EU Foreign Ministers Discuss Eastern Partnership

EU Foreign Ministers Discuss Eastern Partnership

February 23, 2009

By Ahto Lobjakas

BRUSSELS -- Next month, the EU is expected to offer six countries an upgrade of its European Neighborhood Policy called the Eastern Partnership, an initiative it is increasingly tailoring as a response to growing Russian assertiveness in what EU officials used to call "the shared neighborhood."

Briefing reporters ahead of the foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels on February 23, EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said the Russia-Georgia war in August 2008 and Russia's spat with Ukraine over natural-gas deliveries to Europe this January convinced the bloc it must "step up its game in the eastern neighborhood."

The commissioner said that the EU has a "natural interest in the stability and prosperity of its neighbors" and intends to step up measures to address the political and economic challenges of the region. Its answer is the Eastern Partnership, targeting six of the EU's immediate eastern neighbors -- Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and, provisionally, Belarus.

The final shape of the project will emerge at an EU summit on March 19-20. It is clear at this stage already that the partnership offer will not include EU membership. The partners will be offered eventual free trade, visa-free travel, and close energy cooperation -- assuming they harmonize their laws with those of the EU's, reform their economies, and demonstrate democratic progress.

It will be a "give and take," Ferrero-Waldner said, "it offers incentives to perform and to reform. It's more for more."

Cautiously Looking East

The EU will throw in an extra 600 million euros ($770 million) for its eastern neighbors between 2010-13. Between 2007-13, the EU has earmarked 11.2 billion euros for its eastern and southern neighbors. Two-thirds of the 11.2 billion will be spent in the south, one-third in the east. This reflects the balance of power within the EU, where member states interested in closer links with the south have so far dominated.

Draft documents seen by RFE/RL ahead of the February 23 EU meeting suggest tensions linger within the bloc between proponents of the east and south. Not all are keen on full free trade with the eastern partners, predominantly fearing agricultural competition.

Apart from the south-east division, a cleavage has emerged between member states on the issue of opening their borders to visa-free travel. The draft document says there is "general agreement that mobility must take place in a secure environment."

Ferrero-Waldner said this means the EU will put a heavy emphasis on making sure its own security is not compromised and it does not stand at risk of increased illegal immigration as a result of the deal.

"We can only offer visa facilitation [to countries] which have secure travel documents, properly run borders, and arrangements for readmission for returnees," Ferrero-Waldner said.

The draft makes it clear the EU will discourage "excessive expectations" among the eastern partners in respect of the free movement of workers. This, the document notes, remains an area where EU member states are free to make their own individual decisions.

In another sign of caution, most member states agree no new institutions will be created for the Eastern Partnership. Institutions with a permanent staff and a dedicated budget line are commonly seen within the EU as having a high degree of correlation with the project's long-term chances of survival.

Minsk Question

The question of whether to include Belarus promises to be the most controversial aspect of the launch of the Eastern Partnership. Minsk has been long excluded from the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) due to its lack of democratic development. But there are signs now the EU thinks Minsk has done enough in recent months for President Alyaksandr Lukashenka to be invited to a special EU summit with eastern neighbors in Prague on May 7.

Belarus clearly continues to fall short of the democracy benchmarks set for the Neighborhood Policy. But many officials and diplomats in Brussels believe any upgrade to the ENP aimed at counterbalancing growing Russian influence will fall flat if Minsk stays out of it.

The bloc is also keen to reward and encourage a string of relatively minor concessions made by Minsk since September 2008 which include the release of political prisoners and easing of restrictions on the media.

The EU's foreign and security policy chief, Javier Solana, visited Belarus on February 18-19 in the latest of a series of recently revived high-level contacts between Brussels and Minsk. Diplomats say Solana told EU ambassadors after returning from Minsk that Lukashenka had made it clear Minsk is "looking towards the EU," and had expressed great concern about what he had said is growing Russian pressure.

Lukashenka reportedly told Solana that Belarus's relations with Russia had been better under President Boris Yeltsin than under the current leadership. According to EU sources, Solana said he believes the EU should invite Lukashenka to Prague on May 7 with the other eastern leaders.

Some EU officials have indicated a lot will depend on whether Belarus bows to Russian pressure and recognizes Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent countries. Lukashenka told Solana the issue of recognition is a legislative matter, with the parliament scheduled to debate it in May -- possibly after the meeting Prague.

The EU walks a very fine line over Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Backers of the idea of including Belarus in the Eastern Partnership believe the stakes are too high for the bloc to baulk even if Minsk should recognize the independence of the Georgian breakaway provinces. On the other hand, some diplomats fear, this could cause Georgia to pull out from the project.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/EU_Foreign_Ministers_Discuss_Eastern_Partnership/1497826.html

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EU Foreign Ministers Discuss Eastern Partnership