Brussels, 27/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 27 March, the European Commission adopted a joint communication and progress reports on each European neighbourhood country (Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Jordan, Palestine, Morocco, Moldova, Syria, Tunisia and Ukraine) - which show a “mixed picture” as regards implementation of European neighbourhood policy.
The Commission wants to make this policy more responsive and flexible in order to be able to manage more subtle and unplanned events better, said a European official. “We need to be more responsive given the strategic and security challenges”, he added. The EU will also strengthen its “more for more” political incentive, which is linked to progress in the partner countries.
Although 2013 was a year of crises in some countries, reflecting “political instability and difficult socio-economic conditions”, the EU “has continued to support efforts to enhance democratic governance, build security and support sustainable and inclusive development”, the Commission states in a press release. Thus, while crucial political and economic reforms were implemented in several countries - like Moldova or Georgia - in other countries, democratic reforms and economic recovery were threatened by national and regional security challenges - be this in Lebanon, Jordan or Ukraine, as the reports show (see other articles).
Aid to the European neighbourhood countries reached its highest level in 2013 of the 2007-2013 multiannual budget framework - €2.65 billion. For the 2014-2020 period, €15.4 billion is expected to be allocated to the neighbourhood countries. (CG)