Annex 1: Action and Objectives
In 2006, the Commission's external action was geared
to achieving the following
objectives:
— Assisting
acceding, candidate and potential candidate countries in moving
closer to the
EU through the
implementation of the enlargement policy and the Stabilisation
and
Association process
for the Western Balkans. Achievements:
ensuring the successful
accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU; signing
of a Stabilisation and Association
Agreement with Albania and negotiation of such agreements
with Serbia, Montenegro,
and Bosnia and Herzegovina; adoption of the Instrument
for Pre-accession Assistance;
adoption of a Communication on the Western Balkans
as well as of the annual
enlargement strategy paper.
— Ensuring
effective implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy.
Achievements: three new Action Plans with Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Georgia;
finalisation of the Action Plans with Egypt and Lebanon;
adoption of the European
Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument; informal
presentation of the Strategy
Papers to the ENPI Committee and the Parliament;
launch preparation of the ENPI
Cross Border Co-operation programme documents; adoption
of a new Communication
on Strengthening the European Neighbourhood Policy.
— Ensuring
constructive engagement in the Middle East Peace Process, through
the
Quartet structure
and in close co-operation with the parties. Achievements:
creation of
the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM): EC support
to the Palestinian people
reached € 339 million.
— Continuing
support for regional stability as well as reconstruction and political
transition in
Iraq. Achievements: preparation of the
International Compact for Iraq;
negotiations for a Trade and Co-operation Agreement
launched; 2006 Assistance
Programme approved and implemented.
— Continuing
the reconstruction and rehabilitation in response to the tsunami
disaster.
Achievements: implementation pace strongly accelerated;
€ 180 million in
rehabilitation and reconstruction activities committed,
mainly for Indonesia, Sri Lanka
and the Maldives.
Implementing a
new development policy to promote sustainable development and
poverty
reduction, on
the basis of the framework proposed in 2005 and the review of
the
Millennium Development
Goals, including a specific response for Africa. Achievements:
policy content of the Consensus integrated into the
Development and Co-operation
Instrument (DCI), programming guidelines and regional
strategies (e.g. EU Strategy
for Africa).
— Reaffirming
a strong commitment to human rights. Achievements:
renewed instrument
for the promotion of democracy and human rights adopted
at the end of the year.
In addition to the above-mentioned objectives, the
Commission made progress in the
following fields, for which it also announced key
initiatives in 2006:
— Achieving
substantial progress in Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations
with
six ACP regions
to allow entry into force in 2008. Achievements:
all negotiations
advanced, analysis and capacity-building actions
provided, link between negotiation
process and programming of development co-operation
ensured.
— Contributing
to the follow-up key initiatives on development, notably on financing,
coherence, Africa
and international public goods, as a result of this year's G8
Summit
and High-level
Plenary meeting on Millennium Development Goals.
Achievements:
action plan on aid effectiveness ("EU aid: delivering
more, faster and better") approved
with a list of nine deliverables to be implemented
by 2010.
— Reinforcing
the Commission's response capacity to humanitarian disasters,
strengthening
its disaster prevention and preparedness strategy, and addressing
the EU
contribution to
the Global Health Fund for AIDS/HIV, Malaria and Tuberculosis.
Achievements: consultation of partners and EU Member
States launched to feed into a
communication on 'Towards
a European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid'
to be issued in
2007; annual contribution to the Global Fund of €90
million.
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