60 Implementation of the European Neighbourhood
Policy in 2014
| Committee's assessment
| Politically important |
| Committee's decision | Cleared from scrutiny; drawn to the attention of the Foreign Affairs Committee (together with the Joint Consultation Paper — Towards a new European Neighbourhood Policy[ 443])
|
| Document details | Joint Communication on implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy in 2014 and country reports
|
| Legal base | —
|
| Department | Foreign and Commonwealth Office
|
| Document numbers | (36812), 8129/15 + ADDs 1-15, JOIN(15) 9
|
Summary and Committee's conclusions
60.1 The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) was developed in
2004, with the objective of avoiding the emergence of new dividing
lines between the enlarged EU and neighbouring countries, and
instead strengthen their prosperity, stability and security. It
presently involves the EU's 16 closest neighbours — Algeria,
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan,
Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, the Occupied Palestinian Territories,
Syria, Tunisia and Ukraine.
60.2 The ENP is chiefly a bilateral policy between
the EU and each partner country, complemented by regional and
multilateral co-operation initiatives: the Eastern Partnership
(launched in Prague in May 2009), the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership
(EUROMED: the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, formerly known as
the Barcelona Process, re-launched in Paris in July 2008), and
the Black Sea Synergy (launched in Kiev in February 2008).
60.3 The ENP offers the EU's neighbours a privileged
relationship, building upon a mutual commitment to common values
(democracy and human rights, rule of law, good governance, market
economy principles and sustainable development). The level of
ambition of the relationship depends on the extent to which these
values are shared. The ENP includes political association and
deeper economic integration, increased mobility and more people-to-people
contacts. ENP sector policies cover a broad range of issues, including
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 support to health, education, culture and youth.
60.4 The ENP review of 2011 produced a stronger focus
on the promotion of deep and sustainable democracy, economic development,
and conditionality (the "more for more principle").
Each year, there is an overview, supplemented by an annual progress
report on each partner country. The most recent one, entitled
Neighbourhood at the Crossroads: Implementation of the European
Neighbourhood Policy in 2013, hinted at the broader, strategic
questions that arose from developments over the preceding 12 months,
in which the "Arab Spring" was a major factor.[ 444]
There have been two subsequent developments.
60.5 First, on 4 March 2015, via a joint press conference,
the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
(HR; Federica Mogherini) and Enlargement Commissioner Johannes
Hahn, announced the publication of a Joint Consultation Paper
— Towards a new European Neighbourhood Policy —
and thus launched a further review. The HR noted that the region
has changed greatly in the last ten years, and particularly since
2011. The EU needed "to review our policy, our way of working,
our partnership with the countries of our region": to move
from an approach based on the evaluation of progress to "a
more political dialogue, to a more political partnership, to a
more cooperation oriented approach between equal partners".
In particular, with the region "in flames, both to the East
and South", the EU needed "to use all the potential
of our bilateral relations with partners in the region to have
an effective impact on our region". She and Commissioner
Hahn would, in the next months, work together "to have better
and more effective instruments to work in our neighbourhood".[ 445]
60.6 Secondly, on 24 April, the Commission published
its 2014 Report on implementation of the ENP, along with the customary
country reports. The Joint Communication and its accompanying
documents assess how the EU and partner countries have progressed
in implementing jointly agreed reform objectives, including particular
challenges both sides have faced. They are helpfully summarised,
and commented upon, in his 15 June 2015 Explanatory Memorandum
by the Minister for Europe (Mr David Lidington). The picture is,
as ever, very varied: the Minister's general conclusion is that
"the success of the policy is directly dependent on the ability
and commitment of governments to reform and to deepen relations
with the EU". His comment on the Eastern Partnership report
could be applied to a great deal of EU support to ENP and other
partners generally — "the report focuses on a lot
of the process rather than on the impact of this work. It would
benefit from a more critical analysis of why, or why not, programmes
have worked and how this learning, and therefore new priorities,
will be reflected over the next year (see "Background"
below for details).
60.7 The "Background" below also recalls
the previous Committee's consideration at its last meeting of
what was something of a novelty: a paper designed to launch a
widespread consultation exercise on the future shape of the European
Neighbourhood Policy (ENP).
60.8 This consultation exercise should engage
"a wide range of actors" — Member States, ENP
partners, parliaments, including the European Parliament, civil
society and think tanks, the social partners, business and academic
communities, the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the major international
financing institutions. Although the Commission acknowledged that
it had no plans to reach out specifically to EU national parliaments,
it indicated that it would nonetheless always welcome any proactive
request from a national parliament to discuss the ENP review,
be that an invitation to Westminster to give evidence or as part
of a Committee's visit to Brussels. With Parliament about to be
dissolved, there was no time for the previous Committee to investigate
the possibilities further. The previous Committee nonetheless
welcomed this. It also recommended that its successor should consider
seeking the Opinion of the new Foreign Affairs Committee, should
there be time to do so before the end-June consultation deadline.
60.9 In the event, that has not proved possible.
We nonetheless draw both these developments to the attention of
the Foreign Affairs Committee, and will wish to seek its Opinion
in the autumn on the next Joint Communication, following on from
the consultation exercise, and proposing the way forward.
60.10 In the meantime, we now clear the Joint
Communication and the accompanying country progress reports.
Full
details of the documents:
Joint Communication on the Implementation of the European Neighbourhood
Policy in 2014 — Statistics, Eastern Partnership Implementation
Report and Southern Mediterranean Regional Report and Partnership
for Democracy and Shared Prosperity with the Southern Mediterranean
Partners Report; implementation of the European Neighbourhood
Policy in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan,
Lebanon, the Republic of Moldova, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia
and Ukraine — Progress in 2014 and recommendations for action:
(36812), 8129/15 + ADDs 1-15, JOIN(15) 9 and SWD(15) 63-77.
Background
60.11 In the introduction to the Joint Consultation
Paper, styled "A Special Relationship", the HR says:
"We need a stronger Europe when it comes to
foreign policy. With countries in our neighbourhood, we need to
step up close cooperation, association and partnership to further
strengthen our economic and political ties."
60.12 She also notes that Article 8(1) TEU states
that:
"the Union shall develop a special relationship
with neighbouring countries, aiming to establish an area of prosperity
and good neighbourliness, founded on the values of the Union and
characterised by close and peaceful relations based on cooperation."
60.13 Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said
at the press conference that the consultation needed to look at
four key points:
· increase
differentiation: recognise
that our partners are very diverse; some want closer integration,
some want a different kind of relationship; consider how best
to pursue the relationship, perhaps in new formats;
· ownership:
the new ENP must reflect the views and experience of the EU's
partners; not be condescending, patronising or preaching; develop
a real partnership of equals on the basis of shared interests,
while always promoting universal principles;
· focus:
need not cover every sector with every partner: for those that
want, and who are able, Association Agreements and DCFTAs; for
those who can't, or do not currently want, to engage so deeply,
focus on making partnerships more effective. Widen the traditional
focus on trade and mobility with a new emphasis on energy security,
threats to security from organised crime, the "frozen conflicts";
and
· greater
flexibility: being able to react to changing
circumstances, and crises when they arise.
60.14 The HR and Commissioner professed themselves
determined to consult as widely as possible, particularly in the
partner countries, between then and the end of June — looking
for "concrete ideas that will suit us and our partners, and
that will deliver results the public can understand". The
results of the consultation would contribute to a further Communication
in the autumn of 2015, setting out concrete proposals for the
future direction of the ENP.
60.15 The Minister for Europe (Mr David Lidington)
welcomed publication of the Joint Communication, as an important
opportunity to refocus ENP. He favoured "a more flexible,
ambitious and effective policy for the region, that is capable
of reacting to the problems arising from conflict, and dealing
with the question of resilience and stability". He saw the
ENP as facing these key challenges:
· the
"one-size-fits-all" approach: the ENP incorporated some
differentiation but needed to tailor its objectives, aims and
use of instruments for each region, as well as individual countries,
even further;
· low levels
of understanding/support: the ENP was complex and technocratic,
based largely around binding countries to the EU through international
agreements, such as Association Agreements, Strategic Modernisation
Partnerships, etc., as a means to deliver change; and
· how to incentivise
reform: the EU quite rightly insisted on substantive political
and economic reforms in exchange for access to its markets; but
there were questions as to whether the EU had been effective enough
in incentivizing the necessary reforms.
60.16 The Minister accordingly agreed broadly with
the Joint Consultation Paper's key themes: Differentiation, Focus,
Flexibility, Ownership and Visibility.
In responding, the UK would
focus on:
· improving
differentiation to allow the ENP to adapt to the changing situation
in the region;
· increased flexibility
so that resources can be used more effectively;
· better response
to crisis management;
· more effective
strategic communications in the region; and
· greater bilateral
involvement by Member States, to complement EU efforts.[ 446]
The previous Committee's assessment
60.17 Whether or not "our region" was "in
flames, both to the East and South", this Joint Consultation
Paper was plainly timely. Very large sums of money are involved
— the ENP draws its funding primarily from the European
Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI), to which over €15 billion
(£10.6 billion) has been allocated in the 2014-2020 financial
perspective. According to the Commission, in 2011, total trade
between the EU and its ENP partners was worth €230 billion
(£163.8 billion); the EU issued 3.2 million Schengen visas
to ENP partners in 2012; and in 2007-2013, provided partners with
over €12 billion (£8.5 billion) in grant money for the
implementation of the ENP. As the previous Committee noted when
considering the 2013 implementation exercise, it was inconceivable
that the EU would not have some such policy: but, at the end of
the day, no-one had any real idea of how effective this expenditure
of over €12 billion (£8.5 billion) had been.
60.18 The EU was also engaged in other analogous
activities, such as the Central Asia Strategy and a prospective
regional strategy for Syria and Iraq as well as the Da'esh threat.[ 447]
So what emerged from this consultation would have major implications
for a wide range of other EU activity around the globe, particularly
in terms of effectively relating objectives, approach, expenditure
and outcomes.
60.19 And, prior to the publication of the results
of this consultation exercise, EU leaders were set to return to
that most basic of foreign policy issues: defence.[ 448]
60.20 Under "Next Steps", the Joint Consultation
Paper aimed "to consult as widely as possible both with partners
in the neighbouring countries and with stakeholders across the
EU", noting that:
"We will consult with Member States and partners,
but also with a wide range of actors from parliaments, including
the European Parliament, civil society and think tanks, and from
the social partners, business and academic communities. We will
engage with key international organisations active in the neighbourhood,
including notably the Council of Europe, the OSCE as well as the
major international financing institutions."
60.21 The previous Committee noted the Enlargement
Commissioner had already engaged in a debate with the European
Parliament only five days after publication of the joint consultation
paper. However, its understanding was that, beyond that, the reference
to consultation with parliaments in the paper referred to parliaments
in the partnership countries, including taking a "roadshow"
to each one and visits to each country's parliament; and that
the Commission had no plans to reach out specifically to EU national
parliaments. However, the previous Committee further understood
that the Commission would always welcome any proactive request
from a national parliament to discuss the ENP review, be that
an invitation to Westminster to give evidence or as part of a
Committee's visit to Brussels.
60.22 The previous Committee welcomed this. It also
recommended that its successor should consider seeking the Opinion
of the new Foreign Affairs Committee, should there be time to
do so before the end of the consultation period.
60.23 In the meantime, it retained the Joint Consultation
Paper under scrutiny, pending receipt of further information from
the next Minister for Europe on the outcome of the consultation.
In so doing, it noted that, should this is be in the form of a
further depositable document, it would expect a timely Explanatory
Memorandum in the usual way; and that, if for whatever reason
it was in another format, then it relied upon him to provide a
full and timely summary, with his or her assessment and views
thereon.
The 2014 Implementation Report
60.24 In his Explanatory Memorandum of 15 June 2015,
the Minister for Europe notes that developments in 2014 —
both positive and negative — underlined that the success
of the policy is directly dependent on the ability and commitment
of governments to reform and to deepen relations with the EU.
60.25 The Minister explains that, to support the
Communication, the EEAS and Commission have produced two regional
reports assessing the Eastern and Southern regional elements of
the ENP, which are helpfully summarised thus (his comments being
in italics):
SOUTHERN NEIGHBOURHOOD
"The Communication on the Southern Neighbourhood
rightly notes that parts of the region continue to be affected
by severe political, economic and humanitarian crises, armed conflict
and a significant deterioration in security. It correctly
adds that implementation of reforms and regional integration are
proving difficult.
"The report outlines EU institutions' efforts
to encourage cooperation within the region through EU work with
regional bodies, including the Union for the Mediterranean, the
5+5 Dialogue, the Arab League and the Organisation of the Islamic
Conference (OIC). It gives a summary of the EU's counter-terrorism
work in the region and the three CSDP missions with mandates in
the region. It then summarises regional trends and the EU's programmatic
and other assistance in five main areas: human rights and democracy;
civil society; economic development, trade and investment; migration;
and sector-specific cooperation (such as science and education).
"It records which countries were allocated 'top-up'
funding under the more-for-more mechanism, under which some European
Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) funds are allocated according to
progress with governance and economic reforms. In 2014 in
the South these 'top-up' allocations went to Tunisia (€50m),
Morocco (€20m), Jordan (€15m) and Lebanon (€15m).
The UK broadly supports these areas of work. We
have encouraged the EU to keep seeking to measure the impact of
its programmes, and for regional-level programmes to consider
how they add value to country-level support. As part of the
review of the European Neighbourhood Policy, we are encouraging
more flexibility to allocate and re-allocate resources to evolving
priorities and for more of a contribution from the ENP to resolving
conflict.
EASTERN PARTNERSHIP
"The EaP report begins by explaining the Eastern
Partnership (EaP) initiative and then it outlines the key progress
made over the course of 2014. It correctly highlights the achievements
over this period including the signing and provisional application
of the new EU Association Agreements with Georgia, Moldova and
Ukraine and the provisional application of the Deep and Comprehensive
Free Trade Area (DCFTA) with Georgia and Moldova. The report also
explores the important support that the EU has given to Ukraine,
Moldova and Georgia in light of increased pressure on them following
their decision to sign these Association Agreement. It then goes
on to analyse progress in the key priority areas for the EU bilateral
elements of the EaP: political association and economic integration;
justice, freedom and security issues, migration and mobility;
and sector cooperation. The progress in multilateral cooperation
along the key platforms of democracy, good governance and stability;
economic integration and convergence with EU sector policies;
energy security; and people-to-people contacts are then analysed,
followed by an update on flagship initiatives and the EaP visibility
work.
"On political association and economic integration
the report highlights the signature of the Association Agreements
and the DCFTAs. It sets out the 'scoping exercise' to identify
the legal basis for future EU-Armenia relations; the development
of a Strategic Modernisation Partnership with Azerbaijan and the
continued policy of critical engagement towards Belarus. It then
discusses the work of the human rights dialogues. However, this
section talks about the process of this work rather than assessing
the impact that it has had. The report then notes the macro financial
assistance (MFA) to Ukraine along with the financial assistance
provided to partners under the European Neighbourhood Instrument
(ENI), as well as looking at CSDP cooperation and larger economic
trends."
"The report goes into some detail on sector
cooperation, covering SMEs, regional development, agriculture,
energy, transport, environment, climate action, education, youth
and culture, knowledge and innovation, fisheries, statistics and
EU programmes and agencies. This section gives a useful overview
of how wide ranging and in-depth the EU's relationship and engagement
with partner countries is. In the section on transport the report
highlights the initialling of the comprehensive air services agreement
between the EU and Ukraine which is pending signature. This delay
is due to Spain refusing to sign the agreement because it extends
to Gibraltar, the UK continues to defend Gibraltar's inclusion
in this agreement and to highlight Spanish intransigency on the
issue.
"The report ends with a lengthy section on the
multilateral elements of the EaP, which are arranged through four
thematic 'platforms': democracy, good governance and stability;
economic integration and convergence with EU sector policies;
energy security; and people-to-people contacts. In these platforms,
which are further divided into panels in some areas, the partners
are able to come together and meet experts from Member States
as well as exchange best practices with each other on matters
of mutual interest. The report then looks at the progress of flagship
initiatives as well as relationships with stakeholders including
international financial institutions and other stakeholders such
as the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. Finally it finishes with
a section on the EaP visibility.
"However, the report misses the crucial point
that the aim is not to simply make the EaP more visible per
se but more strategic and meaningful so that citizens of partner
countries can understand what the work, and values, of the EU
actually mean for them in a tangible way.
"Overall the report is an accurate reflection
of the EaP activities in the region, especially when read in conjunction
with the Country progress reports. However, the report focuses
on a lot of the process rather than on the impact of this work.
It would benefit from a more critical analysis of why, or why
not, programmes have worked and how this learning, and therefore
new priorities, will be reflected over the next year."
60.26 The Minister then summarises and comments on
the individual country reports as follows:
Armenia
"Armenia signed the Accession Treaty to the
Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) in October 2014. In preparation
for signing the treaty it implemented a roadmap with administrative
and legislative measures in 20 areas of government policy. As
a consequence of Armenia's decision to join the EEU, the previously
negotiated Association Agreement with the EU was not initialled.
However Armenia and the EU continued their political and trade
dialogue in 2014, in areas where this was compatible with Armenia's
new international EEU obligations. In November 2014 the EU and
Armenia launched a scoping exercise on possible areas of cooperation
for future relations. The EU-Armenia Visa-Facilitation and Readmission
Agreements came into force in January 2014. The UK did not opt
in to either agreement.
"Armenia adopted a Human Rights Action Plan
in February 2014, which was an important step. However there are
still areas where more needs to be done, such as the introduction
of comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation. Ensuring implementation
and enforcement of legislation is also necessary. There are several
reforms which have remained stuck at the drafting stage and shortcomings
stated in previous progress reports, such as the lack of trust
in the judicial system and the fight against corruption persisted.
"While there were notable meetings between
the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, in Sochi, Paris and
at the NATO Summit in Wales, there was little progress on resolving
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Despite the work of the OSCE Minsk
Group, which we fully support, 2014 saw the largest number of
casualties in the conflict since the 1994 ceasefire. Despite Foreign
Minister Nalbandian's attendance at President Erdogan's swearing-in
ceremony in August 2014, there was no real progress in relations
between Turkey and Armenia
"Ahead of the parliamentary elections in
2017, it is important for Armenia to implement their ODIHR recommendations,
and to tackle the lack of trust in the electoral system.
Azerbaijan
"There were no significant developments in 2014
regarding negotiations with Azerbaijan on a Strategic Modernisation
Partnership with the EU. However there was good progress on the
EU's Strategic Energy Partnership with Azerbaijan to improve European
energy security and the diversification of energy supplies. The
commitment to implementing the Southern Gas Corridor continued
to be of utmost importance for EU-Azerbaijan dialogue. There was
also tangible progress with regard to several bilateral agreements,
such as the entry into force of the Visa Facilitation Agreement
and the Readmission Agreement and the preparation to implement
the Mobility Partnership.
"Azerbaijan held the chairmanship of the Committee
of Ministers in the Council of Europe between May and November.
However at the same time, they introduced restrictive legislation
for NGOs, further decreasing the space for civil society. The
human rights situation deteriorated further with a number of prominent
human rights defenders detained, and there was no progress on
judicial independence.
"While there were notable meetings between the
Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, in Sochi, Paris and at the
NATO Summit in Wales, there was little progress on resolving the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Despite the work of the OSCE Minsk
Group, which we fully support, 2014 saw the largest number of
casualties in the conflict since the 1994 ceasefire.
"In the coming year, it is recommended that
Azerbaijan respects its commitments as a member of the Council
of Europe, particularly with regards to implementation of rulings
by the European Court of Human Rights. It is also important to
create a more conducive political environment for civil society,
in particular making the related legal framework less restrictive,
allowing civil society organisations to carry out their activities.
Egypt
"Following political upheaval in 2013, formal
EU-Egypt dialogue on the ENP remained de facto suspended
and the action plan was extended until March 2015, pending negotiation
(started in 2014) of a new action plan. The EU continued its outreach
activities including visits by the High Representative for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy and the EU Special representative
for Human Rights, an Experts Electoral Mission and a Election
Observation Mission for the constitutional and presidential elections
respectively.
"The report notes that 2014 was marked by political,
security and economic challenges and Egypt made limited progress
in implementing the action plan. The political transition continued
to unfold and important steps in the transitional roadmap were
achieved. It notes limited progress in the areas of democratic
governance and human rights. Freedom of association and assembly
were restricted and there was less space for the activities of
civil society. It also notes the economic situation remained difficult,
but reforms to the subsidy system are underway and an article
IV consultation of the International Monetary Fund took place
in November. The report also notes the difficult regional and
internal security context Egypt faced during 2014, including from
Ansar Beit al- Maqdis who pledged allegiance to ISIL.
"The report recommends that Egypt improve in
the following key areas: fully enacting and implementing the 2014
constitution — particularly to ensure the rule of law and
improve human rights and fundamental freedoms; complete the 2013
transitional roadmap by organising genuine democratic parliamentary
elections so that parliament can enact legislation, amending the
law on assembly, creating conditions for an active and independent
civil society, reapplying a moratorium on the death penalty, applying
due legal process and ensure prisons conditions comply with international
standards, ending the practice of military courts judging civilians,
investigating cases of alleged violence and protecting women's
rights and gender equality, ensuring the right of asylum is in
line with international law, taking steps to ensure macroeconomic
stability and ensuring a social safety net system protects the
most vulnerable.
"We agree that Egypt's long-term security
and prosperity depends on growing real democratic reforms through
for example, accountability through elections, civil society,
and media debate, release of journalists and non-violent activists
and the protection of citizens rights to play their part [in]
Egypt's future.
Georgia
"Georgia made further progress in 2014 in implementing
the ENP Action Plan and the Association Agenda with notable achievements
in the areas of human rights and fundamental freedoms and in the
visa liberalisation process. Constitutional reforms were initiated
with some progress in the fight against corruption. Anti-discrimination
legislation was adopted and cooperation with civil society continued.
Georgia and the EU signed the Association Agreement (AA), including
a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) on 27 June 2014
which was provisionally applied on 1 September. Georgia ratified
the AA on 18 July; the UK did so on 8 April 2015. The AA/DCFTA
provides a set of priorities for Georgia to take forward in order
to move closer to EU standards and norms.
"The EUs Special Adviser on Constitutional Legal
Reforms and Human Rights in Georgia, Thomas Hammerburg concluded
his mandate in 2014 and issued recommendations for introducing
effective checks and balances into the political/constitutional
system. A National Human Rights Strategy and Action Plan were
adopted and the prison system and protection of children's rights
improved.
"Local elections in June and July 2014 were
considered to have generally complied with international standards
although freedom of assembly and association were not fully ensured
during the election campaign. The role of Parliament was strengthened
and the power of the President reduced; however tensions were
apparent between the Prime Minister and President without clear
clarification of their respective responsibilities. Institutional
reform of the Prosecutor's Office is an urgent issue to address
and judicial independence remains fragile. Continued implementation
of the recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR Trial Monitoring Report
would allow for significant progress to be made in reform of the
judicial system. The report could also include reference of the
need for reform of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to encourage
transparency and better regulation there.
"Developments in Georgia's breakaway regions
of South Ossetia and Abkhazia were of increasing concern. The
signature of a 'Treaty on Alliance and Strategic Partnership'
between the Russian Federation and Abkhazia and negotiation of
a similar agreement with South Ossetia was severely criticised
by Georgia as a breach of its territorial integrity. 'Borderisation',
the construction of fences and other obstacles on the administrative
boundary line continued.
"In the coming year, the report recommends that
Georgia makes progress on a range of ongoing legislative, judicial
and legal reforms; participate constructively in the Geneva International
Discussions on the breakaway regions and continue with work to
implement the provisions of the AA/DCFTA.
ISRAEL
"We broadly agree with the report's assessment
of developments in 2014. Despite differences on some issues, EU-Israel
relations continued to develop over 2014. There were a number
of high-level political visits, regular technical-level meetings
of bilateral subcommittees and visits by senior officials and
technical discussions through the Twinning and TAIEX instruments.
Developments on the Action Plan continue to be positive.
"Whilst the report also gives a good summary
of the remaining areas of challenge, we would wish to see further
focus on the serious EU concerns about the conduct of the occupation
and concerns in relation to Israel's responsibilities in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories. We would wish to see greater focus
on issues such as increased demolitions (and confiscation of humanitarian
assistance including EU funded assistance); the reintroduction
of punitive demolitions; and the continued severe restrictions
of exports/transfers of goods from Gaza to Israel and the West
Bank.
JORDAN
"We consider the report to be generally accurate
and to reflect the challenges Jordan faced in 2014, in particular
the continuing impact of the Syria crisis and from the growing
threat of Da'esh.
"Jordan has shown
great resilience in the face of these challenges, including dealing
with a huge influx of refugees (currently over 620,000) from Syria.
This has exerted enormous pressure on services leading to tension
with host communities. The report does not mention the periodic
closing of the border by the Government of Jordan and the resulting
build up of refugees left stranded on the other side. During the
reporting period Jordan has also played an active role in the
international anti-ISIL coalition.
"As the report sets
out, EU-Jordan cooperation continued to be strong with the EU
having provided more than €300k to support Jordan since the
start of the Syria crisis. In October 2014 the EU and Jordan agreed
at the Association Council to start a regular security dialogue
to identify ways to strengthen cooperation on counter terrorism.
In the same month a joint declaration establishing a Mobility
Partnership between the EU, participating Member States, and Jordan
was signed. Also at the Association Council the EU and Jordan
agreed that given the dramatic change in regional context it was
time to assess future EU-Jordan relations and agree a new action
plan.
"We agree with the recommendations in the
report on further political reform. It is important that
Jordan continues to act upon the key recommendations of the 2013
EU Election Observation Mission report. We agree that the cancellation
of the de facto moratorium on the death penalty with the execution
of 11 prisoners was a major setback. The report also does
not give enough prominence to the deteriorating conditions for
Freedom of Expression in Jordan which is deeply concerning for
the future political trajectory of the country. We suggested that
the report includes a specific recommendation for Jordan to take
steps to address this decline, but it was not included in the
final report. We also disagree with the report's judgement on
economic progress which we felt was overly optimistic given there
has not been substantial progress towards IMF programme goals.
Lebanon
"We consider the report on Lebanon to be
accurate and support the recommendations. We agree with the report's
assessment on Lebanon's resilience in the face of enormous challenges.
These include dealing with overspill from the Syria conflict,
and internal pressures including a sustained presidential vacuum;
and the subsequent impact on democratic processes. The report
highlights the fact that in hosting nearly 1.2 million refugees
from the Syria crisis, Lebanon is home to the largest per capita
population of refugees in the world. This is having an enormous
impact on service delivery and Lebanon's delicate social balance.
"The EU continued
to strengthen its relationship with Lebanon during 2014. The EU
is a founder member of the International Support Group for Lebanon
which helped coordinate international efforts towards Lebanon
during the year. In November the launch of the Lebanon Crisis
Response Plan was a welcome step to ensuring a more coherent and
effective approach for channelling donor contributions in 2015.
"Overall we agree with the report's recommendations.
As the report highlights Lebanon has been without a President
since May 2014 which is limiting the effective function of the
Government. The report correctly recommends that electing a President
and restoring the functions of institutions is a priority for
Lebanon. We would flag though the need for urgent action to address
concerns raised by the 2014 Convention Against Torture (CAT) report
which highlighted that torture was a pervasive practice within
Lebanon routinely used by the security services.
Moldova
"2014 was an important year for the EU's relationship
with Moldova. On 27 June 2014, Moldova and the EU signed the Association
Agreement, including a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area
(Association Agreement/Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area);
and from 28 April 2014 Moldovan citizens who hold a biometric
passport were able to travel to the Schengen area visa-free for
short stays not exceeding 90 days in any 180 day period. Around
360,000 people took advantage of this opportunity in 2014.
"Parliamentary elections were held on 30 November
2014. These elections were generally well administered, although
the late deregistration of the Patria Party raised questions about
timing and circumstances. The OSCE/ODIHR-led international monitoring
mission found that 'the elections offered voters a wide choice
of political alternatives' and the technical conduct of the elections
was 'in line with international standards and norms'. The results
election reflected the plurality of and divisions in Moldovan
society with votes divided between pro-European and pro-Russian
parties.
"Some important benchmarks for the 2011-16 Justice
Sector Reform Strategy had been implemented, by the end of 2014
but as in previous years, corruption remains a major issue. Reform
of the Public Prosecutor's office has stalled and the package
of Anti-Corruption laws is at risk of being declared unconstitutional
in the Constitutional Court.
"Moldova's economy was put under pressure in
2014 by trade embargoes imposed on Moldova exports by the Russian
Federation. This was further compounded by the situation in Ukraine.
As a result, after impressive growth in 2013, GDP growth slowed
down in the first half of 2014. EU trade represented 53.2% of
total exports and 48.2% of total Moldovan imports.
"The fragility of Moldova's banking sector was
exposed in 2014. The National Bank of Moldova placed three commercial
banks under special administration which represented about 30%
of total banking assets (Banca de Economii, Banca Sociala and
Unibank). The previous IMF programme ended in April 2014 and no
new agreement was concluded for the remainder of 2014.
"On the Transnistria protracted conflict, formal
5+2 settlement talks stalled in 2014 with only two rounds of negotiations
in the '5+2' format taking place and several rounds being postponed.
MOROCCO
"The UK agrees with the EU's overall assessment
and recommendations. Morocco has continued to pursue a number
of welcome reforms, including on migration and asylum, OPCAT ratification
and budget transparency. Additional new laws needed to implement
the 2011 Constitution, including on justice, regionalisation and
right to petition, remain in the pipe-line. It will be important
to ensure the new laws reflect fully the democratic principles
of the 2011 Constitution. The UK shares the EU's concern over
Access to Information and anti-corruption draft laws in terms
of their alignment with international practice.
"On the economic front, Morocco has pursued
sound macroeconomic policies and continued to implement a substantive
reform of its subsidy system. As the EU highlights, it will be
important to ensure this is complemented by targeted support and
the provision of safety nets for the poorest. High youth unemployment
remains a concern and we look forward to the Government's new
employment strategy, which the EU has pledged to support. We continue
to encourage further progress in the negotiations towards a DCFTA,
and look forward to Morocco finalising its impact studies on the
issue so that talks can resume.
THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES
"We agree with the overall report. Throughout
2014, the EU and the UK supported the US led push for a comprehensive
settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; we were disappointed
that greater progress was not made. The humanitarian situation
in Gaza deteriorated significantly — the summer conflict
took a terrible toll. The EU and the UK responded generously and
support continues to be vital to reconstruction efforts. The
EU's role as a major donor of the Palestinian Authority (PA) also
continued.
"The PA continued to implement reforms in
many areas of the Action Plan, however, we agree that there is
still significant work to be done. It is worth noting that
in a number of areas where the report highlights the need for
progress, the PA has limited control. The Israeli occupation also
continues to hinder the PA's ability to deliver services to the
Palestinian people in many areas and to implement reforms. The
lack of progress in reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas continues
to hinder the PA's ability to implement reforms. We also
judge the lack of PA involvement in Gaza has been a contribution
to the slow pace of reconstruction — along with severe restrictions
on movement and access; a lack of a durable ceasefire; and international
donors failing to make good the pledges made at the Reconstruction
Conference held in Cairo.
"We agree with the assessment that some serious
human rights concerns remain although there has been progress
towards improving human rights, accountability and transparency
in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We were disappointed
that there was not greater progress on reform of the security
sector.
"The UK continues to provide practical support
to facilitate the continued professionalisation of the Palestinian
Security Forces in line with international standards, including
work to help protect human rights, uphold the rule of law, and
support female victims of violence.
TUNISIA (IN FRENCH ONLY)
"The report notes that 2014 was a year of significant
political progress in Tunisia. It began with the adoption of a
new Constitution and ended with the holding of transparent and
credible Presidential and Parliamentary elections, the results
of which were quickly accepted by political parties and the electorate.
The report highlights the success of the independent electoral
authority, ISIE, in organising elections in a tight timeframe.
"It identifies the
two main challenges to Tunisia's stability: the economy, which,
despite progress in some areas, continues to suffer significant
problems; and security, with security forces targeted by extremist
groups throughout the year. The report points to the threat to
Tunisia's security caused by the deterioration in 2014 in the
situation in Libya and the high number of Tunisians in extremist
groups abroad.
"The report lists
the priorities for Tunisia for the coming year. On the economy
these include putting in place a programme of macro-economic,
fiscal and structural reforms, improving the business climate,
including by adopting an investment code, and making progress
on the DCFTA. On security, it notes that security sector reform
should include reform of the police, and border security, and
that a new anti-terrorism law should be adopted. Other priorities
listed include human rights, judicial issues, and air transport.
We agree with these priorities, though if the list is intended
to indicate an order of importance we would argue that economic
reforms should come before political reforms.
"The report indicates
that EU-Tunisia relations have progressed at a steady pace in
2014. We would like to see this accelerate in 2015, not least
in light of the Bardo terrorist attack, which highlighted the
threat from extremism to Tunisia's political achievements.
"In this context
we welcome the EU's stated determination to step up security and
counter-terrorism cooperation with Tunisia. We would also wish
to see a more measurable evaluation of the effectiveness of the
EU's contribution in helping to deliver change.
UKRAINE
"The
report on Ukraine is detailed and well-balanced, providing a comprehensive
report on progress made on implementation of the EU-Ukraine European
Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan in 2014. Although not a
general review of the political and economic situation in Ukraine,
the report also sets out important political developments, including
the ongoing illegal annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation
and the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
"The report makes
clear that the EU does not, and will not, recognise this annexation
and that the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence
of Ukraine must be respected. This government remains concerned
at the decline of the human rights situation in the areas controlled
by Russia or Russian back separatists.
"The report gives
detail on political dialogue and reform; economic and social reform;
trade-related issues, market and regulatory reform and cooperation
on justice; freedom and security; transport, energy, environment,
the information society, research and development as well as people
to people contacts, education and health. This Government
agrees with the report's assessment that in 2014 Ukraine presented
a mixed picture of developments on deep and sustainable democratic
reform. The report highlights positive developments in the
Government of Ukraine's adoption of a number of important legislative
reforms on elections, human rights, anti-corruption and decentralisation,
noting that some reform had been slower in rule of law elements
including the judiciary and the police. The Government of Ukraine
must continue to increase the visibility and pace of reforms to
build confidence amongst the people of Ukraine and the international
community.
"This Government
welcomes the ratification of the Association Agreement by the
Ukrainian and European Parliaments, and the provisional application
of the relevant provisions of this agreement as of November 2014.
In the light of Ukraine's deteriorating economic situation, this
government welcomes the provisional application of the DCFTA which
will come into force on 1 January 2016 as a way of deepening EU-Ukraine
trade."
60.27 Looking ahead, the Minister says that, although
the Joint Communication will be discussed by the working groups
on Eastern Europe and Central Asia (COEST) and Mashrek/Maghreb
(MAMA), he does not expect the Council to issue a formal response
in the format of Council Conclusions.
Previous Committee Reports
None, but see (36714), —, JOIN(15) 6: Joint
Consultation Paper — Towards a new European Neighbourhood
Policy: Thirty-ninth Report HC 219-xxxvii (2014-15), chapter
13 (24 March 2015) and (35946), 8595/14 +ADDs 1-15: Forty-eighth
Report HC 83-xliii (2013-14), chapter 12 (7 May 2014).
443 See (36714), -, JOIN(15) 6: Joint Consultation
Paper - Towards a new European Neighbourhood Policy: Thirty-ninth
Report HC 219-xxxvii (2014-15), chapter 13 (24 March 2015). Back
444 For summary details, and the Committee's thoughts thereon see
paragraphs 0.22-0.26 of (36714), -, JOIN(15) 6: Joint Consultation
Paper - Towards a new European Neighbourhood Policy: Thirty-ninth
Report HC 219-xxxvii (2014-15), chapter 13 (24 March 2015); and
for full information, (35946), 8595/14 + ADDs 1-15: Forty-eighth
Report HC 83-xliii (2013-14), chapter 12 (7 May 2014). Back
445 See Press Release for full details. Back
446 For full details of the Joint Communication and of the then Government's
views, see (36714), -, JOIN(15) 6: Joint Consultation Paper -
Towards a new European Neighbourhood Policy: Thirty-ninth
Report HC 219-xxxvii (2014-15), chapter 13 (24 March 2015). Back
447 See (36664), 6031/15: Thirty-fifth Report HC 219-xxxiv (2014-15),
chapter 7 (4 March 2015) for the Committee's consideration thereof. Back
448 See (35696), 17859/13 in the then Committee's Thirty-ninth Report
HC 219-xxxvii (2014-15), chapter 19 (24 March 2015) for the Committee's
latest consideration of the preparations for the June "defence"
European Council. Back
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