Brussels, 24/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 25 May, the European Commission is to present its proposals for reform of the European neighbourhood policy (ENP) for the eastern Mediterranean countries. The communication prepared by Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Enlargement/ENP Commissioner Stefan Füle above all aims to draw the lessons learned from the Arab uprisings by placing greater emphasis on democratic reform and the strengthening of rule of law as an essential precondition for being able to receive European aid. The idea is to adjust aid levels to the progress made in partner countries regarding democratic reform, a draft text states. More support and opportunities in exchange for more reform (“more for more”) is the watchword of the new ENP, which will provide countries ready to commit themselves along this road with better market access, greater mobility, and greater financial assistance. A new generation of action plans - more precise and binding than before - will be negotiated with each of the beneficiary countries, and annual reports will assess progress made. For countries where reforms have not taken place, the EU will reconsider and possibly reduce its aid, the draft text states (“less for less”).
The first reaction from German MEP Franziska Brantner (Greens) was to say, even before the document was presented, that she was generally pleased with the new line proposed by Ashton and Füle. She above all welcomes the fact that the Commission intends to fix true benchmarks to be respected by ENP countries at the democratic and human rights level. She wonders, however, whether the EU will have the necessary means and ability to verify respect of such criteria, and also doubts the will of member states to follow the Commission on opening up the European market and on mobility. Finally, Brantner said the additional budget proposed by the Commission to strengthen ENP would be insufficient (she spoke of €1.2 billion in “fresh money” to be taken from the budget earmarked for emergency aid). The United States is ready to make additional funding available to support reform in Egypt only, although the EU would like to give such funding to all its neighbouring countries, she said. (H.B./transl.jl)