Summary: April 22, 2005: Speech Dr. Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, on Europe's Neighbours - Towards Closer Integration, Brussels Economic Forum (Brussels)
Let me first thank the Brussels Economic Forum for organising this event. It is an important contribution to some of the most crucial debates facing Europe today.
One of those is how the European Union can respond to new international challenges and opportunities, and contribute to building a safer, more prosperous world. Around the globe we seek to open-up trade links, support economic reform, build more effective and more democratic institutions of government; and foster more active civil societies. But naturally, we pay particular attention to our immediate surroundings.
Our neighbours are not just citizens of "third countries", they are our close partners and friends. We share practical interests, ideals, and aspirations, and we face common challenges to our security. Our first priority is thus to share the enlarged EU's peace, stability and prosperity with our neighbours. So last year, through the European Neighbourhood Policy, we offered this "ring of friends" a new, special relationship.
The idea is not to replace our existing relationships, but to give them an added dimension. The European Neighbourhood Policy will bring into sharper focus the established Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (PCAs) and Association Agreements (AAs). The Barcelona Process will continue to provide an essential regional forum.
The European Neighbourhood Policy is an opportunity for us, and our partners, to share the benefits which we have derived from half a century of peaceful integration. In return for concrete steps being taken towards economic reform, and our shared values - good governance, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, it offers our partners deeper political and economic integration with the EU.
By deeper political integration we mean more frequent and higher level political dialogue - better reflecting the importance of our relations - and assisting our partners to further strengthen the institutions protecting democracy and the rule of law. But we also want to cooperate more closely in promoting our common foreign policy priorities, like making multilateral institutions more effective, and in addressing our common security threats, like the fight against terrorism and the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
In the economic field, the focus of this afternoon's discussions, the objectives of ENP are ambitious: enhanced preferential trade relations, increased financial and technical assistance, gradual participation in a number of EU policies and programmes and, the most novel and far-reaching feature of the ENP, a "stake" in the EU's internal market. This means gradual participation in our internal market through approximating legislation and gradual integration of transport, energy and
telecommunication networks.
Of course, this will require our partners to implement far-reaching reforms, and that will not be easy. But the benefits will be considerable - structural reforms will lead to increased growth rates; a better macroeconomic environment and trade liberalisation to increased foreign direct investment; and public administration reform to increased institutional capacity. In sum, increased efficiency and welfare gains for all citizens.
How will we do this? First, by agreeing with our partners on realistic, achievable and measurable reforms, and second, by supporting our partners in implementing them.
1) The first part, agreeing reforms, is guided by ENP Action Plans. These are jointly-drawn up political documents committing both sides to respect common values and norms of international conduct and undertake political and economic reforms. This combination will allow us to develop a closer relationship. Though they follow a general pattern, each ENP Action Plan is tailor-made for the partner country, focusing on a limited number of key priorities.
We have already agreed ENP Action Plans with seven partner countries - Israel, Jordan, Moldova, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Tunisia and Ukraine. We are now beginning the implementation and monitoring phase for these countries. For another five - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Georgia and Lebanon - we are hoping to agree Action Plans by the end of this year. Although all are tailor-made, they cover the same broad areas: political and economic reform; cooperation in the field of justice,
liberty and security; infrastructure networks; and people-to-people contacts.
In the economic sphere, we want progress on issues like:
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