Annex: Declaration by the European Council on
the Eastern Partnership
1. Promoting stability, good governance and economic
development in its Eastern neighbourhood is of strategic importance
for the European Union. The EU therefore has a strong interest
in developing an increasingly close relationship with its Eastern
partners, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic
of Moldova and Ukraine. The European Union's proposal for an ambitious
Eastern Partnership to be established with these countries serves
this objective. The Eastern Partnership will bring about a significant
strengthening of EU policy with regard to its Eastern partners
by seeking to create the necessary conditions for political association
and further economic integration between the European Union and
its Eastern partners through the development of a specific Eastern
dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy. To achieve this,
the Eastern Partnership seeks to support political and socio-economic
reforms, facilitating approximation and convergence towards the
European Union. In the same vein, the Eastern Partnership will
help to build trust and develop closer ties among the six Eastern
partners themselves.
2. Work under the Eastern Partnership will go ahead
without prejudice to individual participating countries' aspirations
for their future relationship with the European Union. The Eastern
Partnership will be governed by the principles of joint ownership,
differentiation and conditionality. Shared values including democracy,
the rule of law, and respect for human rights will be at its core,
as well as the principles of market economy, sustainable development
and good governance. Increased European Union engagement will
be in line with the main goals of the Eastern Partnership, depending
on the progress made by individual partners. Increased financial
support in line with the Commission's proposal of €600m for
the period to 2013 will respect the resources available under
the multiannual Financial Framework, including adequate margins.
3. There will be effective complementarity between
the Eastern Partnership and existing regional initiatives in the
EU's neighbourhood, in particular the Black Sea Synergy. The European
Council underlines the EU's commitment to strengthen the Black
Sea Synergy and to support its implementation, noting that its
focus is on regional cooperation in the Black Sea region, whereas
the Eastern Partnership focuses on approximation and will strengthen
the links of partner countries with the EU. The Eastern Partnership
will also be developed in parallel with the bilateral cooperation
between the EU and third countries.
4. Bilateral cooperation under the Eastern Partnership
should provide the foundation for new Association Agreements between
the EU and those partners who have made sufficient progress towards
the principles and values set out in paragraph 2 above and who
are willing and able to comply with the resulting commitments
including the establishment, or the objective of establishing,
deep and comprehensive free trade areas. The European Union's
Comprehensive Institution-Building Programmes will help the participating
countries to improve their administrative capacity. The Eastern
Partnership will promote mobility of citizens of partner countries
through visa facilitation and readmission agreements. The EU,
in line with the Global Approach to Migration, should also take
gradual steps towards full visa liberalisation as a long term
goal for individual partner countries and on a case by case basis
provided that conditions for well-managed and secure mobility
are in place. The Eastern Partnership aims to strengthen the energy
security cooperation of all participants with regard to long-term
energy supply and transit, including through better regulation
and energy efficiency. It will put at the disposal of partners
the EU's expertise in social and economic development policies.
5. The multilateral framework of the Eastern Partnership
will provide for cooperation activities and dialogue serving the
objectives of the Partnership. It should operate on a basis of
joint decisions of EU member states and Eastern partners, without
prejudice to the decision making autonomy of the EU. The European
Council proposes to hold regular meetings in principle once every
two years at the level of Heads of State or Government of the
Eastern Partnership, and once a year at the level of Foreign Ministers.
Four thematic platforms should be established according to the
main areas of cooperation (Democracy, good governance and stability;
Economic integration and convergence with EU policies; Energy
security; and Contacts between people). The European Council also
supports the launching of Flagship Initiatives in order to give
momentum and concrete substance to the Partnership. The EU looks
forward to an early discussion with the partners in this regard.
Third countries will be eligible for participation on a case-by-case
basis in concrete projects, activities and meetings of thematic
platforms, where it contributes to the objectives of particular
activities and the general objectives of the Eastern Partnership.
6. The Eastern Partnership will engage a wide range
of actors, including government ministries and agencies, parliaments,
civil society, international organisations, financial institutions
and the private sector.
7. On the basis of this Declaration, the EU will
conduct the necessary consultations with Eastern partners with
a view to preparing a Joint Declaration on the Eastern Partnership
to be adopted at the Eastern Partnership launching summit on 7
May 2009. The European Council looks forward to launching the
Eastern Partnership as a common endeavour with partners, being
confident that this initiative will advance the cause of good
governance, increase prosperity and strengthen stability, bringing
lasting and palpable benefits to the citizens of all participating
countries.
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