Brussels, 20/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - Experience of the first year of Black Sea regional cooperation involving seven countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine) show that “the development of EU-supported Black Sea regional cooperation is a process taking place in a complex environment”, explains a report adopted by the European Commission on Thursday 19 June 2008 taking stock of the first year of implementing the strategy. Black Sea regional cooperation aims to complement the EU's neighbourhood policy, the policy to enlarge the EU to include Turkey and the EU's strategic partnership with the Russian Federation. In 2007, aid of €837 million was provided by the EU to the seven Black Sea countries from the European neighbourhood policy instrument (ENPI) and the pre-accession instrument (IPA).
At a meeting in Kiev (Ukraine) in February 2008, the foreign ministers of the EU member states and their Black Sea regional cooperation partners made suggestions as to how the Black Sea synergy cooperation process could be firmly rooted as a long-term endeavour. The European Commission comments that “these proposals can provide new impetus to regional cooperation with our partners to the east of the European Union”. The Commission intends to explore and actively take them forward to promote more effective and ambitious action: long-term, measureable objectives in fields like transport, environment, energy or maritime safety should be set, to spur more concerted action…; in order to facilitate the realisation of projects, sectoral partnerships could be established to provide a framework for co-financing (including through the neighbourhood investment facility) and a basis for the involvement of international financial institutions. The successful experience of the northern dimension provides a useful example of how this could work; and the frequency of ministers' meetings should reflect concrete needs.
A number of other proposals were put forward that also deserve further study, like the involvement of Belarus in some of the sectoral activities related to the synergy; the creation of a Black Sea Civil Society Forum; the strengthening of academic and student networks; and the establishment of an Institute of European Studies in the Black Sea region. The European Commission 2007 Communication on Black Sea Synergy formulated concrete goals and tasks in sectors or thematic fields. The Commission explains that it has started implementing most of these tasks.
Environment. The European Commission “is examining the conditions for European Community accession to the Convention to protect the Black Sea against pollution… The Commission will launch soon a climate change technical assistance project which includes the Black Sea region. This will focus on enhancing capacity to implement the Kyoto Protocol and to participate in international negotiations on a post-2012 agreement.”
Maritime policy and fisheries. “In the framework of the recently adopted Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union, the Commission is promoting better cooperation between national authorities responsible for offshore government activities, including the Western Black Sea region, through the creation of an integrated network of maritime surveillance systems. In this context, it will also look at the possibility of extending such a network to other non-EU Black Sea littoral states. The Black Sea countries have already established Exclusive Economic Zones and are currently preparing to develop a regional Strategy for Integrated Coastal Zones Management. The Commission will complete a Road Map in order to facilitate the development of maritime spatial planning and by the end of 2008, member states in the Black Sea region are encouraged to start their own reflection on maritime spatial planning and learn from the experience of other member states' concerning the preservation of fish resources”.
Transport. “The Commission has begun exploratory discussion on extending the trans-European transport networks. It is considering preparing the TRACECA (the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Central Asia, which provides assistance for road, rail, aviation and maritime transport connections) structures to serve as institutions for the south-eastern axis. Work has begun on extending the Common Aviation Area to the Black Sea countries”.
Security and Migration. “In April 2008, the EU decided to put in place a platform for targeted and enhanced dialogue on migration and to improve practical cooperation between member states and the countries of the region. The Commission is co-funding two projects to combat people trafficking, one through labour-market-based measures and the other through police measures”. (L.C./transl. fl)