Brussels, 17/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - The Commission will now bring forward its communication on the review of the European neighbourhood policy (ENP) only in May, Commissioner Stefan Füle told the European Parliament (EP) foreign affairs committee (AFET) on Wednesday 16 March. The document was initially to be presented in March, then April. The Commission is giving itself the time to be more explicit and concrete with regard to the changes to be made to relations with the countries of the southern neighbourhood, particularly North Africa, and also the countries of eastern Europe, Füle told MEPs. This slight delay also gives the EP a little longer to consider the future of the ENP at a time when the political situation in Tunisia and Egypt is not entirely clear, and, of course, there is Libya where the revolution could very well fail. One thing is certain: the Commission believes that “this is the time for a qualitative step forward in relations between the European Union and its southern neighbours that engage in genuine transition towards democracy”, Füle stated. These new relations will be “rooted unambiguously in a joint commitment to the values of democracy, human rights, good governance, the rule of law and social justice. The EU's offer of a partnership for democracy and shared prosperity can only be based on such a commitment”, the commissioner stressed. The ENP includes 16 countries from eastern Europe, the Caucasus, North Africa and the Middle East. Among these are six former Soviet Union countries: Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus (though cooperation through the ENP is not yet operational), Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. In the south, ENP members are Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, the occupied Palestinian territories, Syria and Tunisia.
Adoption by AFET of two reports. The EP agrees on the need for a full-scale review of the ENP. Since its launch in 2004, it has proved incapable of achieving its objectives on democracy and human rights, states a report by Mario David (EPP, Portugal) on the southern dimension of the ENP, which was approved by AFET on 16 March. The report backs the “democratic conditionality” proposed by the Commission and the Council: the EU will help countries moving towards democracy, but, in return, these countries must comply with the human rights and the rule of law obligations they sign up to. MEPs also want greater transparency in the procedure for the negotiation and award to “advanced status” for southern neighbours, with clear, objective criteria. The EP also wants to be involved in the process. MEPs argue, too, for simplification of the procedure for issuing visas for all Mediterranean partners - especially for students, researchers and business people - and the adoption of a “Euro-Mediterranean mobility partnership”. The committee also adopted the report by Marek Siwiec (S&D, Poland) on the eastern dimension of the ENP. For eastern neighbours, too, MEPs call for more rigorous differentiation and conditionality. In addition to political and economic reform, tackling corruption, especially in the judicial system and within the police, must be an “absolute priority” for the EU in its relations with its eastern partners, MEPs say. In general terms, the reform of the ENP must be centred on dialogue, hitherto neglected, with civil society and the democratic forces in the various countries, the rapporteurs said in a press conference. The EPO will adopt the reports at the start of April. (H.B./transl.rt)