EU to intensify relations with most ambitious neigbours

The Commission is to reward the best-performing countries of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) with an upgrade in bilateral ties, including an increase in financial assistance, External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said at a press conference yesterday (3 April).

Describing the ENP as “a success story”, Ferrero-Waldner said that she was “happy” to suggest a deepening of ties with four countries that “have shown particular progress and ambition” in terms of democratic reforms, economic integration and the fight against corruption and organised crime – namely Ukraine, Moldova, Morocco and Israel.

The EU will seek to negotiate more enhanced agreements with Morocco and its two Eastern neighbours that go beyond the current Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (PCA), the commissioner said, presenting annual progress reports for the 15 ENP members from Eastern Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East. 

For the Ukraine, this process has already been initiated in March 2007 with the launch of negotiations on a common Free Trade Area and a deeper partnership on energy (EURACTIV 12/03/08). Moldova is next in line to open talks, Ferrero-Waldner stated, adding that discussions with Morocco are “also progressing well”. 

Regarding Israel, the EU hopes to deepen the political dialogue and involve the country “more closely in some EU policies like financial services or technological cooperation,” the commissioner said. 

But the Ukraine, which is seeking full EU membership, criticised the Commission’s approach to ENP countries as a “one-sided policy”. It notably regretted that last December’s Communication “does not contain a provision that the ENP is not an alternative to enlargement,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement yesterday on 3 April. 

Despite this lack of concrete membership perspective, the EU will seek to further deepen the “ring of partners and friends around us,” Ferrero-Waldner said. 

While MEP Elmar Brok, EPP rapporteur on the enlargement strategy, shared the commissioner’s assessment that “considerable progress” has been made within the ENP. However, he called for a further extension of the existing instruments. 

Referring to countries such as the Ukraine and Georgia, Brok said that the ENP “is not sufficient with regard to those countries that already have a European perspective”. 

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