Real significance of a Nobel Prize for the EU. Next Monday, the Nobel prize will be awarded to the official representatives of the European Union. The nearer the day comes, the more the mean-spiritedness and the senseless statements increase. The reason for this prize is sometimes deflected by bad faith or ignorance. The protesters say that the EU does not deserve the prize because it does not prevent the conflicts and cruelties that abound elsewhere in the world - as if the EU was responsible for them!
In fact, this tribute to Europe also sends a warning to the rest of the world. The EU (in its succession of different names) has had the ability and the merit of bringing countries together that - through their historical rivalry and hatred - had previously been at the origin of the two most cruel and murderous wars in the history of mankind. The reason for the Nobel prize is clear - it is awarded to the EU for its work supporting “peace, reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe”. It is an example for everyone. And Europe is not responsible if conflicts, hatred and cruelty live on elsewhere.
Through this prize, Europe is at the same time indirectly called to subject its future enlargement to respect of the same principles by the candidate accession countries. They must be aware of this.
Those who protest against the designation of Europe for the Nobel Prize - whatever their role - behave in a very ignorant way and often in bad faith. They should also bear it in mind that Europe is, from this point of view, a model for everyone that must - to be fully worthy of the prize - reject the accession of candidates that don't share Europe's principle of erasing the past.
Energy - a neglected and complicated area. In its recent assessment of energy issues, this column has left aside the aspect of offshore oil and gas resources that involve the EU's cooperation with other local countries. Yet a ministerial level meeting has been organised in Nicosia next week (see EUROPE 10743) which will theoretically bring together the presidency of the Council of the EU and representatives from Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority (Syria being absent for obvious reasons) on the delicate subject of collaboration on drilling at sea.
The situation is complex, not only form the technical and legal point of view but also on the political level - Israel and the Palestinian Authority would take part in the meeting, along with other countries that are in conflict (to a greater or lesser extent) and also Turkey. This latter country has practically suspended any negotiation with the Council of the EU during the Cypriot Presidency, due to the conflict over the northern part of Cyprus. The situation on the ground is improving thanks to increasing collaboration between the two parties on the island, but the political conflict continues. It is true that the collaboration between the EU and Turkey sees politico-military developments, but they are taking place under NATO. Is it in taking account of these developments that Turkey accepts to participate in the meeting on the offshore oil and gas activities? Will it really be present? At what level?
The issues under discussion are delicate because the EU and Turkey disagree on the point of knowing to whom a part of the maritime area that will be discussed belongs. We don't need to wait for next week's meaningful decisions. The meeting is likely to consist of an exchange of views on questions of principle - the security of oil and gas activities in the region, appropriate infrastructure and interconnections, and prospects for cooperation (see EUROPE 10743).
It is understandable that the Cypriot authorities apparently want these issues to be discussed before their Council Presidency expires - future presidencies will have other priorities (but Greece is also interested in this file). In any case, if the countries that are meant to be taking part do so, this initial contact could have considerable economic and political significance - both from the point of view of energy policy (large quantities of natural gas have been discovered in the east of the Mediterranean Sea) and from the political point of view, which especially means development of the EU's relations with Turkey, and efforts to launch real cooperation between the countries whose relations are currently, in certain cases, largely conflictual.
(FR/transl.fl)