vedeti cateva documente recente si relevante pe PEV, si moldova.

Applying the Global Approach to Migration to the Eastern and South-Eastern Regions Neighbouring the European Union

European Neighbourhood Policy: Economic Review of EU Neighbour Countries

German Presidency Report on ENP

iata si un sumar al raportului german scris de viorel ursu:

Dear all,

As expected the June European Council (27 heads of EU States) has approved the German Presidency progress report on Strengthening the European Neighborhood Policy (attached).

The document endorses the earlier European Commission’s proposals of intensifying the ENP. It recognizes the need for more attractive and palpable incentives for partners to advance on the path of reforms. The paper states that “only an open and committed EU can help in the creation of open societies in its neighbourhood that fully respect democracy, the rule of law and human rights.”

The main elements of the ENP enhanced toolbox are:

1. Improved access to EU market: adoption of bilateral deep free trade agreements (FTA) with elements of asymmetry in favour of partner countries. The Enhanced Agreement with Ukraine will serve as a model. Feasibility studies for FTAs with Armenia and Georgia (and Russia) are being conducted. Moldova will be granted Autonomous Trade Preferences instead. An intra-regional deep and comprehensive free trade among ENP countries will be encouraged.
2. Increase in funding under the new European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). Additional funds will be made available under the Governance Facility and the Neighbourhood Investment Fund.
3. Opening Community agencies and programmes to the ENP countries participation. Israel, Morocco and Ukraine will be the first countries to benefit.
4. Enhanced EU support to the civil society dimension through EU aid programmes and increased scholarships for students from ENP region in the Erasmus Mundus as of 2007-2008.

On the issue of EU membership perspective, the Council leaves the door ajar by the following statement: “The ENP remain distinct from the process of EU enlargement. Notwithstanding the relevant provisions of the EU Treaty, it does not prejudge any possible future developments of partner countries’ relationship with the EU.” (Art. 49 of the Treaty allows any European country to apply to become a member of the EU).

The European Commission is now invited to table the concrete proposals and take the measures further.

Best, viorel ursu

2809th Council meeting

General Affairs and External Relations

Luxembourg, 18 June 2007

EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY – Council conclusions

The Council held an exchange of views and adopted the following conclusions:

“The Council welcomed the significant progress that has been made in strengthening the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), a core priority within the EU’s external action, under the mandate agreed by the European Council of December 2006. It endorsed the Presidency’s Progress Report which takes stock of the substantial accomplishments to date and looks forward to the future development of the strengthened ENP.

The Council reaffirmed the crucial importance of the ENP to consolidate a ring of prosperity, stability and security based on human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the EU’s neighbourhood. Continuous efforts should be made so that all partner countries truly embrace a strengthened ENP.

The Council recalled the key principles of the ENP:

· ENP is a strategy based on partnership and joint ownership to promote modernisation and reform.

· ENP is a single, inclusive, balanced and coherent policy framework.

· Performance-driven differentiation and tailor-made assistance remain essential for EU relations with the neighbouring countries.

· ENP remains distinct from the question of EU membership and does not prejudge any possible future developments of partner countries’ relationship with the EU.

The Council welcomed the work achieved so far in deepening the ENP’s economic, financial, thematic, regional and civil society dimensions. It underlined that deeper economic integration is an essential building block of the strengthened ENP, to be achieved in particular by the progressive adoption of deep and comprehensive free trade agreements. The opening of negotiations on such agreements will be preceded by the accession of our partner countries to the WTO. It particularly welcomed the opening of negotiations on an Enhanced Agreement with Ukraine, certain aspects of which could serve as a model for other ENP partners in the future.

The Council welcomed the Commission’s ongoing work to establish a Governance Facility, with objective and transparent allocation criteria, to better encourage partners’ reforms, and took note of the ongoing work to set up a Neighbourhood Investment Fund, which should be fully compatible with FEMIP. It underlined the importance of the progress made on the opening of Community agencies and programmes to partner countries.

The Council underlined the importance of the extension of the Global Approach to Migration to the neighbouring Eastern and South-Eastern regions and considered that further initiatives could be explored to facilitate mobility for certain categories of people from ENP countries to the EU, in particular for participation in ENP-related events.

The Council equally welcomed the decision to invite Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia on a case by case basis to align with EU declarations, demarches and positions on CFSP issues. A similar possibility should be pursued for the EU’s Mediterranean partners.

The Council welcomed the adoption and the beginning of implementation of the Egypt and Lebanon ENP Action Plans, which will allow the strengthening of relations with these two countries.

The Council welcomed that work on a strengthened and coherent EU engagement towards the Black Sea area has started and recalled the Council Conclusions of 14 May 2007 on the Black Sea Synergy Initiative. In developing this initiative, the EU can build on the experience gained in the context of the Barcelona Process and consider the lessons learnt in the Northern Dimension and build upon synergies with other regional cooperation processes.

The Council underlined that the efforts to develop the strengthened ENP as a core foreign policy should continue dynamically and invited the incoming Presidencies and the Commission to take forward this work in the relevant bodies.”