12 The EU and Central Asia: Strategy
for a New Partnership
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| Presidency Paper: The EU and Central Asia: Strategy for a New Partnership
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| Legal base | Article 13 EU; unanimity
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| Department | Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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| Basis of consideration | EM of 6 June 2007
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| Previous Committee Report | None
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| To be discussed in Council | 18 June 2007 GAERC
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | Cleared
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Background
12.1 The Common Strategy instrument was created by the Amsterdam
Treaty, as the means of setting out the objectives, overall policy
guidelines, organisation and duration of the EU's external policies
towards geographic or thematic areas.
12.2 The EU Strategy for Central Asia sets out the EU's approach
to promoting democracy, human rights, good governance and sustainable
development, counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics and energy security
in Central Asia. It lays out how it intends to work within existing
instruments, such as the Partnership and Co-operation Agreements
and other co-operation frameworks, to enhance cooperation.
12.3 In his 6 June 2007 Explanatory Memorandum, the Minister for
Europe at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr Geoffrey Hoon)
explains that:
—
the December 2006 European Council mandated the incoming German
Presidency to prepare the Strategy for adoption at the European
Council in June 2007;
— the
Strategy will serve as the general framework for enhancing EU
cooperation with the Central Asian states over the next 5-10 years;
— it
is not a legislative document, and sits alongside the European
Commission's 2007-2013 Assistance Strategy for Central Asia, which
provides the resources to support the strengthening of political
dialogue with the Central Asian states; and
—
it is based on "a clear sense, both within the EU and the
Central Asia region, that the EU's profile in the region was low,
and fell some way behind that of Russia, China and the United
States".
12.4 He notes that initial discussions on the Strategy
between Member States centred on a draft paper prepared by EU
Special Representative Pierre Morel and the Commission; following
a meeting at Foreign Minister level in Astana, Kazakhstan, in
March 2007 between the EU Troika and the Foreign Ministers of
the Central Asian states, the Presidency introduced a revised
version which incorporated elements of the earlier draft and reflected
comments made by the Central Asian Foreign Ministers during that
meeting; Member States were invited to comment on the revised
draft and further discussions were held in Brussels on 22 May;
and the Presidency circulated the final version on 25 May. He
encloses it with his Explanatory Memorandum. The 18 June General
Affairs and External Relations Council is expected to agree the
paper, prior to adoption by the 21-22 June European Council.
The draft Common Strategy
12.5 In its introduction, the paper notes that the
Central Asian States — Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan — lie at a strategically
important intersection between the two continents. The time has
come for a new partnership between the EU and Central Asian States
in a globalised world. The EU has a strong interest in a peaceful,
democratic and economically prosperous Central Asia. The aim of
the EU Strategy is therefore to cooperate actively with the Central
Asian States in reaching these goals as well as to contribute
to safeguarding peace and prosperity in neighbouring countries.
The Strategy builds on the progress which the Central Asian States
have themselves made since attaining independence. It takes account
of their common aspects as well as specific national contexts
and requirements. It also builds on the results obtained under
the implementation of the various Partnership and Co-operation
Agreements, EU assistance programmes and other initiatives taken
by the EU to support the states of Central Asia.
12.6 The EU has an interest in security and stability
as well as in adherence to human rights and the rule of law in
Central Asian States because:
— strategic,
political and economic developments as well as increasing trans-regional
challenges in Central Asia impact directly or indirectly on EU
interests;
— with
EU enlargement, the inclusion of the Southern Caucasus into the
European Neighbourhood Policy and the Black Sea Synergy Initiative,
Central Asia and the EU are moving closer together;
— significant
energy resources in Central Asia and the region's aim to diversify
trade partners and supply routes can help meet EU energy security
and supply needs.
12.7 Security questions and regional economic development
require close EU cooperation with each Central Asian state, taking
into account their geographical location — in particular
with respect to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran — in the
areas of border management, migration, the fight against organised
crime and international terrorism, as well as human, drugs, and
arms trafficking. EU dependency on external energy sources and
the need for a diversified energy supply policy in order to increase
energy security open further perspectives for cooperation, to
strengthen local energy markets, improve investment conditions,
increase energy production and efficiency and diversify energy
supply and distribution in the region. Priorities for cooperation
with each Central Asian state will be according to its specific
needs, requirements and performance, including human rights, good
governance, democracy and social development. In order to address
issues of particular importance, the EU will within the framework
of this Strategy:
— establish
a regular regional political dialogue at Foreign Minister level;
— start
a "European Education Initiative" and support Central
Asian countries in the development of an "e-silk-highway";
— start
an "EU Rule of Law Initiative";
— establish
a regular, result-oriented "Human Rights Dialogue" with
each of the Central Asian States;
— conduct
a regular energy dialogue.
12.8 As well as making full use of the potential
of Partnership and Co-operation Agreements, Commission and Member
States' programmes, the EU will make greater use of cooperation
frameworks such as the Baku Initiative. Cooperation with the UN,
OSCE, the Council of Europe, NATO, international financial institutions
and with other regional organisations and fora will be enhanced.
12.9 The EU Special Representative (EUSR) "on
behalf of the High Representative and in accordance with his mandate,
together with the Commission and the Presidency, and without prejudice
to Community competence", will monitor the implementation
process, make recommendations and report to relevant Council bodies
on a regular basis.
12.10 Use will be made of twinning and seconding
staff between EU and Central Asian administrations or companies
and public-private partnership initiatives. Interaction with international
financial institutions will be strengthened, including the World
Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(EBRD and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
12.11 The paper then develops each of these broad
approaches in greater detail.
HUMAN RIGHTS, RULE OF LAW, GOOD GOVERNANCE AND DEMOCRATISATION
12.12 The EU and its Member States intend to step
up support for the protection of human rights and for the creation
and development of an independent judiciary. The EU will co-operate
closely with the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the UN and the UN
High Commissioner for Human Rights in this field. The EU will
raise human rights issues with each Central Asian state by entering
into a structured, regular and results-oriented human rights dialogue.
The objectives with each of the countries should include:
— discussing
questions of mutual interest and enhancing cooperation on human
rights, inter alia in multilateral fora such as the United Nations
and the OSCE;
— raising
the concerns felt by the EU as regards the human rights situation
in the countries concerned, information gathering and initiatives
to improve the relevant human rights situation.
12.13 The EU will respond to suggestions put forward
by the Central Asian States and develop a Rule of Law Initiative
which addresses the specific priorities identified by each country.
EU Member States and the Commission will coordinate their projects
closely. Within the framework of this Rule of Law Initiative,
the EU will support the Central Asian States in core legal reforms,
including reform of the judiciary, and in drawing up effective
legislation, for example in the fields of adminis-trative and
commercial law, accession to the Rome Statute of the International
Criminal Court and combating international crime in accordance
with international law. The EU and Member States will aim to second
judicial and administrative experts, provide training opportunities
to experts from Central Asian States and organise and sponsor
specialised conferences.
12.14 They will coordinate closely with OSCE field
missions, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
(ODIHR), bilateral programmes and the UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights.
12.15 A developed and active civil society and independent
media being vital for the development of a pluralistic society,
the EU will cooperate with the Central Asian States to this end
and promote enhanced exchanges in civil society.
INVESTING IN THE FUTURE: YOUTH AND EDUCATION
12.16 Bearing in mind that the majority of Central
Asia's population is under the age of 25, the EU and Member States
will set up a European Education Initiative offering support in
the fields of:
— primary
school education;
— secondary
school education;
— vocational
education and training;
— higher
education cooperation, academic and student exchanges, under the
new Erasmus Mundus facility and TEMPUS and bilaterally.
The EU will support the development of regional education
centres and European Studies Institutes, grant scholarships to
European universities, support Central Asian States in linking
with the EU e-network and global Internet-based communication
networks through the development of an "e-silk-highway",
promote long distance learning and enable Central Asian students,
teachers, academics and scientists to participate in modern forms
of life-long learning.
PROMOTION OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TRADE AND INVESTMENT
12.17 The EU will continue to support the development
of market economy structures in Central Asia and cooperate with
interested companies from the EU in a public-private partnership
to promote the market economy. In particular, the EU will:
— support
deeper integration of Central Asia into the world trade and economic
system, in particular through the WTO accession process and eventual
membership;
— support
economic diversification with a view to promoting sustainable
development by improving local skills and potential (science and
technology, innovation, tourism), promotion of SMEs, development
of basic infrastructure (road, rail, telecom, IT) and initiatives
for know-how transfer and capacity building;
— support
substantial reforms of the financial systems, especially in the
banking and micro credit sector;
— help
to enhance the Central Asian States' ability to make better use
of the available GSP and encourage regional trade;
— develop
better practical access to the EU market for Central Asian products;
— help
to develop legislative and institutional frameworks conducive
to better business environments and to attracting foreign direct
investment;
— help
the countries of the region improve their individual credit ratings
in order to qualify for future lending programmes.
STRENGTHENING ENERGY AND TRANSPORT LINKS
12.18 The EU and Central Asia "share a paramount
interest in enhancing Energy Security as an important aspect of
global security" and "a common interest in diversifying
export routes, demand and supply structures and energy sources.
Increasing oil and gas exploitation will contribute to better
world market supplies and will be conducive to diversification.
Gas deliveries from the region are of special importance to the
EU. The exploitation of the energy resources of Central Asian
States calls for substantial and sustained investment as well
as for comprehensive policies addressing all the components of
their energy sectors and facilitating access to most developed
markets. The EU, for its part, is ready to consider all options
for the development and transportation of these resources, in
co-operation with other interested partners. A market-based approach
to investment and procurement and transparent, stable and non-discriminatory
regulatory frameworks guarantee, for all sources of energy, the
best prices and increased opportunities for all stake-holders".
12.19 Against this background, the EU will conduct
an enhanced regular energy dialogue with Central Asian States
in the framework of the Baku Initiative.[27]
EU activities will also be based on the Energy Charter and bilateral
MoUs on Energy issues. The EU will:
— support
the exploration of new oil, gas and hydro-power resources and
the upgrading of the existing energy infrastructure;
— support
the rehabilitation of existing pipelines and the construction
of new pipelines and electricity transportation networks inside
the region and towards Europe;
— contribute
to regional energy security and cooperation, and widen export
markets for Central Asian producers;
— lend
political support and assistance to Central Asian countries in
developing a new Caspian Sea-Black Sea-EU energy transport corridor;
— promote
the creation of an integrated Central Asian energy market;
— help
to promote investment in energy projects, including public-private
partnerships;
— support
transparency and capacity-building in statistics and in the governance
of the energy sector;
— support
and enhance technological cooperation between the EU and the Central
Asian States in the energy sector;
— support
sustainable energy development, including the development of energy
efficiency, renewable energy sources and demand side management.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND WATER
12.20 Environmental issues related to the extraction
and transport of energy resources as well as vulnerability to
climate change and natural disasters are also matters of major
concern. The EU will therefore:
— support
the implementation of the EECCA (Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central
Asia) component of the EU Water Initiative (EUWI-EECCA) for safe
water supply and sanitation and integrated water resources management.
— promote
transboundary river basin management as well as regional cooperation
under the Caspian Sea Environmental Convention;
— support
the integrated management of surface and underground trans-boundary
water resources;
— enhance
co-operation for facilitating the financing of water related infrastructure
projects, including through attracting IFIs and public-private
partnership funds;
— support
regional capacity building on integrated water management and
production of hydropower;
— cooperate
on climate change, combating desertification, safeguarding bio-diversity
and improving sustainable management of forests;
— encourage
increased environmental awareness and the development of environmental
civil society.
COMBATING COMMON THREATS AND CHALLENGES
12.21 The EU will seek to launch a close dialogue
and cooperation on migration with regions of transit, origin and
destination through the EU's Global Approach to Migration and
seek better coordination and cooperation between BOMCA,[28]
the OSCE and other border projects from Member States and third
countries. Support for the development of modern border management
in the region will be stepped up, including:
— continuing
to introduce the basic principles of integrated border management
in border guard services and other relevant services;
— working
on specific border crossing points;
— supporting
transformation of border guards from a conscript to a professional
service and from a purely military system to a more police-style
law enforcement agency;
— seeking
increased involvement of customs services to facilitate trade;
— updating
the legal framework in accordance with international law in the
field of combating organised crime (e.g., UN Convention against
Transnational Organised Crime and its Protocols), with a focus
on illegal migration, trafficking in human beings, preventing
and countering drugs and precursors trafficking; improve institutional
capacity of law enforcement agencies, and strengthen regional
cooperation in fighting trans-national organised crime.
12.22 At the same time, the EU will continue to offer
its assistance to help the interested Central Asian States to
manage migration in a more balanced manner.
12.23 The EU will give greater support to the fight
against corruption, the drug trade, human trafficking, illegal
trade of weapons from and to Afghanistan and organised crime in
Central Asia.
12.24 It will step up cooperation with the Central
Asian States to combat international terrorism.
12.25 The EU will strengthen the fight against drugs
with a specific EU presence in Dushanbe, support the rapid installation
of the regional anti-drug centre (CARICC) in Almaty and intensify
cooperation with UNODC[29]
with a view to tracking chemical precursors of heroin production.
Cooperation with China and the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation
on drug-trafficking will be strengthened.
12.26 The Strategy includes an automatic review mechanism
in June 2008 and every two years subsequently.
The Government's view
12.27 The Minister says that the Strategy reflects
the UK's interests in a region that is likely to become increasingly
important over the next 10 years, and continues as follows:
"We have worked closely with the Presidency,
Commission and other partners to ensure that our priorities are
adequately reflected. As a result, the Strategy is now more realistic,
and less likely to raise undue expectations in Central Asia that
the EU does not have the political will or resources to fulfil.
It contains a better balance between the EU's strategic interests
on energy security and the importance of human rights and good
governance (which was previously down-played). And it includes
at least some differentiation between the five Central Asian states
(which are at different stages of political and economic development),
whereas previous drafts tended to treat them as homogeneous bloc.
At UK instigation, the final version of the Strategy now contains
an important paragraph committing the EU to 'work with each of
the Central Asian countries to develop individual approaches to
implementation, according to the specific needs and performance
of each country, building on existing and future agreements, including
Partnership and Co-operation Agreements'.
"The robust section in the Strategy covering
human rights, rule of law, good governance and democratisation
commits the EU to continuing and establishing regular, result-orientated
human rights dialogues with each of the Central Asian states.
The human rights dialogues provide an opportunity to promote respect
for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The UK welcomes the
intention to intensify co-operation in human rights, good governance
and democracy through closer co-operation with the Organisation
for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe
and the United Nations. While recognising that the EU cannot impose
its own sense of democracy on individual countries, the UK believes
that opportunities exist to work with the countries in the region
to promote initiatives aimed at improving rule of law through
support for independent judiciaries, transparency and the fight
against corruption. To this end, for example, the UK suggested
that the Strategy should include a reference to promoting the
Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative within the region
which has now been included, as well as additional references
to capacity building and governance in the energy sector.
"The UK welcomes the commitment in the Strategy
to strengthening capacity in counter-narcotics by enhancing border
management through targeted programmes and better co-ordination
with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe
and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to prevent trafficking
of drugs and chemical precursors. Similarly, we welcome the commitment
to step up co-operation with the Central Asian states in combating
international terrorism."
Financial Implications
12.28 The Minister says that there are no direct
additional financial implications for the UK. Within the new external
assistance instruments based on the EU budget for 2007-2013, the
Commission has allocated €750m for Central Asia, which will
be disbursed through the European Commission Assistance Strategy
for Central Asia for 2007-2013. The average annual allocation
for the region will increase from €58m in 2007 to €139m
in 2013.
Conclusions
12.29 The Strategy is timely, comprehensive and
ambitious. The elements are also — thanks to UK efforts,
we are told — properly balanced. As the Strategy says in
the introduction, "the development and consolidation of stable,
just and open societies, adhering to international norms, is essential
to bring the partnership between the European Union and Central
Asian States to full fruition". The current differences between
the EU and the authorities in Uzbekistan over good governance
issues, which we considered in our previous Report,[30]
and the latter's failure to respond to international concern,
illustrate the extent of the challenges that will have to be overcome
in at least one instance before that full fruition is attained.
The travails that the EU-Russia relationship is undergoing are
also illustrative of the inherent difficulties in creating the
sort of partnership to which the European Union naturally aspires,
but which remains elusive and problematic.[31]
12.30 Although the Minister says there are no
financial implications for the UK, we presume that the UK will
be involved in at least some of the bilateral programmes envisaged
under the strategy. We should therefore be grateful if, when he
submits an Explanatory Memorandum on the review, he outlines what
relevant UK activity there has been and how much it cost.
12.31 We now clear the document.
27 Energy cooperation between the EU, the Littoral
States of the Black and Caspian Seas and their neighbouring countries,
launched at the Energy Ministerial conference held in Baku in
November 2004. Back
28
BOMCA/CADAP, the European Union's assistance Programme on border
management and drug action in Central Asia.
Back
29
The United Nations International Drug Control Programme. Back
30
(28664): see HC 41-xxiii (2006-07), para 18 (6 June 2007). Back
31
See para 9 of this Report. Back
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