Workshop
Details
Program:
13.00 h
Welcome by Dr. Peter R. WeilemannKonrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, European Office, Director
Introductory Statement by Ambassador Olof Ehrenkrona Ambassador and Special Adviser of the Prime Minister of Sweden for Globalisation
Comments by Jacek Emil Saryusz-Wolski MEP Member of the European Parliament, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Comments by Gunnar Wiegand Director Eastern Europe, Southern Caucasus, Central Asian Republics, GD Relex, European Commission
Discussion
14.45 hConclusions by Elmar Brok MEP Member of the European Parliament, Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
15.00 End of Workshop
Background
The Polish-Swedish proposal for an “Eastern Partnership” was launched at the 23 May 2008 and adopted by the European Council in June 2008. The proposal refers to the need to strengthen the European offer in the Eastern direction and calls for a policy which goes beyond the current ENP both by deepening the bilateral cooperation and by creating a permanent framework for multilateral co-operation.
Due to the current crises in the Southern-Caucasus the Extraordinary European Council on 1st September reaffirmed that the European Council wishes to adopt an “Eastern Partnership” in March 2009. The Commission is expected to submit proposals in December 2008.
In this context the European Office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung organized this Workshop to have a closer look on the substance of the Polish-Swedish proposal.
Workshop Summary:
All speakers agreed that the time for the Eastern Partnership initiative had come. Since the crises in Georgia it has become even more important and urgent to develop the Eastern Partnership.Ambassador Ehrenkrona, Ambassador and Special Adviser of the Prime Minister of Sweden for Globalisation, pointed out, that the Eastern Partnership should create incentives for cooperation. It is necessary to strengthen the European identity in the east. EU Engagement could contribute to stabilize the region. There is a need for a deeper and wider cooperation which shall take place both in a multinational and a bilateral dimension.
Saryusz-Wolski, Member of the European Parliament and Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, saw two main reasons to speed up the process of developing the Eastern Partnership. One is the Georgian conflict and the other is the Mediterranean Union with the southern “neighbours of Europe”, which has to be balanced by the Eastern Partnership.
As for Saryusz-Wolski it’s not whether but how to implement the Eastern Partnership. The papers published by the European Commission envisage nearly all instruments available. The problem is the implementation. He pointed out that a stable and prosperous Neighbourhood in the east is one of the fundamental interests of the EU.
The partnership shall be based on six principles and five steps. As principles he mentioned conditionality (1) and gradualism (2), which means a step-by-step approach. Differentiation between the eastern countries which implies that the partnership will be developed proportional to the merits of each country (3). The catch word “friends among themselves” stands for interregional cooperation (4). The partnership shall consist of a governmental and a non-governmental dimension (5). Last but not least appropriate financial means must be provided (6).
As concrete steps he specified that free-trade-arrangements should be adopted and diplomatic presence in the countries should be increased. Fostering security must be an important step in developing the Eastern Partnership. Involvement of the eastern countries in crisis-management and joint-training are concrete measures to strengthen security in the region. Migration policy, especially a change in visa policy has to be discussed. More people-to-people exchanges would help to spread know-how and best practice.
Gunnar Wiegand, Director Eastern Europe, Southern Caucasus, Central Asian Republics, GD Relex, European Commission, confirmed that the process of drafting the Eastern Partnership is sped up. President Barroso will give an outline on the Eastern Partnership already on the EU summit on 15 October. The Eastern Partnership will have both a bilateral and multilateral dimension. As for deepening the bilateral cooperation the relation between EU- Ukraine could be seen as model. On the multilateral level a regular political dialog on highest level between EU 27 and the five Eastern neighbours would be something “fundamentally new”. The regional cooperation should focus on energy, transport, regional integration and free trade area between the countries. The Western Balkan could serve as an example for that. A new visa policy would also be a key-element of the partnership. As the Polish and Swedish speakers emphasized the importance of visa facilitation agreements, the Commission official referred to a substantial resistance from some Member States in this regard.
Gunnar Wiegand agreed with the other speakers that the Eastern Partnership is not possible within the existing financial framework. Financial resources will be needed as well as additional staff taking in account the EC delegation in the countries.
In the following debate the importance of the Eastern Partnership to find a way to go beyond the Neighbourhood Policy was emphasized. The relevance of the principle of “conditionality” mentioned by Mr. Saryusz-Wolski was approved by other speakers, as post-soviet thinking in the countries is difficult to overcome. There’s a strong pro-Europe thinking in the populations of the countries involved. As concrete steps the focus should be on meetings in Brussels every six months which shall be continued in the capitals of the countries. The need to have a “driving engine” for the Eastern Partnership was mentioned. It was also remarked that the Eastern Partnership is automatically linked to enlargement policy and reminded that the EU isn’t capable of any enlargement for the next ten to fifteen years.
The participants agreed that there shouldn’t be a split between the South and the East. All EU Member States must be engaged in the Eastern Partnership, not only some of the neighbouring countries. In regard to the actual economic downturn it was questioned how much resources the EU will have to develop the Neighbourhood Policy. One has to bear in mind the basic needs for a stable development in the region like well functioning state administration, continuity between governance and continuity in administration as well as foreign investors in the eastern countries before one can think about enlargement.
Elmar Brok, Member of the European Parliament and Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, referred in his concluding remarks to earlier decisions taken by the European Parliament on deepening the European neighbourhood Policy. He concluded that the focus should be on good administration and the rule of law in order to develop sovereign and democratic states. Within the Eastern Partnership he intends to go as far as possible either bilateral or multinational. The step-by-step approach is the right way to go and the Eastern Partnership should be implemented as soon as possible.