Brussels, 09/07/2003 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday the European Commission decided to made Enlargement Commissioner, Günter Verheugen, responsible for the Wider Europe policy for strengthening relations with the new neighbours of the enlarged EU in Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean, namely Russia, the Ukraine, Moldova, Byelorussia, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, Israel, Libya, the Palestinian Authority, the Lebanon, Egypt and Syria. Wider Europe does not cover current candidate countries (Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey) or the five Balkan states (Croatia, FYROM, Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina and Serbia Montenegro) which might join the EU in the future (as was recognised by the European Council). The policy was unveiled in a Commission Communication in March 2003 (see EUROPE of 13 March, p.10). Commissioner Günter Verheugen will be assisted by a “Wider Europe Task Force” of officials from DG Enlargement and DG External Relations. The Commission says that giving Verheugen this responsibility will make use of the precious experience gained by DG Enlargement in recent years in managing the pre-accession strategy and accession negotiations with the thirteen candidate countries since not using such unique expertise would be an unjustifiable waste of experience, as Verheugen pointed out at a press conference. He said it also gave a political signal to the EU's future neighbours that the EU intended using all the experience and means at its disposal to strengthen political and economic cooperation with the Wider Europe. The Task Force, headed by Mr Michael Leigh, Deputy Director General at DG External Relations, will negotiate with the governments of the countries in question and draw up action plans for the future. Verheugen has already announced that the current Prodi Commission will not be able to develop action plans with all the countries before the end of 2004 so priorities will have to be determined. The Task Force will also prepare plans for implementing Wider Europe under the next Commission. Commissioner Chris Patten retains the overall responsibility for external relations, including bilateral relations with those countries..
On Wednesday the Commission also decided to create an Inter Service Group, ISG, for the preparation of the Commission Opinion on Croatia's application for membership.
Eneko Landaburu to be Director General for External Relations,
Fabrizio Barbaso to replace him at DG Enlargement
The European Commission confirmed on Wednesday the appointment of the current Director General for Enlargement, Eneko Landaburu, as the new Director General for External Relations. Landaburu will be replaced at DG Enlargement Fabrizio Barbaso, the Deputy General Director of DG Agriculture. Commissioner Verheugen thanked Landaburu at a press conference for his “fantastic” work. Verheugen stressed that these changes would not impact on the accession negotiations with Bulgaria and Romania or on relations with Turkey (such as preparing the 2004 report). The Commission also named Hervé Jouanjean as Deputy Director General for External Relations, responsible for relations with Latin America and Asia (excluding Japan and Korea).