While we appreciate the efforts that enabled to organise the Eastern Partnership Summit (EUROPE 12510/16), we urge European Institutions and EU governments to relaunch the geopolitical ambition towards the Partnership and take decisive action with regard to the region today and beyond 2020.
More than ever, the geopolitical future of the region is at stake, and so is the EU’s stability. Not only the aggression of the Kremlin, but also diminishing motivation for reforms, political infighting and tensions in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova raise challenges to the European reforms in these countries while the COVID pandemic impacts on the economies. Status quo is not an answer. We need concrete help and bold decisions. The success of the Eastern Partnership policy is important not only to the countries of this region, but also to the whole European continent.
EU governments should prepare a detailed and ambitious agenda of cooperation, providing concrete help to the Association Agreement signatories Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, as well as to Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus and to advance to tailor-made more ambitious next step strategies, where desired by the countries.
In order to make our Partnership successful, the EU should invest not only money, but also formulate an incentive based, smart and effective strategy, especially for the three Eastern partner countries, which have the Association Agreements with the EU and are willing to deepen their relationship with the EU. If we miss the opportunity to propose a vision, we must not be surprised to witness an increasing disenchantment towards the EU and the erosion of the reform processes.
Therefore, we ask EU27 leaders to consider:
- to develop and enhance EU’s cooperation and support to further progress in partners’ political and economic integration and association, in areas such as EU reform and investment agenda, energy, transport or intra - regional trade. In light of a tailor-made approach, the EU enhanced cooperation strategy in areas such as capacity building, transport, infrastructure, connectivity, energy, justice and the digital economy, could be even more intensified with the three associated countries.
The dialogue could include meetings on the margins of the European Council with leaders of the associated countries and regular participation of their representatives in the meetings of the European Council working groups and committees. Depending on a progress and interest, such enhanced cooperation strategy could be extended to remaining countries of the Partnership.
- this strategy should aim at a gradual movement of most advanced countries towards access to the EU freedoms, internal market and then to European Economic Area. This strategy would also support the building of a resilient democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights, sustainable environmental and climate policies, digital transformation and the objective of fair and inclusive societies, as well as the creation of a roaming fee free zone between the EU and Eastern Partnership countries.
- a detailed and tailor-made economic and investment plan in the autumn of 2020, in the same manner as it will be done for the Western Balkans region, which would help the countries to alleviate the social and economic impact of the COVID pandemic. This plan should boost investments being not only a response to the crisis but also a support to European integration reforms. We urge you to ensure and increased and adequate resources for the projects and programs in the Eastern Partnership within the next multiannual financial framework (MFF).
- the initiation of a forum of democratic allies and actors - like the US, Canada, Japan, the IMF and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development - to analyse and counteract the negative influence of third powers in the region.
Together with the EPP Group we will continue to take an active role in promoting these ideas, as we did in the latest Foreign Affairs Committee Report on the Eastern Partnership in the run-up to the June 2020 Summit and in the recently adopted Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Bureau message to the Eastern Partnership Leaders virtual meeting on 18 June 2020 (EUROPE 12506A8).
Sandra Kalniete - EPP Group Vice-Chair for Foreign Affairs
Andrius Kubilius - Chair of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly
Radosław Sikorski - Chair of the Delegation for relations with United States, EPP Group negotiator of the EP recommendation on the Eastern Partnership Summit
Michael Gahler - EPP Group spokesperson on Foreign Affairs