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Review of the European Neighbourhood Policy: new approaches
Periodic reviews of European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) were
proposed by European Commission President Jean-Claude
Juncker in 2014 and were subject to a wide public consultation prior to
its publication in November 2015. The Joint report adopted in May 2017 is the
first neighbourhood-wide report that is published by the EU as a standalone
document, without a set of individual country reports. The aim of this new
report style is to provide a broad overview on developments and trends in the
neighbourhood. Country-specific reports are now adopted and published
separately: they are timed to provide the basis for political exchanges in the
run-up to meetings of the Association Council or similar high-level events held
with respective partners.
The revised European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP)
reinvigorated the relations between the European Union and its neighbours to
the East and South, with a greater focus on stabilisation, resilience and
security. Present neighbourhood-wide Joint Report on the implementation of the
European Neighbourhood Policy demonstrates that the new policy approach ensures
stronger joint ownership and more flexibility by recognising different
aspirations and diversity of each partner. The report is a follow-up to the
European Neighbourhood review which was adopted in November 2015.
Commissioners’ opinion
Commenting on the
report’s publication, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and
Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini underlined
that the EU had been investing a lot in economic development, resilience,
security, democracy and the rule of law in the EU’s Eastern and Southern neighbours.
She said that just
after a year and a half after the review of the ENP, the Commission managed to
build - in cooperation and full partnership - a tailor made approach with each
and every country, to ensure that ENP addresses the real citizens’ needs and
interests.
Another EU
Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn added
that the Commission consulted
widely before updating the ENP; and the present report shows how the Commission
is really putting into action the results of that consultation. Main spheres of
“updating” went through stronger focus on mutual interests, greater
differentiation to reflect the diversity of European partners, a greater sense
of shared ownership of the policy and more flexibility in how it is implemented.
Implementing the reviewed European Neighbourhood Policy
Long-lasting crises and the geopolitical relevance of the
EU's neighbourhood show the importance of having a solid policy framework in
place to enhance political and economic relations with the EU's neighbouring
countries.
Present joint report by the European Commission and the High
Representative on the implementation of the ENP review confirms the ENP's
central role in creating the conditions for the stabilisation of the EU's
neighbourhood, which the review identified as a top priority.
The review refocused the ENP to ensure a differentiated
approach to partners, recognising the different aspirations of each
country, joint ownership, based on both partners' needs and EU interests, and more flexibility in the use of EU instruments. The new approach has been crucial in
reenergising the EU's relations with the ENP partner countries, including
through the negotiation and adoption of new Partnership Priorities and the
ongoing updating of Association Agendas, in each case sharpening the focus of
relations for the next few years on areas of agreed mutual interest.
Within the new political framework, the EU is acting with
more flexibility and sensitivity towards its partners, deploying its resources
with more impact as regards the implementation of the key priorities.
Flexibility in the use of EU funding (through the European Neighbourhood
Instrument), has been increased through the use of Trust Funds
to ensure a rapid delivery of financial assistance, through greater use of
blending and of improved joint programming with the EU states. Finally, through
enhanced coordination with International Financial Institutions and the
creation of a new flexibility cushion to allow rapid response to crisis
situations and changing circumstances.
Progress in priority areas
The reviewed ENP has mobilised significant support to
reforms in four priority areas: good governance, democracy, rule of law and
human rights; economic development for stabilisation; security; migration and
mobility.
With EU support, important steps have been taken by some
partner countries to advance reforms on good
governance, democracy, rule of law
and human rights with
extensive programmes on public administration reform and anti-corruption, on
strengthening the judiciary, and on supporting human rights, as well as
fostering a stronger civil society.
Boosting sustainable economic development is
at the heart of the EU's contribution to stabilising the neighbourhood and is
crucial for developing partners' resilience. Since the review, the EU has
invested in structural reforms to improve competitiveness and the business
environment, to boost trade, to support SMEs and to tailor education and skills
to the needs of the real economy.
The ENP review significantly increased the policy's focus on
security issues, with a comprehensive approach to the security
challenges in its neighbourhood. The EU has developed Security Sector Reform
programmes both in the East and South, and taken forward important work on
counter-terrorism and preventing violent extremism, while strengthening efforts
on disrupting organised crime and on enhanced cooperation in the area of Common
Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).
The challenges of the refugee crisis and
irregular migration remain high on the political agenda and have been a
key aspect of the EU's work with its neighbouring countries. The comprehensive
approach put in place by the EU encompasses efforts to address the root causes
of migration in order to reduce irregular migration, to promote legal migration
and mobility and to effectively manage borders while safeguarding the right of
EU citizens to free movement within the EU.
More information in:
- the Report;
European Commission ENP
website and Commission press release IP-17-1334 (Brussels, 18 May 2017) Review of the
European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP): stronger partnerships for a stronger
neighbourhood in:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-17-1334_en.htm?locale=en
Implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy
Commission clarified
some important policy’s issues in implementation process:
- Main focus of the
ENP implementation. The implementation process reflects the way in which
the EU and its partners in the East and the South have been working to promote
stabilisation (through building up resilience) focussing on the key priorities
identified in the ENP Review adopted in November 2015: good governance,
democracy, rule of law and human rights; economic development for
stabilisation; security; and migration and mobility.
- Application of
the ENP principles. Following the adoption of the ENP Review,
relations with the neighbouring countries have been reenergised through new
forms of tailor-made partnerships. This has included work on new
country-specific frameworks for bilateral cooperation in the form of
Partnership Priorities and updated Association Agendas or existing Action
Plans. The approach of joint ownership has made it possible to better reflect
individual needs and aspirations of partner countries as well as EU interests
and values. Financial assistance is being used in a more flexible way, to
support the new priorities of the ENP.
- Coordination
with other relevant EU policies. The ENP Review implementation has
been guided by the overarching political priorities for the EU's external
action agreed with the Council following publication of the Global Strategy for
the European Union's Foreign and Security Policy in June 2016. Coherence has
also been ensured with the Rome Declaration which promotes a stronger role of
Europe on the global stage, and with the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable
Development and its sustainable development goals.
- Bilateral engagement with Southern partners. Partnership
Priorities with Lebanon and Jordan were adopted at the end of 2016,
and with Algeria in March 2017.
Draft Partnership Priorities with Egypt were
provisionally agreed in December 2016.
A Joint Communication on strengthening EU support for Tunisia
was adopted in September 2016 that set out further actions to promote long-term
stability, including good governance, justice reform, socio-economic
development and security.
The EU has supported Morocco's reforms agenda in a
wide range of social, economic and justice sectors. In Libya, EU
cooperation has adjusted to the very particular circumstances, including by channeling
support through municipalities.
The EU Strategy for Syria adopted in March 2016 sets
out the EU's strategic goals, immediate objectives and lines of action for the
resolution of the war in the country and dealing with its immediate and
long-term humanitarian impact.
As regards Israel and Palestine, the EU
remains firmly committed to a two-state solution, which is vital for peace, the
stability and long-term development of the region. The EU has invested considerably
in strengthening the capacity of the Palestinian Authority. EU funding has also
focused on investments that can contribute to sustainable improvements of
living conditions, particularly in the Gaza Strip.
-Bilateral engagement with Eastern partners. Parts of
the Association Agreement with Ukraine have been provisionally applied
since 2014, with the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) being
provisionally applied since 1 January 2016. Visa free regime is undergoing EU's
approval process and is expected to enter into force in July.
The EU-Georgia
Association Agreement entered into force in July 2016 (provisionally applied
since 2014), the EU-Georgia Association Agenda 2017-20 is being updated,
Georgia acceded to the Energy Community Treaty in October 2016 and the
short-term visa free travel for Georgia citizens entered into force at the end
of March 2017.
- The
EU-Moldova Association Agreement entered into force in July 2016
(provisionally applied since 2014) and work is ongoing on the Association
Agenda.
- Negotiations
with Armenia on a new Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership
Agreement were concluded in February 2017.
- Negotiations
on a comprehensive agreement with Azerbaijan aimed at replacing the
Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (in force since 1999) were launched
in February 2017.
- An
informal Coordination Group, formed by EU and Belarus senior
officials, was set up at the beginning of 2016 to better reflect the state
of bilateral relations.
- Present EU’s regional engagement with Eastern partners.
Based on the Riga priorities, since 2016 a more results-oriented approach
towards the Eastern Partnership has been applied with a continued focus on
strengthening state and societal resilience. A new strategic work-plan
combining both bilateral and regional cooperation aims to guide the work of the
EU and the six Eastern Partnership countries between Summits, by focusing on
twenty deliverables by 2020. Each deliverable is linked to implementation
tools, with clear milestones to be reached by the time of the next Eastern
Partnership Summit in November 2017, and targets to be achieved by 2020. In
parallel, work has continued in the framework of the Black Sea Synergy.
For example, regional
engagement with Southern partners involves:
- A
roadmap with concrete proposals to revise existing priorities of the Union
for the Mediterranean (UfM) and to increase synergies was endorsed by the
UfM Ministers of Foreign Affairs on 23 January 2017 in Barcelona.
- In
December 2016, the EU and the League of Arab States confirmed, at
ministerial level, the Joint Work Programme, which puts an emphasis on
activities related to crisis management, civil society, human rights,
diplomacy, electoral observation and increased participation of women in
economic development.
- The EU's
cooperation with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has gained new
impetus with the successful co-organisation of a High Level Event on
Anti-Muslim Discrimination and Hatred in New York in January 2016.
- Progress registered in good governance, democracy, rule
of law and human rights
These priorities feature prominently in discussions on
Partnership Priorities and revised Association Agendas. Through political
dialogue, the EU continues to engage with partners on promoting respect of
international human rights commitments.
- In
2016 the Commission developed in close co-operation with OECD/SIGMA the Principles of Public
Administration (PAR) to be used as a reference framework for those ENP
countries that are committed to reform their administrations in line with
internationally recognised good governance principles and practices.
- In
2016, the EU started implementing the Rights-Based Approach, encompassing
all human rights, as one of the guiding principles of ENI financial
assistance and an opportunity to mainstream more effectively the
protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
- The EU
has continued to challenge the shrinking space available for civil society
action throughout the Neighbourhood. The EU is implementing roadmaps for
engagement with civil society.
- The
implementation of the EU Gender Action Plan 2016-2020 has led to mandatory
gender analysis of all project proposals and the inclusion of gender in
all Partnership Priorities, Association Agendas and country reports.
- Progress in the area of economic development for
stabilisation
As regards domestic business environments, in October 2016
the EU together with the OECD launched a joint Programme on Promoting
Investment in the Mediterranean.
- The
setting up and implementation of Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas
(DCFTA) with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine is opening new trade and
investment opportunities and a more stable operating framework for
companies from the EU and the region. The EU is the number one trading
partner for all three DCFTA partners.
- A
number of initiatives on economic modernisation and entrepreneurship
strategies aim at fostering SMEs.
- Increased
emphasis has been put on drawing together the strands of cooperation in
youth employment and employability.
- Work
has continued in implementing regional development policy in partner
countries.
- Education
and youth cooperation is being supported by Erasmus+
programme. 57 new capacity building projects further support the
modernisation of higher education systems and universities in neighbouring
countries. In addition to Erasmus+, participation to other programmes
opens up new cooperation opportunities for administrations, businesses,
universities, cultural and audio-visual operators, professionals, young
people, students and researchers.
- The EU
has been active in promoting in particular the use of renewable energy
sources and energy efficiency.
- On
transport and connectivity, agreements amongst EU and various partner
countries have been reached to ensure the necessary coordination,
standardisation and prioritisation of major investments on core transport
networks. Technical assistance projects are ongoing as well.
- Progress registered in the security area
- Several
civilian CSDP missions and border assistance missions have been deployed
in Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Palestine and Libya and are financially
supported by EU Member States or CSDP Trust Funds.
- Based
on their 2016 Joint Declaration, the EU and NATO have stepped up their
cooperation and coordination through a set of concrete measures that seek
to support partners' capacity building efforts in the Eastern and Southern
Neighbourhoods and to strengthen their resilience.
- The EU
supported ongoing dialogues on the conflicts affecting Ukraine, Georgia,
Moldova, Armenia and Azerbaijan with the aim of reaching peaceful and
sustainable solutions.
- Cooperation
with the Southern partners on tackling terrorism and preventing radicalisation
leading to violent extremism has been strengthened. Upgraded security and
counter-terrorism dialogues and high-level visits have been conducted in
the region. Counter-terrorism/security experts have been deployed in
several EU Delegations with direct support of EU states.
- EU
support to security sector reform in third countries is now framed by the
new EU
Security sector reform (SSR) policy adopted in July 2016.
- EU
agencies are gradually getting more involved in providing capacity
building support to partner countries and intensifying the exchange of
operational and strategic information with ENP partner countries to help
combat organised crime.
- Activities
of the Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Risk Mitigation (CBRN)
Centers of Excellence (CoE) have been increased.
- Progress registered in the area of migration and
mobility
The EU has put in place a comprehensive approach to
migration, which encompasses efforts to reduce irregular migration, to promote
legal migration and mobility, to maximise the development impact of migration,
address root causes, and effectively manage borders while safeguarding the
right of EU citizens to free movement within the EU. This is reflected in the
Communication on a new Partnership Framework with third countries adopted under
the European Agenda on Migration and the Communication on Forced Displacement
and Development and the related European Council Conclusions of June 2016.
- The EU
has worked closely with the Member States of the Khartoum and Rabat
Processes (both Neighbourhood countries and wider regional partners) to
implement the agreed actions of the Valletta Summit on Migration (November
2015).
- In
June 2016, the European Commission proposed a revised Blue Card Directive
as part of the new policy on legal migration and making it more effective
to attracting talent to the EU.
- Mobility
Partnerships offer a framework for comprehensive cooperation with partner
countries in order to address mobility issues, including where appropriate
visa issues, as well as the need to facilitate return and readmission of
irregular migrants.
- Examples illustrating mare flexible delivery of financial
assistance
Since the adoption of the ENP Review in November 2015, the
EU has brought together a number of different tools to further improve the
coordination and coherence of all aid modalities. To this end, grant
cooperation programmes have been complemented by other activities designed and
led by partner institutions with a more strategic use of blending, TAIEX, and
Twinning. In particular, TAIEX and Twinning have been refocused to create
closer synergy between policy work and financial assistance programming.
- The EU
actively supports neighbouring countries that are facing exceptional
external financing shortages through its Macro-Financial Assistance
instrument and the Neighbourhood Investment Facility.
- In
line with the ENI regulation, the ENP Review, and the Council Conclusions
on stepping up Joint Programming of 12 May 2016, the EU is moving towards
more joint programming in the neighbourhood.
- Recognising
the important role of the International Financial Institutions, the
European Commission followed up on an enhanced cooperation initiative,
launched in 2015, with the most relevant development financial
institutions active in the neighbourhood region.
- The EU
Regional Trust Fund in response to the Syrian Crisis has reached a
total of EUR 932 million two years after its inception and will reach EUR
1.3 billion by summer 2017. In January 2017, a further EUR 200 million was
announced to support the EU
Emergency Trust Fund for Africa.
- In
September 2016, the Commission proposed the creation of a 'flexibility
cushion' for external instruments to allow the EU to better react to new
crises and unforeseen needs. The flexibility cushion is part of the
proposed revision of the Financial Regulation.
- In
September 2016, the European Commission proposed an ambitious European
External Investment Plan to support investment in partner countries in
Africa and the European Neighbourhood.
Such neighbourhood-wide Commission’s reports will be
published regularly, although not necessarily on a yearly basis since
country-specific reports will be adopted annually ahead of high-level meetings
between the EU and each ENP partner country.
See more on: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-17-1381_en.htm?locale=en