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EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY IN 2012
http://hetq.am/eng/news/24674/european-neighbourhood-policy-in-2012.html
[24674.jpg] 11:28, March 21, 2013
The cooperation of the EU with its partner countries is stronger and
is delivering positive results, indicate the country and regional
reports on the progress of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP)
in 2012 published today. Two years after the launch of a new approach
to the ENP, achievements are encouraging in many areas of cooperation,
although 2012 has been a challenging year due to political instability
and difficult socio-economic conditions. Still, political reforms are
uneven in partner countries and progress towards deep and sustainable
democracy is not always linear.
The "ENP annual package" presented by Catherine Ashton, EU High
Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Commission
Vice-President and Štefan Fule, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and
Neighbourhood Policy, shows that many partners remain committed to
strengthening relations with the EU and that the EU has deepened its
support to those partners embarking on important reform agendas.
Indeed, despite the current economic crisis in the EU, financial
resources in the form of grants and loans allocated to the region have
increased. However, the Communication concludes that much remains to
be done to implement the EU offer. For the first time, in addition
to the recommendations, the package includes an assessment of last
year's recommendations.
Given the different pace and direction of reforms in individual partner
countries, the package concludes on the need for bigger differentiation
in the EU response to individual country needs and aspirations.
The country progress reports give a mixed picture of progress in
democratic reforms undertaken in the Southern neighbourhood.
Democratic elections were held in Egypt, Algeria and Libya. The
EU increased its assistance for holding free and fair elections in
line with international standards and deployed elections observation
missions to Algeria, Egypt and Jordan. Civil society in the South has
grown more vocal than in the past. Concerns remain about freedoms
of assembly, association and expression, including media freedom,
in many partners, notably Egypt and Algeria. Constitutional reform is
slow. The EU has set up Task forces for Tunisia, Jordan and Egypt to
improve the coordination of financial assistance provided by the EU,
EU member States and international financial institutions.
Countries in the East increasingly take different paths. Moldova,
Georgia and Armenia continued democratic reforms, and held elections
which were generally in conformity with international standards.
Ukraine's parliamentary elections presented a more mixed picture
with several shortcomings and constituted a deterioration compared to
standards previously achieved. Azerbaijan needs to make significant
further efforts to meet its commitments in the field of democracy,
including electoral processes. The elections in Belarus took place
against an overall background of repression.
Commenting on the achievements and delays in the area of democratic
reforms in partner countries, High Representative Catherine Ashton
said: "The European Union will continue to do all it can to help the
development of deep democracy in our partner countries. The European
Neighbourhood Policy has a vital role to play in supporting this
process. Delays in some partner countries are obviously a matter of
concern, but must not be used as an excuse for disengagement. For
the EU, building sustainable democracies remains a top priority."
Most partner countries are going through political transitions and
the role of a thriving civil society is more and more important to
contribute to democracy and good governance building. But reports show
that in some partner countries NGOs are still faced with interference
from authorities. The EU has continued to support organisations via
the Civil Society Facility. The European Endowment for Democracy was
set up last year to provide rapid and flexible support for those that
work for democratic changes.
EU Commissioner Štefan Fule declared: "I attach great importance
to the partnership with civil society in the ENP. The role of civil
society remains central to the democratisation processes. We have
significantly enhanced our engagement with civil society of partner
countries to maximise public support for reforms. Therefore, it is
regrettable that in some partner countries, civil society organisations
continue to face serious constraints such as obstacles to freedom of
movements, lawsuits against NGOs leaders, cumbersome administrative
procedures, acceptance of financial support subject to authorisation,
etc."
Trade relations with neighbours have continued to intensify. The
EU continued negotiations of Association Agreements with Moldova,
Armenia and Georgia that include Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade
Areas (DCFTA), and of Association Agreement with Azerbaijan. The
EU-Ukraine Association Agreement was initialled and awaits signature
after Kiev delivers on the necessary steps. In the South, the EU
started preparations for DCFTA negotiations with Morocco, Tunisia,
and Jordan.
The EU and partners continued work to improve the mobility of people.
2012 saw significant progress towards the goal of visa-free travel
within the Eastern Partnership (EaP). Moldova and Ukraine made
substantial progress in the context of the Visa Liberalisation
Action Plan (VLAP). A visa dialogue was opened with Georgia and Visa
Liberalization Action Plan delivered, while Armenia granted visa-free
entry to EU citizens as of January 2013. Following the establishment of
Mobility Partnerships with Moldova, Georgia and Armenia, negotiations
for an EU-Azerbaijan Mobility Partnership were launched. Work was
also undertaken to develop closer ties with the Southern partners
on mobility and migration. Agreement on a Mobility Partnership with
Morocco was reached and negotiations with Tunisia continue. A dialogue
was also opened with Jordan in December 2012.
As a result of a better cooperation in specific sector areas, the ENP
is more and more influencing people's life in a positive and concrete
way. Projects supported by the EU and related to transport (i.e. road
safety, public transport improvement), environment (i.e. water
management, impact assessments), education (i.e. participation of
students and researchers in European programmes allowing more than 3
250 scholarships to be provided to ENP students and academic personnel
in 2012) or energy (i.e. development of renewable energies), among
many other, are improving daily living conditions in partner countries.
Based on the core principle of "more for more" the EU continued to
provide financial support for partner countries' reform efforts by
making available additional financial resources worth EUR 1 billion
from the EU budget in the period 2011-13. Of this, EUR 670 million
is channelled through two umbrella programmes: EUR 540 million for
SPRING in the Southern Mediterranean and EUR 130 million for EaPIC
in the Eastern Neighbourhood. Both programmes focus on promoting
democratic transformation and institution-building and supporting
sustainable and inclusive growth. Funds from these programmes have
been allocated on the basis of clear evidence of implementation of
democratic reforms. The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have also extended
their lending capacities in partner countries. To leverage funding from
these and other financial institutions, the EU has increased resources
allocated to the Neighbourhood investment Facility. This is providing
greater support for large investments and private sector development.
In both the Eastern and Southern regions, the EU has continued the
steadfast implementation of the two roadmaps that were put forward
as part of the 2012 ENP packages. In the Eastern Neighbourhood, the
EU has stepped up engagement to ensure a successful outcome of the
Vilnius Summit next November. In the Southern Neighbourhood, the EU
took over the Northern co-Presidency of the Union for Mediterranean
and the adoption of a communication proposing initiatives to support
for the integration of Maghreb countries.
In supporting the reform processes in the Neighbourhood the EU
has intensified the cooperation with other stakeholders, notably
all EU institutions, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the Eastern
Partnership Civil Society Forum, the Anna Lindh Foundation or Eastern
Partnership Civil Society Forum. It has increased efforts aimed at
better coordinating with other international donors.
Syria has remained a very specific case in the Neighbourhood. The EU
suspended all bilateral cooperation with the government but remains
engaged in helping the citizens. It has taken diplomatic actions to
facilitate a peaceful solution to the conflict, supporting the UN-
League of Arab States Special Envoy, actively participating in Friends
of Syria meetings and providing aid to the refugees and neighbouring
countries affected by the crisis.
For more information:
Website of Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood
Policy, Štefan Fule
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/fule/index_en.htm
Website of High Representative and Vice President of the European
Commission, Catherine Ashton
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/ashton/index_en.htm
European Commission: European Neighbourhood Policy
http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/index_en.htm
http://www.enpi-info.eu
Memo/13/241 Algeria
Memo/13/242 Armenia
Memo/13/243 Azerbaijan
Memo/13/244 Belarus
Memo/13/245 Egypt
Memo/13/246 Georgia
Memo/13/247 Israel
Memo/13/248 Jordan
Memo/13/249 Lebanon
Memo/13/250 Libya
Memo/13/252 Moldova
Memo/13/253 Morocco
Memo/13/254 OPT
Memo/13/255 Syria
Memo/13/256 Tunisia
Memo/13/257 Ukraine
http://hetq.am/eng/news/24674/european-neighbourhood-policy-in-2012.html
[24674.jpg] 11:28, March 21, 2013
The cooperation of the EU with its partner countries is stronger and
is delivering positive results, indicate the country and regional
reports on the progress of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP)
in 2012 published today. Two years after the launch of a new approach
to the ENP, achievements are encouraging in many areas of cooperation,
although 2012 has been a challenging year due to political instability
and difficult socio-economic conditions. Still, political reforms are
uneven in partner countries and progress towards deep and sustainable
democracy is not always linear.
The "ENP annual package" presented by Catherine Ashton, EU High
Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Commission
Vice-President and Štefan Fule, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and
Neighbourhood Policy, shows that many partners remain committed to
strengthening relations with the EU and that the EU has deepened its
support to those partners embarking on important reform agendas.
Indeed, despite the current economic crisis in the EU, financial
resources in the form of grants and loans allocated to the region have
increased. However, the Communication concludes that much remains to
be done to implement the EU offer. For the first time, in addition
to the recommendations, the package includes an assessment of last
year's recommendations.
Given the different pace and direction of reforms in individual partner
countries, the package concludes on the need for bigger differentiation
in the EU response to individual country needs and aspirations.
The country progress reports give a mixed picture of progress in
democratic reforms undertaken in the Southern neighbourhood.
Democratic elections were held in Egypt, Algeria and Libya. The
EU increased its assistance for holding free and fair elections in
line with international standards and deployed elections observation
missions to Algeria, Egypt and Jordan. Civil society in the South has
grown more vocal than in the past. Concerns remain about freedoms
of assembly, association and expression, including media freedom,
in many partners, notably Egypt and Algeria. Constitutional reform is
slow. The EU has set up Task forces for Tunisia, Jordan and Egypt to
improve the coordination of financial assistance provided by the EU,
EU member States and international financial institutions.
Countries in the East increasingly take different paths. Moldova,
Georgia and Armenia continued democratic reforms, and held elections
which were generally in conformity with international standards.
Ukraine's parliamentary elections presented a more mixed picture
with several shortcomings and constituted a deterioration compared to
standards previously achieved. Azerbaijan needs to make significant
further efforts to meet its commitments in the field of democracy,
including electoral processes. The elections in Belarus took place
against an overall background of repression.
Commenting on the achievements and delays in the area of democratic
reforms in partner countries, High Representative Catherine Ashton
said: "The European Union will continue to do all it can to help the
development of deep democracy in our partner countries. The European
Neighbourhood Policy has a vital role to play in supporting this
process. Delays in some partner countries are obviously a matter of
concern, but must not be used as an excuse for disengagement. For
the EU, building sustainable democracies remains a top priority."
Most partner countries are going through political transitions and
the role of a thriving civil society is more and more important to
contribute to democracy and good governance building. But reports show
that in some partner countries NGOs are still faced with interference
from authorities. The EU has continued to support organisations via
the Civil Society Facility. The European Endowment for Democracy was
set up last year to provide rapid and flexible support for those that
work for democratic changes.
EU Commissioner Štefan Fule declared: "I attach great importance
to the partnership with civil society in the ENP. The role of civil
society remains central to the democratisation processes. We have
significantly enhanced our engagement with civil society of partner
countries to maximise public support for reforms. Therefore, it is
regrettable that in some partner countries, civil society organisations
continue to face serious constraints such as obstacles to freedom of
movements, lawsuits against NGOs leaders, cumbersome administrative
procedures, acceptance of financial support subject to authorisation,
etc."
Trade relations with neighbours have continued to intensify. The
EU continued negotiations of Association Agreements with Moldova,
Armenia and Georgia that include Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade
Areas (DCFTA), and of Association Agreement with Azerbaijan. The
EU-Ukraine Association Agreement was initialled and awaits signature
after Kiev delivers on the necessary steps. In the South, the EU
started preparations for DCFTA negotiations with Morocco, Tunisia,
and Jordan.
The EU and partners continued work to improve the mobility of people.
2012 saw significant progress towards the goal of visa-free travel
within the Eastern Partnership (EaP). Moldova and Ukraine made
substantial progress in the context of the Visa Liberalisation
Action Plan (VLAP). A visa dialogue was opened with Georgia and Visa
Liberalization Action Plan delivered, while Armenia granted visa-free
entry to EU citizens as of January 2013. Following the establishment of
Mobility Partnerships with Moldova, Georgia and Armenia, negotiations
for an EU-Azerbaijan Mobility Partnership were launched. Work was
also undertaken to develop closer ties with the Southern partners
on mobility and migration. Agreement on a Mobility Partnership with
Morocco was reached and negotiations with Tunisia continue. A dialogue
was also opened with Jordan in December 2012.
As a result of a better cooperation in specific sector areas, the ENP
is more and more influencing people's life in a positive and concrete
way. Projects supported by the EU and related to transport (i.e. road
safety, public transport improvement), environment (i.e. water
management, impact assessments), education (i.e. participation of
students and researchers in European programmes allowing more than 3
250 scholarships to be provided to ENP students and academic personnel
in 2012) or energy (i.e. development of renewable energies), among
many other, are improving daily living conditions in partner countries.
Based on the core principle of "more for more" the EU continued to
provide financial support for partner countries' reform efforts by
making available additional financial resources worth EUR 1 billion
from the EU budget in the period 2011-13. Of this, EUR 670 million
is channelled through two umbrella programmes: EUR 540 million for
SPRING in the Southern Mediterranean and EUR 130 million for EaPIC
in the Eastern Neighbourhood. Both programmes focus on promoting
democratic transformation and institution-building and supporting
sustainable and inclusive growth. Funds from these programmes have
been allocated on the basis of clear evidence of implementation of
democratic reforms. The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have also extended
their lending capacities in partner countries. To leverage funding from
these and other financial institutions, the EU has increased resources
allocated to the Neighbourhood investment Facility. This is providing
greater support for large investments and private sector development.
In both the Eastern and Southern regions, the EU has continued the
steadfast implementation of the two roadmaps that were put forward
as part of the 2012 ENP packages. In the Eastern Neighbourhood, the
EU has stepped up engagement to ensure a successful outcome of the
Vilnius Summit next November. In the Southern Neighbourhood, the EU
took over the Northern co-Presidency of the Union for Mediterranean
and the adoption of a communication proposing initiatives to support
for the integration of Maghreb countries.
In supporting the reform processes in the Neighbourhood the EU
has intensified the cooperation with other stakeholders, notably
all EU institutions, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the Eastern
Partnership Civil Society Forum, the Anna Lindh Foundation or Eastern
Partnership Civil Society Forum. It has increased efforts aimed at
better coordinating with other international donors.
Syria has remained a very specific case in the Neighbourhood. The EU
suspended all bilateral cooperation with the government but remains
engaged in helping the citizens. It has taken diplomatic actions to
facilitate a peaceful solution to the conflict, supporting the UN-
League of Arab States Special Envoy, actively participating in Friends
of Syria meetings and providing aid to the refugees and neighbouring
countries affected by the crisis.
For more information:
Website of Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood
Policy, Štefan Fule
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/fule/index_en.htm
Website of High Representative and Vice President of the European
Commission, Catherine Ashton
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/ashton/index_en.htm
European Commission: European Neighbourhood Policy
http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/index_en.htm
http://www.enpi-info.eu
Memo/13/241 Algeria
Memo/13/242 Armenia
Memo/13/243 Azerbaijan
Memo/13/244 Belarus
Memo/13/245 Egypt
Memo/13/246 Georgia
Memo/13/247 Israel
Memo/13/248 Jordan
Memo/13/249 Lebanon
Memo/13/250 Libya
Memo/13/252 Moldova
Memo/13/253 Morocco
Memo/13/254 OPT
Memo/13/255 Syria
Memo/13/256 Tunisia
Memo/13/257 Ukraine