Brussels, 18/11/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 18 November, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn presented the joint communication on the neighbourhood policy review, which emphasises cooperation between the EU and the 16 neighbourhood partner countries (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, and Tunisia - and to the south, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and east Ukraine) on security and migration issues that are now very current.
“European neighbourhood policy did not focus on security”, Mogherini told the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee. “It is fairly evident today that we must include instruments which we will provide with tools (…) in order to create more resilience to the external and internal threat”, she added. The joint communication reveals that the new “emphasis on security will open up a large number of new areas for cooperation”, such as reform of the security sector, protection of borders, the fight against terrorism, organised crime and radicalisation, cybercrime and crisis management. The participation of partner countries in missions and operations led as part of the EU's common security and defence policy (CSDP), and in EU battle groups should be encouraged on a case-by-case basis - as should their association with the programmes and agencies concerned, the joint communication adds.
The new European neighbourhood policy should also be more oriented towards common actions on migration and mobility issues - be it on legal or illegal migration, or the protection of refugees. The communication states that there will be an effort to “increase support for those receiving and assisting refugees and internally displaced persons”, “improve cooperation on returns”, readmission and lasting reintegration, and to open up dialogue on student mobility.
Job creation and economic development, especially for young people, are another axis of cooperation - as is energy. The rule of law and human rights remain priorities for the EU. The communication states that for the next three to five years, stabilisation is the most immediate challenge in many regions of the neighbourhood. The EU also wants to respond to common challenges such as energy or migration, Mogherini adds.
The new European neighbourhood policy should also be based on a differentiated approach for each country, a tailor-made approach and an appropriation of this by the partner countries. The number of priorities per country will also be limited. “All the foreign ministers of the neighbouring countries will receive a letter and will be invited to identify the cooperation possibilities”, Hahn stated. The traditional annual raft of country reports, published in the spring, will disappear and the reports will now be better adapted to the nature of each relationship and to the related working timetable.
Hahn underlined the need for greater flexibility of the funds associated with the neighbourhood policy “in order to be more flexible to be able to respond in case of an event”. Mogherini and Hahn will assess the possibility of setting up a “flexibility reserve” so as to provide for resources which might be needed for an emergency programme should there be unforeseen needs, the communication states. The European neighbourhood instrument is equipped with a budget of €15 billion for the 2014-2020 period.
The communication will now be discussed with the member states, the European Parliament and the partner countries. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)