On Wednesday 15 November, the European Parliament proposed increased cooperation between the EU and the Eastern Partnership countries that are most advanced in the process – Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia (the other three Eastern Partnership countries are Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus).
In a report by Laima Liucija Andrikien (EPP, Lithuania) and Knut Fleckenstein (S&D, Germany) on the European Parliament's recommendation to the Council, Commission and EEAS on the Eastern Partnership ahead of the November 2017 summit, the European Parliament envisages an "improved Eastern Partnership". The report was adopted by 519 votes in favour, 114 against and 47 abstentions.
The Parliament wants the establishment of an attractive model of an improved Eastern Partnership in the long term for associated countries that have made significant progress in implementing reforms linked to the deep and comprehensive free trade area and to the association agreements. The Parliament says that this model could possibly result in these countires' joining the customs union, the energy union, the digital union, and the Schengen area. It could possibly also result in improved access to the EU internal market, integration in European transport networks, the development of industrial partnerships, increased participation in other EU programmes, and increased cooperation in the area of the CSDP. The partnership could furthermore focus on more immediate measures, such as additional unilateral tariff preferences, the removal of roaming charges between the partners and the EU, and the deployment of high capacity broadband.
But this strengthened partnership would not be an alternative to accession. The MEPs thus say that in line with Article 49 of the EU treaty, any European state can put forward its candidacy to become a member of the EU on condition that that state fulfils the necessary conditions. The MEPs ask the member states to agree on an ambitious declaration for the 2017 summit, defining long term objectives. Every summit is the occasion for a dispute between member states on whether or not to include a reference to Article 49. This article has thus far never been invoked, with just the European aspirations of the partner states being recognised.
The Parliament also want a trust fund to be set up for Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, based on public and private investment. It would also like a conference of trust fund contributors to be organised to cover the humanitarian needs resulting from the conflict in eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea.
More generally, the MEPs hope that the Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels on 24 November is future-looking, breathes new dynamism into the Eastern Partnership and clearly lays the groundwork for a long term policy. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)