The first summit to discuss EU's East Partnership program took place in Brussels on 2-3 Dec. The meeting discussed the plan proposed by Poland and Sweden in May this year to cooperate with six former Soviet countries - Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia and Belarus.
Antonio Missiroli - key political analyst in the European Union, Director of Studies in European Policy Centre ( Belgium) specially for Trend
The European Commission released a 'Communication' on 3 December that enshrines its proposals for the establishment of the Eastern Partnership proper: this acceleration was prompted by the conflict in Georgia, but the final decision rests with the European Council (the heads of State and government of the 27 EU member states) and will be taken in March 2009. If everything goes according to plan and schedule, then the Czech Presidency will organize a big launching event in the spring - similarly to what happened with the 'Union for the Mediterranean' last July.
The Communication does not include sensational novelties: it develops the ideas already presented last May by Poland and Sweden and adds to them a budgetary annex, whose main foci are support for
- border management
- small and medium enterprises
- regional electricity markets, increased efficiency and increased use of renewable energy sources
- the 'Southern energy corridor' (infrastructure to be built: particularly relevant for Azerbaijan)
- prevention of, preparedness for, and response to natural and man-made disasters.
Joining the European Union is a long-term perspective: it implies a gradual adaptation of internal legislation (political, economic, civilian) in order to match that of the EU members, and a readiness to incorporate EU rules and standards. For a country like Azerbaijan, this is going to take at best 10 to twelve years. Add to that the unresolved conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, that the EU is keen on having settled peacefully by the relevant players before any move to eventual accession to the EU. Good governance and regional stability are likely to be the main priorities at this stage, while trade can flourish provided it is in line with established standards.
The Eastern Partnership issue is not at the core of the agenda at EU summit on 11-12 December: it will be probably discussed informally over dinner, but no decision is to be taken until next March, under the Czech presidency.
Opinions expressed in this article may be different of those held by Trend