Brussels, 17/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - In order to avoid that Kaliningrad becomes "a subject of discord between Russia and an enlarged European Union", the European Commission presented, on Wednesday, a group of proposals for studies and cooperation projects. "We must bring our support - and not only through altruism", underlined the Commissioner for External Relations, Chris Patten, when insisting on "the obvious crossborder implications (…) of organised crime, pollution and serious drug and health problems" experienced by Kaliningrad. Separated from continental Russia, Kaliningrad has as only neighbour Poland and Lithuania.
The Commission proposes: (1) to study the measures that would enable to limit the impact of enlargement on the free movement of persons. In fact, the residents of Kaliningrad will have to carry passports and visas, while at present they do not need a visa to transit through Lithuania. The Commission suggests to the Member States that they open consulates in Kaliningrad, in order to facilitate the granting of visas, and proposes to study the various possibilities (for transit, in the short-term, and long-term), but also the cost of passports and visas… The Commission insists on the improvement of border checks. (2) to undertake as of the first quarter of this year, with Russia, a study on the effects of enlargement on the trade by Kaliningrad. The Commission assures that the impact will be globally positive, because the EU applies lower customs duties than Poland and Lithuania and rejects the ideas of free trade areas or customs unions. (3) to examine with Russia, Poland and Lithuania, the concrete problems concerning the management of the free movement of goods, by sticking to the main road and rail border crossings. (4) to examine the financing of transport projects included in the Trans-European network. (5) to carry out a study into energy needs. The Communication underlines that Kaliningrad" is nearly entirely dependent of energy imported from continental Russia and provides only 20% of its needs". (6) through Tacis, to support projects for economic development, the training of civil servants, judicial reform, the fight against pollution and to support the reform of health services and the fight against aids. The Commission is announcing the upcoming adoption of Tacis projects for Kaliningrad, totalling of around EUR 15 million.. The Commission insists on the fact that the Communication does not bring conclusions on the measures to be taken, but emits suggestions that will be submitted to the EU 15 before being discussed with Russia, Poland and Lithuania. Before the visit by Commissioner Patten and the President of the Council Anna Lindh to Kaliningrad in mid-February, the EU representative for and the Swedish Ambassador to Moscow will go there as of next week. Moreover, the Commission "expects that Russia will imminently present its own strategy for Kaliningrad", added the spokesperson for Commissioner Patten.
Commissioner Patten's spokesman was very cautious in his response to the request by Lithuania and Poland for an investigation into the presence of nuclear weapons in Kaliningrad. He stressed that Russia assures there are no such weapons, before specifying that he did not know whether the issue would be tackled by the Commissioner in Moscow. This gives rise to many questions, but it is not necessarily something that comes under Commission competence. Furthermore, the Commission plans to study Russia's request to keep the transit agreement concluded with Lithuania for the transit of conventional weapons.