Brussels, 20/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 20 March 2013, EU Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner Stefan Füle said that cooperation between the EU and its neighbours was growing and resulting in positive outcomes. He was speaking at the unveiling of reports on the Partnerships for Democracy and Shared Prosperity with southern Mediterranean countries, on progress in the Eastern Partnership and twelve reports on changes in the countries with which the EU has set up action plans (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Lebanon, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Israel and Palestine). There is no action plan for Syria, Algeria, Libya or Belarus. Füle said the challenges were enormous, but a number of partner countries have made huge efforts and achieved results in implementing their reform pledges.
Two years after the launch of the new approach on the basis of “more for more” and greater civil society involvement, he said the results were encouraging in several areas of cooperation, although 2012 was a difficult year due to political instability and difficult social and economic conditions with uneven progress being seen from one country to another. There were problems in most of the EU's neighbours with the judiciary and tackling corrupton. Füle added that it took a long time to introduce democracy.
In 2011-2013, in order to implement more for more, the EU provides an additional €1 billion: €670 billion through the SPRING programmes (€540 million for southern countries) and EaPIC (€130 million for water-related action), programmes to promote democratic transformation, build institutions and support sustainable, inclusive growth. Funds are provided as long at there is clear proof that the claimed reforms have actually been implemented, explained the Commissioner, saying the EU must not lose its ability to be able to carry out checks at any moment to assess the impact of EU programmes on the ground.
Mixed progress in the Southern Neighbourhood. In the Southern Neighbourhood, there is only mixed progress on democratic reform. Although civil society is making itself better heard and democratic elections have taken place in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, there are concerns about the freedom of association and freedom of expression in a number of countries, including Egypt and Algeria. At the end of 2012, the EU started preparing for the launch of full free-trade zone talks with Morocco, Tunisia and Jordan and talks are also advancing with these three countries on mobility and immigration. The EU has set up task forces with Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan to improve the co-ordination of financial aid.
Armenia, Georgia and Moldova are making progress. In the east, Armenia, Georgia and Moldova are pursuing democratic reforms and holding elections that usually comply with international standards. The EU is in negotiation with the three countries on association agreements and full free-trade zones. The assessment of the general elections in the Ukraine is more mixed because there has been a deterioration on the previous situation. The commissioner said that, although the EU is in talks over an association agreement, Azerbaijan has to make a huge effort to comply with its pledges for democracy. Work on mobility continued apace in 2012, with significant progress towards visa-free travel within the Eastern Partnerships. (CG/transl.fl)