Brussels, 16/04/2004 (Agence Europe) - As we were going to press, discussion over the extension of the EU-Russia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) to the ten future new Member States of the EU between now and the 1 May were continuing between the European Commission and Moscow (see yesterday's Europe, p.12). On Friday, Arancha Gonzalez, spokesperson for Pascal Lamy, said that they had managed to cover 95% of the questions raised and had found solutions but were continuing negotiations over two issues, the rights of Russian minorities and the transit of freight to and from Kaliningrad. The negotiations have been taken up with particular energy in the light of upcoming enlargement and will continue next week, she said. Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission, and no less than seven Commissioners will be travelling to Russia on Thursday for the upcoming EU-Russia Summit.
The Commission remains resolutely optimistic about the possibility of striking agreement with Moscow over the remaining issues on the table, and hence to be able to sign the protocol extending the PCA to the ten future EU Member States at the first meeting of the EU-Russia Standing Partnership Council, to be held in Luxembourg on 27 April. On Friday, negotiations were looking at the joint political declaration, which will have to include some of the fourteen Russian demands (which Moscow says are vital to alleviate the negative impact of enlargement) and which should be approved alongside the signing of the protocol (see Europe of 27 March, p.14)> The EU believes that some of the demands, like how Russian speaking minorities are dealt with in the Baltic States, are not connected with enlargement, and has to date refused to include them in the declaration (see Europe of 14 April, p.11). In terms of the transit of freight to and from the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, it is a question of reconciling the Russians, who fear economic losses due to the implementation of EU customs regulations with the EU position, wanting to apply customs controls for security reasons, explained Ms Gonzalez to Europe. Kaliningrad will, following enlargement, be 'stuck' between Poland and Lithuania. If agreement is not found on Friday, negotiations will continue next week at the technical level and possibly also at the meeting between the Commission's delegation and President Putin in Moscow on Friday, she added.
It is following an invitation from the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, that President Prodi and the seven Commissioners will be travelling to Moscow to discuss issues of joint interest to Europe and Russia, ahead of the upcoming EU-Russia Summit, due to take place in Moscow on 21 May 2004. The meeting will enable both sides to discuss Russia's membership of the World Trade Organisation. The Commissioners accompanying Romano Prodi are Pascal Lamy (Trade), Chris Patten (External Relations), Gunter Verheugen (Enlargement), Antonio Vitorino (Justice and Home Affairs), Loyola de Palacio (Transport and Energy), Margot Wallstrom (Environment) and Philippe Busquin (Research).