Brussels, 01/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 1 December at the European Parliament, the Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, outlined the new Commission's approach for revising the EU's neighbourhood policy, as requested by the president of the Commission Jean-Claude Juncker because, “there is a need for a certain change of direction”.
He underlined that work had already begun and explained, “I am working in close collaboration with High Representative Federica Mogherini because we intend to follow an approach with the March Green Paper. This could be the subject of public consultations and in October or November, we will be presenting a communication”. The Commissioner explained that the contributions and discussions that will take place are being prepared and that there would be an Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga next May. He emphasised that, “we will be presenting a non-paper, with proposals and concrete measures that can be immediately implemented after the summit”.
The Commissioner pointed out that neighbourhood policy involves 16 countries from Belarus to Morocco and which have been, “brought together under the same heading but which needed solutions adapted to each of these neighbouring countries… A more individual approach is required because the situation in each country is different”. He also explained that the new policy would be much more tailor-made and that the EU was expected to take action swiftly and in a flexible way with regard to the developments occurring in these neighbourhood countries.
Hahn stressed that neighbourhood policy was a partnership, “it is not a one-way street or an EU funding project. We have interests and our neighbours should also express what their interests are and see whether these interests are compatible”.
The 16 countries included in neighbourhood policy are: Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, the Republic of Moldova, occupied Palestinian Territories, Syria, Tunisia and Ukraine. (CG)