrella of the ENP – from
Common Foreign and Security Policy, to political cooperation, trade policy, and
also sector policies such as transport and energy.
·
Third, ENP support for reform
is based on the differentiation of the "more for more" principles; we
tailor our response to each partner's needs and ambition and we offer a
stronger relationship with the European Union for those partners that make more
progress towards reform.
Let me
underline that the European Union can only offer incentives to partners for
positive change. These incentives come not only in the form of funding, but
also in the form of closer political association, sector cooperation, mobility
of people and economic integration with the European Union.
However, the
European Union cannot impose reforms on partners. It can only support them. The
European Union alone cannot shape events in our neighbourhood. There are many
other factors at play. Ultimately, it is our partners themselves who have to
make their own choices and exercise their own political will.
Overall, I am
confident that our policy framework, as reviewed in 2011, remains sound and
appropriate. I am also pleased that funding for the ENP was confirmed at the
current levels for the next European Union Multiannual Financial Framework,
despite the overall decrease of the European Union budget. This is also an
important sign for our partners. It shows that we are serious about this
policy, and committed to it in the long-run. The reforms we require take time.
Negotiations
for the 2014-2020 European Neighbourhood Instrument regulation are nearing
conclusion, and here I want to underline the
importance of ensuring sufficient
flexibility in the implementation of our financial instrument in the future so
that we can react to unpredictable developments in the region. It is also
important that both the European Parliament and the Member States finalise
negotiations swiftly so that there is no interruption in our financial
assistance to partners in 2014.
Let me turn
now to the two regional dimensions of the ENP, the East and the South.
The main
landmark event in the Eastern neighbourhood this year will be the Eastern
Partnership Summit in Vilnius in November. The Summit should highlight the
achievements of Eastern Partnership over the last four years and determine the
next steps for the period until the Summit in 2015. On that point I would like
to thank Poland for its constant support for the implementation of the goals of
the Eastern Partnership.
With the Vilnius
Summit approaching, we are doing our utmost to ensure that the best set of
deliverables is on the table. We have substantively completed negotiations on
Association Agreements, including Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas, with
Moldova and Georgia and have only small outstanding issues to finalise in the
DCFTA negotiations with Armenia. This should provide the basis for initialling
agreements at Vilnius. We are engaging regularly and intensely with Ukraine to
ensure that there is a clear understanding of issues requiring further progress
for signing of an Association Agreement at Vilnius. We continue negotiating an
AA (without a DCFTA) with Azerbaijan.
We will also
acknowledge the progress in mobility of people and in transport cooperation.
However, Vilnius should not only highlight achievements. It should also set out
an ambitious agenda for the next two years. Particular areas where we will
increase our focus in moving the partnership beyond Vilnius include our
stronger engagement with broader civil society, especially with young people
and the business community. We will also further develop the process of
informal Eastern Partnership dialogues, starting with the next meeting in
Yerevan in September where the focus will be on education.
With the Association
Agreement/DCFTA negotiations completed and provisional application ahead, the
time will be right to raise awareness of the opportunities it will open up. The
focus should already be on the preparation of a good list of business projects
to be developed together with International Financial Institutions and other
stakeholders, especially the European Investment Bank. That will firmly anchor
the European Union related agenda as a prime catalyst for reforms.
Once the
agreements are signed, the hard work of approximating with the European Union acquis
will begin, and our key task for the next years will be to give tangible
support to our partners going through this process by:
·
sharing know-how;
·
providing financial assistance;
and
·
ensuring that our aid
contributes to long-term positive change.
We also
promote the inclusiveness of this process and prompt broad public support.
Of course a
number of significant challenges remain including:
·
unsolved regional
conflicts; and
·
the project of Customs Union
and Eurasian Union with Russia which is growing in importance.
It is crucial
to define a vision for the coexistence and mutual enrichment of the regional
projects so as not to end up with two different sets of rules in the European
Union economic space and in the Customs Union. I have raised this issue with
Russia and a discussion has started on making the regulatory framework for the
Customs Union as compatible as possible with the European Union rules.
The most
difficult issues to tackle are unsolved regional conflicts and serious human
rights concerns in a number of countries, in particular in Belarus.
Here let me
recall the values of the European Union - namely liberty, democracy, respect
for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law. They are at the
core of the Eastern Partnership. These are the shared values that we will
always defend.
Turning to
our Southern neighbourhood, momentous changes have been taking place since the
2011 "Arab spring". The region has been very much in the news and on
our minds. How has the European Union been responding to the challenges there?
As Commission
President Barroso and High Representative Ashton have pointed out in a letter
to European Union Foreign Ministers last month, the European Union has been
fully engaged in the transformation process in the region. It has mobilised
significant additional resources, offered increased trade and market
opportunities and stepped up its engagement with civil society – including
through a new ENP Civil Society Facility and a new European Endowment for
Democracy. These instruments will be of great benefit in both the Eastern and
Southern neighbourhoods. I would like to thank Poland for the leading role it
has played in their creation.
The impact
and success of our policy largely depends on a common approach by the European
Union and by all Member States. However it cannot work without the commitment
of partners to reform. Democratic transition is a long and complex
process. In some countries, internal
political polarisation and deterioration of the economic situation risk
weakening social cohesion and hampering progress.
In Egypt, the
situation is a matter of great concern. It is of utmost importance that Egypt
returns to the democratic process, including the holding of free and fair
presidential and parliamentary elections and the approval of a constitution to
be drafted in a fully inclusive and democratic manner. All political detainees
must be released and the main political forces must be associated in a national
reconciliation effort.
In Syria, the
conflict continues unabated. One month ago, the Commission and the High
Representative adopted a Joint Communication with a comprehensive strategy
that:
·
supports a political process
that brings a sustainable solution to the crisis;
·
prevents regional
destabilisation from the spill-over of the conflict in neighbouring countries;
·
addresses the dramatic
humanitarian situation and assists affected populations; and
·
mobilises additional financial
resources from the European Union for an amount of 400 million euro in 2013,
bringing the total financial effort of the EU to 1.25 billion euro this year.
It is crucial
now that these words are translated into actions to help the Syrian people.
In most other
Southern partners, reforms are advancing slowly. However, in Morocco, we have
launched DCFTA negotiations and also signed a mobility partnership. There are
good prospects that we will start the same process with Tunisia. Tunisia offers good prospects of a successful
democratic transition and the EU must remain engaged to support this country.
At the
regional level, the Arab-Israeli conflict remains unsolved and also prevents
full regional cooperation in the South Mediterranean. We hope that following
last Friday's announcement of a return to direct peace talks, we may finally
see progress in negotiations between Israel and Palestine.
While no
Union for the Mediterranean Summits or Foreign Minister meetings could be held
since the 2008/2009 Gaza crisis, we now have four sectorial Ministerial
meetings to be held until the end of the year, including on women's role,
energy, trade and environment. We are also determined to support closer
cooperation and dialogue between the European Union and the Maghreb countries.
I would like
to conclude by outlining the priorities and the challenges for the future:
In the South,
the priority is a successful transition of our partners to sustainable
democracy. This will require time, and the European Union must display both
unrelenting support and "strategic patience".
In the East,
the priority is a successful Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius, which would
mark a milestone and a "point of no return" in anchoring our Eastern
European partners to the European Union. I hope this will also include an
Association Agreement with Ukraine, if Ukraine complies with the benchmarks set
by the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council.
On a more
general level, the application of the "comprehensive approach" -
using all instruments and policies at our disposal in the post Lisbon context,
in a coherent way under the umbrella of the ENP - remains a challenge. If the
European Union and its Member States consistently use all the tools they have
at their disposal – diplomatic, trade, development assistance, and also
security tools– then the European Union can be an even more effective actor in
our neighbourhood and can have a greater impact addressing the unsolved
conflicts.
We cannot
ignore what is happening in our closest neighbourhood. Nor can we ignore that
the people there look at Europe as a source of inspiration for reforms. That is
why it is so important for us to maintain our engagement in the Neighbourhood,
focus on implementation and make sure that our offer meets their needs. They
deserve no less.
Thank you for
your attention. I look forward to our discussionSource:
Reference : SPEECH/13/661 Event Date : 25/07/2013
| Keywords | POL, ENLNEIG, FULE, COMDOC, HREXTRELS |
| Institution | EC |
| Publication date | 25/07/2013 14:10 |
| Last modification date | 25/07/2013 16:17 |
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