EU to give green light to Russia talks

Meeting in Brussels today (26 May), European foreign ministers are expected to give their backing to the long-awaited launch of negotiations on a strategic partnership deal with Russia.

The ministers are set to approve negotiating directives for a new EU-Russia pact without debate, overcoming an 18-month setback caused by successive Polish and Lithuanian opposition to the deal (EURACTIV 27/11/06). 

Warsaw, Vilnius vetoes 

EU-Russia relations are currently governed by an outdated 1997 Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which was due to be replaced after 10 years by a new legal framework. 

However, the issue has repeatedly been blocked, most notably by Poland, which vetoed the negotiations in protest over a Russian ban on Polish meat and vegetables. No sooner had Russia lifted its ban on Poland did Lithuania say it would block the launch of talks in reaction both to Russia’s attitude to ‘frozen conflicts’ in Georgia and Moldova and to Moscow’s decision to shut down a pipeline feeding the only oil refinery in the Baltic country (EURACTIV 14/05/08). 

Nevertheless, it appeared last week that Vilnius would lift its veto after receiving assurances that its list of demands would be recalled in a document attached to the mandate and receive attention from the EU during negotiations. 

While the new negotiating framework is due to be approved without discussion, EU diplomats have warned that the deal is not in the bag yet, with one official pointing to the numerous “surprises on this issue” in the past years. 

The Russian envoy to the EU echoed this thought, commenting: “It is clear that the mandate will be approved, although intrigue surrounding this issue continues right up to the end,” according to Russian press agency RIA Novosti. “We are waiting for an official notification from our EU partners that the mandate has been approved and they are ready to start talks,” he added.

Tough times ahead 

In an interview with the Moscow Times on 23 May, the head of the EU delegation to Russia, Marc Franco, commented that the toughest times were yet to come. “The talks might be more difficult than it was defining the mandate,” he said, adding that he expected negotiations could drag on for more than a year due to the complexity of the issues at stake. 

A key feature of the talks will be energy relations, with the EU increasingly concerned by gas disputes between Russia and neighbouring countries such as Ukraine, through which supplies to the 27-nation bloc must be brought. Brussels is also seeking to diversify energy supplies in order to overcome the EU’s dependency on Russia (EURACTIV 12/11/07). 

Other issues will include Russia’s accession to the WTO, large export duties imposed by Moscow on wood and charges to foreign airlines for overflight rights over Siberia (EURACTIV 18/02/08). 

Read more with Euractiv

EU edges closer to agreement over Russia pact

Internal EU negotiations over a strategic treaty with Russia made headway at the weekend but were finally put on hold over concerns by Lithuania that "frozen conflicts" are threatening Georgia and Moldova's territorial integrity.