Brussels, 14/01/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 14 January, European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender-Equality Vera Jourova and representatives from the European External Action Service (EEAS) underlined the progress of the three Eastern Partnership countries - Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine - with which the EU has signed an association agreement. However, they also called for further progress.
Jourova hoped the new year would bring “decisive progress in terms of reforms”, believing that 2016 would be a decisive year. The three countries “have worked hard on the justice and fundamental rights reforms”, she said at a hearing at the European Parliament on “The association commitments - what progress in political reforms?”
Worrying political situation in Moldova. Like EEAS Deputy Secretary General and Political Director Helga Schmid and Deputy Director General of the European Commission's DG NEAR Katarina Mathernova, Jourova showed her concern for the situation in Moldova. “The unstable [political] situation is a barrier to in-depth reform”, Schmid said, adding that it was urgent for the country to work on the issue of corruption, on the public administration and on the media. Jourova added that it was necessary for those responsible for the banking scandal in 2004 (in other words, the theft of $1 billion), to be held accountable. “Everything possible must be done to recover the money and to deal with the mistakes that enabled this embezzlement”, she said. In Mathernova's view, “the political crisis has triumphed over the country's economic needs”. “The economy must be relaunched”, she added.
Progress in Georgia and Ukraine. Jourova, Schmid and Mathernova were optimistic about Georgia. However, Jourova stated that the independence of the judiciary was an area of concern and that the EU would continue to press for Tbilisi to work on the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. Mathernova also mentioned support to the private sector and the business environment. “But clearly Georgia is on the right track”, she added. In Schmid's view, an inclusive atmosphere needs to be established in the country so that the parliamentary elections in October go well.
As regards Ukraine, Schmid said that the country had progressed on the reform programme. “But there is still much to do”, she warned, mentioning the reform of the judicial system, the civil security sector and the management of public finances. “Implementation will be the key”, she added. Jourova highlighted the fight against corruption.
Implementation of the association agreements and free trade areas with the three countries will be debated at a plenary session of the European Parliament on Wednesday 20 January. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)