The current state of affairs of the EU

The current state of affairs of the EU Neighbourhood Policy European Liberal Forum – Bucharest, 21 -23 October 2016 – Mihaela Vasiu Policy Coordinator Strategy and Instruments of the European Neighbourhood Policy European External Action Service European Union

The ENP: origins and evolution • Communication 'Wider Europe' - launch of ENP (2004) • "Ring of friends" • Applies to 16 countries in the East and South: • • Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia • Objectives: stability, prosperity, security • Tools: political engagement, technical and financial assistance • Regional dimensions: Eastern Partnership and (since 2008) Union for the Mediterranean • Review in 2011 ("more for more") following the Arab spring

The ENP: origins and evolution • Regular assessment of implementation: annual ENP package • ENP sector policies • Employment and social policy, trade, industrial and competition policy, agriculture and rural development, climate change and environment, energy security, transport, research and innovation, as well as mobility and migration, and support to education, culture, youth or public health • Legal agreements: Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (PCA) and Association Agreements (AA) • Financial cooperation – NOT classical development assistance • European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI), International Financial Institutions – EIB, EBRD, World Bank (Neighbourhood Investment Facility - NIF)

ENP Review 2015 • Stability: complex political change, stalled peace processes, economic and social pressures, major irregular migration flows • Prosperity: mixed results on reform efforts, major economic crisis • Security: armed conflicts, civil war, hybrid threats Ø Increasing differences of engagement with the EU Ø Need to review assumptions on which the policy was based

ENP Review 2015 • Autumn 2014: review proposed by President Juncker and requested by EU Member States • ENP Review consultation process (March – July 2015) → maintain the Policy while ensuring joint ownership and differentiation (country tailor-made approaches) • November 2015 ENP Review Joint Communication (High Representative – Commission) → build more effective partnerships • Council Conclusions (FAC) on 14 December 2015 • Implementation ongoing

Highlights of the new ENP Council Conclusions of 15 April 2015: "The ENP is key for both the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy and other areas of the EU's external action. The neighbourhood is a strategic priority and a fundamental interest for the EU. The Council underlines the importance of a special relationship with the EU's neighbours which needs to be as effective as possible in order to develop an area of shared stability, security and prosperity. " Council Conclusions of 14 December 2015: "[…] a democratic, stable and prosperous neighbourhood is a strategic priority and a fundamental interest for the EU. Underlining the importance of a special relationship with the EU's neighbours, the stabilisation of the neighbourhood in political, economic and security terms will be the main political priority for the EU in the next years. In doing so, the EU will pursue its interests and promote universal values. "

ENP Review – the main lines • Stabilising the neighbourhood • Differentiation and increased ownership • Values and interests • A focus on joint priorities for cooperation • The regional dimension and beyond • More effective delivery

Stabilising the neighbourhood • Political stabilisation: address causes of instability, which often lie outside the security domain, e. g. poverty, inequality, and lack of opportunity • Economic stabilisation: support economies, in particular prospects for youth; energy cooperation; climate action; migration and mobility • Security-related stabilisation: e. g. conflict prevention, early warning, security sector reform, counterterrorism, cyber, police/justice cooperation

Differentiation and increased ownership • Common policy framework East and South • Emphasis on co-ownership of partners – different patterns of relations will emerge: • Work will develop on the existing basis where there is commitment to shared values; possibility to step up relations with more political dialogue at ministerial level • With other partners, new phase of engagement in 2016, following consultations on the future nature and focus of the partnership • Possibility to discuss new Partnership Priorities • Greater role for Council and EU Member States

Values and interests • Rule of law, independent and effective justice systems, effective anti-corruption -> social and economic stability • Human rights, gender, nondiscrimination • Fundamental freedoms • Important role of civil society

A focus on joint priorities for cooperation • Economic development and modernisation, employment -> focus on youth, education, growth, connectivity, energy security • Security (security sector reform, counter-terrorism, fighting organised crime, cybersecurity, CBRN risk mitigation, CSDP missions and operations, crisis management and response) • Migration and mobility: increased cooperation on root causes of irregular migration, ensuring protection of those in need, enhanced opportunities on mobility Ø June 2016 Communication on establishing new Partnership Frameworks with third countries under the European Agenda on Migration – EU External Investment Plan

The regional dimension and beyond • Strengthening relations between the neighbours themselves, regional cooperation with Member States and other countries • Role of the Eastern Partnership (Ea. P) and the Union of the Mediterranean (Uf. M) • Thematic frameworks – fora to discuss joint policy approaches, programming and investment, including IFIs, international organisations and other donors – involving multilateral actors in the wider region (neighbours of the neighbours) – priorities: migration, energy, security

More effective delivery Flexibility of financial instruments – Association Agendas and new Partnership Priorities: focus on priorities for assistance – speeding up aid delivery by streamlining procedures – proposed flexibility cushion – joint programming, donor coordination – macro-financial assistance – trust funds Visibility, communication and outreach – improved public diplomacy – support of independent, reliable and credible media – support strategic communication capacities within governments

ENP Review – state of play Eastern Partnership – bilateral • Associated partners, i. e. Georgia, R. Moldova, Ukraine: update the existing Association Agendas instead of negotiating new Partnership Priorities. – Association Agendas with Georgia and R. Moldova planned to be updated by the end of 2016. – Ukraine: current Association Agenda updated in March 2015; further update planned for 2017. • Partnership Priorities: internal work has started on Armenia and Belarus (NB: ongoing negotiations on EU-Armenia Framework Agreement). • Azerbaijan: Partnership Priorities to be discussed once it is clearer what the scope of the new bilateral Agreement will be (EU currently preparing its internal mandate for negotiations).

ENP Review – state of play Eastern Partnership – multilateral • Work advanced in Platforms/Panels • Panel on cooperation in the area of Rule of Law established (civil society consulted) • EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly • Conference of Regional and Local Authorities for the Ea. P (CORLEAP) • Ea. P Civil Society Forum • More effective communication - East Strat. Com Task Force • modalities to further strengthen cooperation to be decided upon at the 2017 Ea. P summit

ENP Review – state of play SOUTH bilateral • Partnership Priorities and Compacts with Jordan and Lebanon adopted earlier this month, on 17 October • Discussions with Egypt advanced • Discussions with Algeria at the beginning • Consideration currently being given to possible Partnership Priorities with Israel and, at a later point, with Palestine • Reaching out to Morocco would depend on developments at the bilateral level (in connection with the ICJ decision) • In cases where, for the moment, it is not possible to discuss Partnership Priorities (Tunisia, Syria, Libya), priority areas of cooperation to be discussed in the framework of specific political/security dialogues

ENP Review – state of play SOUTH multilateral • Cooperation in Uf. M framework – potential of delivering concrete and direct benefits for young people, women, entrepreneurs and citizens of the region • 41 Uf. M-labelled regional projects (EUR 5 billion) financed from mixed sources (governments, financial institutions, development agencies, private sector, etc. ) among which 22 under implementation • November 2015 Uf. M High-Level Meeting hosted by HRVP and Jordanian FM injected new momentum into Uf. M cooperation → next such meeting : January 2017 Barcelona • “Roadmap for the Uf. M” discussed at the Senior Officials’ Meeting held in Brussels on 14 October 2016 → to be endorsed next January

ENP Review – what's next? • Main goal shared by ENP Review and EU Global Strategy: resilience through stabilisation • Focus on the new security dimension → civil society to be consulted on the package of proposed concrete follow-up measures • March/April 2017 Joint Communication (HRCommission) on the implementation of the ENP Review and trends in the neighbourhood region • Country specific reports – timed to provide the basis for political exchanges in Association Council (or similar high-level meetings with partners)