EUROPA (press release), Belgium
March 14 2005

Margot Wallström

Vice President of the European Union responsible for Institutional
Relations and Communication Strategy

The European Neighbourhood Policy and the Euro-Mediterranean
partnership

Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly
Cairo, 14 March 2005

Mr President,

Members of the Assembly,

It is a great honour for me to take part on behalf of the European
Commission in this first session of the Euro-Mediterranean
Parliamentary Assembly.

Mr President,

Let me first greet you in particular as an Egyptian presiding over
the work of this first session hosted in Egypt’s capital, Cairo.
These two circumstances are symbolic and reflect your country’s
commitment to the Euro-Mediterranean partnership since its inception.
This commitment will be illustrated yet again at the upcoming
inauguration in Alexandria of the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean
Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures.

Members of the Assembly,

There is no need for me to stress the importance the Commission
attaches to the creation of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary
Assembly. As you know, the Euro-Mediterranean partnership rests on
three pillars: political, economic and social, cultural and human.
Since the launching of the Barcelona process, it has become apparent
that these pillars were not equally strong and that whereas the
economic and trade pillar was solid, those supporting the political,
cultural and social aspects of the partnership were less so. The
creation of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly, which has
a political mandate above all (even if it deals with other issues),
bolsters the Partnership’s foundations. The Commission will cooperate
closely with your Assembly, and of course take account of any
suggestions, ideas and initiatives that it puts forward.

The Presidency of the European Union – represented by Mr Nicolas
Schmit, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg –
have reviewed the Barcelona process and taken stock of its
implementation. For my part, I wish to speak to you about a
relatively new aspect of the EU’s foreign policy, namely the European
Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), or rather spell out the ENP’s
relationship with the Barcelona process, which remains the nucleus of
relations between the European Union and its southern Mediterranean
partners.

* * *

What does the European Neighbourhood Policy consist of ? It is based
on a simple idea formulated by the Copenhagen European Council of
December 2002 which stated that the Union should seize the
opportunity offered by its enlargement to enhance relations with the
neighbouring countries on the basis of shared values and avoid the
creation of new divides within Europe.

To that end, the Council called for stronger relations with Ukraine,
Moldova, Belarus and the countries of the southern Mediterranean.
This circle of neighbours has been extended to other countries:
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The idea of the circle of friendly
neighbouring countries has taken concrete shape over the last two
years, notably since the EU Council meeting of 28 June 2003.

The main features of the Neighbourhood Policy are:

The new Neighbourhood Policy complements the Barcelona process and
should not supplant the current framework of the EU’s relations with
its southern Mediterranean partners established in the context of the
Barcelona process and complemented by association agreements and the
common strategy.
The European Neighbourhood Policy has general objectives which are
similar to the Mediterranean partnership and based on it, namely to
work together with our partners to reduce poverty, create a space of
prosperity and shared values, based on free trade, increased economic
integration, stronger political and cultural ties, greater
cross-border cooperation and shared responsibilities in the
prevention and resolution of conflicts.
These strands overlap with those defined in 1995 in Barcelona but
with new stress on certain aspects. The most important is the
prospect of gradual participation in the EU internal market and its
regulatory structures, including those relating to sustainable
development (health, consumer and environmental protection), based on
the approximation of legislation. Whereas the idea underlying
Barcelona, implemented through association agreements, was trade
integration which stopped at the borders (notably through tariff
dismantling), the Neighbourhood Policy goes beyond that and provides
for greater integration, going beyond borders so to speak by means of
approximation of legislation. In short, this policy will enable
partners to share in the European internal market. More emphasis will
also be put on integrating the two sides of the Mediterranean in
transport, energy and telecommunications networks.
Differentiation is at the root of the new EU policy towards its
neighbours and is implemented by action plans. These action plans
will become the key instruments of the medium-term policy conducted
by the Union in its relations with its neighbours. These are policy
papers based on existing association agreements and clearly setting
out overall strategic objectives, shared objectives and political and
economic reference criteria and a timetable for achieving them. This
is an approach that is more precise, more concrete and better defined
in its timing than that of the association agreements. As you know,
action plans were already negotiated in 2004 with Israel, Jordan,
Moldova, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority and Ukraine. Negotiations
are planned with Egypt and Lebanon in 2005. An important thing to
note is that these action plans are drawn up jointly between the
Union and its partners and adopted by the Association Councils.
This policy will be financed by a new neighbourhood instrument aimed
at promoting sustainable economic and social development among the
neighbouring countries, pursuing regional and transnational and
cross-border cooperation and ensuring the smooth functioning and
secure management of frontiers. They will be among the financial
instruments included in the new financial perspectives beyond 2006.
***

I have just outlined the main features of this European Neighbourhood
Policy. We have to admit that this policy, when it was announced,
provoked among our Mediterranean partners first surprise, then
questions and even concern. Will this policy replace the
Euro-Mediterranean policy, swallow it up or water it down? Would
there be two policies for the same countries? What would be the
relationship between the Neighbourhood Policy and the
Euro-Mediterranean partnership? Some commentators pointed out certain
contradictions between the Neighbourhood Policy and the
Euro-Mediterranean policy. I see two main ones:

On the geo-political level, despite the differences that exist within
the area, the Euro-Mediterranean partnership encompasses countries
which geographically the Mediterranean draws closer together more
than it divides them. Historically, these countries have seen their
destinies intertwined, even if this was sometimes through conflict.
The Euro-Mediterranean idea is highly symbolic. As for the
neighbourhood policy, it has to be admitted that it concerns
countries which are much more diverse.

Secondly, whereas the Euro-Mediterranean partnership approach is
mainly regional, the Neighbourhood Policy is more bilateral and
differentiates among the partners.

The few differences I have mentioned can be overcome. As it is a
regional framework, we have to reiterate that the Barcelona process
remains key to relations between the European Union and the southern
Mediterranean. It is not matter of recasting Barcelona but rather
rereading it, rediscovering it and realising, as certain analysts
have said, its potential.

Where the model is concerned, we probably have to go beyond the
framework of association which was in some respects rather vague. Or
we might use that framework but apply more specific methods. The idea
of harmonisation or at least convergence of legislative systems,
which was embryonic in the association agreements, is spelled out
more clearly in the Neighbourhood Policy and above all in the action
plans.

But the differences in the Neighbourhood Policy approach should not
be taken too far. Whilst the action plans already agreed with the
first signatory Mediterranean countries contain differences, they are
also bedrock of shared values and objectives which the Commission
deems indispensable if we are to avoid diverging paths. It is more in
the pace of progress that the divergences can exist. The ultimate
objective, participation of those countries in large parts of the
European internal market, is what those countries are aiming at.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen,

As I have tried to point out, the European Neighbourhood Policy does
not replace the process launched ten years ago in Barcelona. It
renews it, clarifies it and breathes fresh life into it.

Convergence between the two policies will be at the core of the
Commission’s communication ahead of the tenth anniversary of
Barcelona Declaration. This communication, still in the pipeline,
will propose for the next five years a limited number of initiatives
with three main thrusts:

Continued promotion of political reform, including protection of
human rights, in the Mediterranean, as reform is the key to security,
peace and stability in the region.
Support for the development of education, particularly primary
education, and vocational training, substantially increasing the
means of financial cooperation earmarked for them.
Continued progress on trade liberalisation and economic reform, by
starting negotiations on balanced liberalisation of services and
adopting for agriculture an approach combining the opening up of
markets and cooperation on rural development.
This does not exclude continuation of activities conducted under the
Barcelona process on migration, cooperation on energy or transport
and the environment.

In conclusion, celebrating Barcelona must not simply be about marking
the date. Anniversaries are about bringing us closer to events and
not making them more remote. The European Neighbourhood Policy does
not make Barcelona more remote, rather it brings it into sharper
focus.