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COMMISSIONER TAKES STOCK OF EASTERN PARTNERSHIP AND LOOKS AHEAD
ENPI Info Centre
Nov 7 2012
The EU should be as ambitious as possible with those who spearhead on
reforms and have clear European aspirations, Enlargement and European
Neighbourhood Commissioner Å tefan Fule has said in remarks at a
meeting of the informal Information and Coordination Group of the
Eastern Partnership (EaP) in Brussels.
The Commissioner said much had been achieved since the launch of
the EaP in terms of political association and economic integration,
mobility and sectoral cooperation. Highlights include negotiations
on the Association Agreement, including Deep and Comprehensive Free
Trade Area (DCFTA - finalized with Ukraine, good progress made with
Moldova, Georgia and Armenia); talks on the Association Agreement with
Azerbaijan, talks on Visa Readmission and Facilitation Agreement with
Armenia and Azerbaijan, with a similar offer extended to Belarus;
the launch of Comprehensive Institution Building Programmes worth
â~B¬173 million altogether, etc.
As regards the multilateral track, the Commissioner said, the EaP
provides a forum to exchange good practices on approximation to
EU standards and a platform to reach out to national parliaments,
regional and local authorities and civil society. "The Euronest,
the Conference of Regional and Local Authorities of the EaPand the
Civil Society Forum provide us with different channels to foster
democratic values and to advocate reforms in partner countries,"
said Å tefan Fule.
To deepen mutual understanding and political dialogue on international
policy developments, a new format of consultations with partners has
been launched, namely informal EaP dialogues.
Preparations for the next programming period (2014-2020) are underway,
the Commissioner said, adding: "To achieve ambitious goals, we need
equally ambitious budget."
The EaP Roadmap for 2012-13 includes progress in negotiations on
Association Agreements with five partners, including DCFTAs where
appropriate; headway on mobility through visa facilitation and
liberalisation with a visa free regime as a final goal; further
development of the EaP multilateral track.
"It is equally crucial that the EU supports the sustainable reform
process in partner countries, including through financial assistance,"
the Commissioner said, by providing "more support for those who reform
more." He cited the new EaP Integration and Cooperation programme
worth â~B¬130 million "for those EaP countries which are spearheading
reforms," with allocations already announced for Armenia, Georgia
and Moldova.
An additional boost to support non-state actors across European
neighbourhood will be ensured through the recently established European
Endowment for Democracy, said Fule.
The Commissioner outlined major developments ahead of the EaP Vilnius
Summit, including theENP progress reports assessing the implementation
of reforms in partner countries, due to be released in March 2013,
as well as the annualEaP Ministerial in the summer 2013 to discuss
the preparation to the Summit with Member States and partners together.
(EU Neighbourhood Info Centre)
Read more at
http://enpi-info.eu/maineast.php?id=30886&id_type=1&lang_id=450
ENPI Info Centre
Nov 7 2012
The EU should be as ambitious as possible with those who spearhead on
reforms and have clear European aspirations, Enlargement and European
Neighbourhood Commissioner Å tefan Fule has said in remarks at a
meeting of the informal Information and Coordination Group of the
Eastern Partnership (EaP) in Brussels.
The Commissioner said much had been achieved since the launch of
the EaP in terms of political association and economic integration,
mobility and sectoral cooperation. Highlights include negotiations
on the Association Agreement, including Deep and Comprehensive Free
Trade Area (DCFTA - finalized with Ukraine, good progress made with
Moldova, Georgia and Armenia); talks on the Association Agreement with
Azerbaijan, talks on Visa Readmission and Facilitation Agreement with
Armenia and Azerbaijan, with a similar offer extended to Belarus;
the launch of Comprehensive Institution Building Programmes worth
â~B¬173 million altogether, etc.
As regards the multilateral track, the Commissioner said, the EaP
provides a forum to exchange good practices on approximation to
EU standards and a platform to reach out to national parliaments,
regional and local authorities and civil society. "The Euronest,
the Conference of Regional and Local Authorities of the EaPand the
Civil Society Forum provide us with different channels to foster
democratic values and to advocate reforms in partner countries,"
said Å tefan Fule.
To deepen mutual understanding and political dialogue on international
policy developments, a new format of consultations with partners has
been launched, namely informal EaP dialogues.
Preparations for the next programming period (2014-2020) are underway,
the Commissioner said, adding: "To achieve ambitious goals, we need
equally ambitious budget."
The EaP Roadmap for 2012-13 includes progress in negotiations on
Association Agreements with five partners, including DCFTAs where
appropriate; headway on mobility through visa facilitation and
liberalisation with a visa free regime as a final goal; further
development of the EaP multilateral track.
"It is equally crucial that the EU supports the sustainable reform
process in partner countries, including through financial assistance,"
the Commissioner said, by providing "more support for those who reform
more." He cited the new EaP Integration and Cooperation programme
worth â~B¬130 million "for those EaP countries which are spearheading
reforms," with allocations already announced for Armenia, Georgia
and Moldova.
An additional boost to support non-state actors across European
neighbourhood will be ensured through the recently established European
Endowment for Democracy, said Fule.
The Commissioner outlined major developments ahead of the EaP Vilnius
Summit, including theENP progress reports assessing the implementation
of reforms in partner countries, due to be released in March 2013,
as well as the annualEaP Ministerial in the summer 2013 to discuss
the preparation to the Summit with Member States and partners together.
(EU Neighbourhood Info Centre)
Read more at
http://enpi-info.eu/maineast.php?id=30886&id_type=1&lang_id=450