Brussels, 24/09/2010 (Agence Europe) - The EU must give consideration to how it can increase the effectiveness and added value of cross-border cooperation projects with the neighbouring countries of eastern Europe and the Mediterranean Basin which it finances as part of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). That was the view of MEPs in a debate with Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner Stefan Füle in Strasbourg on Thursday 23 September. Several called on the Commission to avoid duplication of effort with other European or national cooperation schemes. Others stressed the need to make better use of the Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) chapter of the ENP to resolve sometimes very old political conflicts between neighbouring countries. For the period from 2007 to 2013, 15 programmes have been developed through the CBC chapter of the European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument (ENPI). Nine are located along the EU's land border (including five with Russia), three relate to maritime routes (for example, between Spain and Morocco or between Italy and Tunisia) and three cover maritime basins (Baltic Sea, Black Sea and Mediterranean). At the end of 2010, the Commission will present an assessment report on the implementation of these CBC projects. At the end of 2011, it will propose a new legislative regulation for the ENPI. At the present moment, the ENPI applies to 16 countries: nine to the south (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Syria and Tunisia) and seven to the east (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine). “Helping to create a stable, prosperous neighbourhood should be a priority of the European Union's foreign policy,” argued Evgeni Kirilov (S&D, Bulgaria). “The EU has to prove that it is able to help solve conflicts in its neighbourhood if it is to be taken seriously for its foreign policy on the world stage,” he said. It should also require countries which benefit from the ENP to become more involved in regional cooperation among themselves, Kirilov suggested. Border regions have traditionally been strategic areas where conflicts are still often to be found. Hence the importance for the EU of building cross-border cooperation into the overall strategy of the common foreign and security policy, Elmar Brok (EPP) stated. Csaba Sandor Tabajdi (S&D, Hungary) noted a serious “contradiction” in the way the cross-border cooperation chapter of the ENP operates. Given that the ENP does not apply to applicant, or potential applicant, countries (such as those of the Western Balkans), it cannot finance cross-border cooperation projects between, for example, Hungary and Serbia, “when there's real potential there that has yet to be exploited,” he pointed out. Kristiina Ojuland (ALDE, Estonia) expressed concern at the delays in implementing CBC projects, particularly the five projects with Russia. Given that none of these projects is yet up and running and that the deadline for use of the European funding in 2014, it is highly likely that the money allocated to these projects will remain unused, she said. Lambert Van Nistelrooij (EPP, Netherlands) proposed that the Commission and the border regions concerned sit down together to discuss how the planning and implementation of cross-border projects could be improved. Other MEPs were far more highly critical. Konrad Szymanski (ECR, Poland) said the CBC “isn't really working” and that procedures had to be changed. Marie-Christine Vergiat (GUE/NGL, France) felt, too, that the right balance had not been struck, pointing out that these projects did not prevent neighbouring countries, such as Tunisia, Morocco and Israel, from receiving European money, yet continuing to violate human rights. Derek Roland (EFD, UK) wondered why the EU had to spend such vast sums on neighbouring countries when the economic and financial crisis was still affecting European citizens and member states' governments were having to make savings and cuts in social security. Michael Gahler (EPP, Germany) was concerned about the domestic situation in the largest ENP beneficiary: Ukraine. “I am dismayed at the speed with which this country is being 're-sovietised' (since the election of the new president Viktor Yanukovych). We must remain very vigilant,” Gahler said, drawing attention to “manipulation” in the legislation governing local elections and the return of secret services.
In his speech, Commissioner Füle did not deny that implementation of CBC projects was being complicated by political and technical problems. Thus, for political reasons, Morocco refuses to take part in the programmes for which Ceuta and Melilla are eligible; Azerbaijan refuses to take part in joint projects with Armenia; and Russia does not want to become involved n the Baltic Region programme, Füle said. This was “regrettable”, but these were conflicts that have been going on for a long time and involving “core national interests”, he said. Nevertheless, the CBC was a success, he went on. Following the call for tenders for the various projects, the Commission received “six times more” than it could handle, hundreds of submissions. Implementation of the projects would begin “soon” and the commissioner said he could see “no absorption problems”. The debate on the review of the CBC programme has begun and certain changes may already be foreseen, such as the cancellation of the maritime project between Spain and Morocco and a reduction in the allocation to the Baltic Sea programme, Füle stated. (H.B./transl.rt)