PURPOSE: to present
the Commission’s overall enlargement policy for the candidate countries
Croatia and Turkey, and the potential candidate countries in the Western
Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro and Kosovo).
CONTENT: Enlargement is one of
the EU’s most powerful policy tools and the pull of the EU has helped
transform Central and Eastern Europe from communist regimes to modern,
well-functioning democracies. Following the success of the enlargement that
took place in 2004, the attraction of the Union remains and a series of other
countries have made known their wish to become members to share its basic
principles which are peace, stability, prosperity, It is vitally important for the EU to ensure a carefully
managed enlargement process that extends peace, stability, prosperity,
democracy, human rights and the rule of law across Europe. The countries in
question are Turkey and Croatia (which already have the status of candidates
and with whom the Union has already opened accession negotiations), and all
the countries of the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro and Kosovo (all potential candidates). The Western Balkans is a particular
challenge for the EU. enlargement policy since it will need to demonstrate
its power of transformation in a region where states are weak and societies
divided.
1) Enlargement
strategy and conditionality: Enlargement
policy is defined by Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union, which states
that any European State which respects the EU’s fundamental democratic
principles may apply to become a member of the Union. The EU has set
political and economic criteria for membership, as well as criteria related
to the obligations of membership and the administrative capacity to implement
and enforce the EU’s laws and policies (otherwise known as the Copenhagen criteria).
The new enlargement strategy is based on three
basic principles:
- consolidation: the Commission wants to ensure that
EU commitments in terms of enlargement are consolidated which means that
there is no further enlargement with a large group of countries at the
same time in view. Accession negotiations with Turkey are a long-term process and the Western Balkans contains smaller countries at different
stages on their road towards the EU. Future enlargements will go at the
pace dictated by each country’s performance in meeting the rigorous
standards, to ensure the smooth absorption of new members;
- conditionality: The EU must remain rigorous in
demanding fulfilment of its criteria, but fair in duly rewarding
progress. Aspirant countries can only proceed from one stage of the
process to the next once they have met the conditions for that stage.
Moreover, the Commission is prepared to recommend the suspension of
progress in case of a serious and persistent breach of the EU’s
fundamental principles, or if a country fails to meet essential
requirements at any stage; and
- communication: The Commission needs to offer a
clear strategy for future accessions that is based on objective
conditions and realistic commitments. Better communication about
previous enlargements is vital to ensure support for future accessions.
Member States must bear their responsibility to explain and defend the
policies they have agreed unanimously. The Commission will complement
this effort by using a wide variety of routes to communicate its enlargement
policy and counter misconceptions with evidence. It will seek to engage
in a dialogue with key actors in politics, the media, academia, business
and social partners in order to promote a better informed debate about
both past and future enlargements. A vital part of the Commission’s
communications strategy is the civil society dialogue, which aims to
reinforce links between civil society in the EU and candidate countries
in order to improve mutual understanding, address concerns, and
encourage a high-quality debate.
The strategy paper first deals with the
candidate countries, Croatia and Turkey, and then the Western
Balkan potential candidate countries.
Please refer to the summaries of the detailed Progress Reports on each
country: SEC(2005)1421 – Albania, 1422 – Bosnia-Herzegovina,
1423 – Kosovo, 1424 – Croatia, 1426 – Turkey and 1428 – Serbia and Montenegro. It then proposes a roadmap to be followed by
each of these countries.
2) Roadmap:
- The EU’s
relations with Croatia and Turkey entered into a new phase on 3
October, when accession negotiations were opened. Negotiations will be
based on the country’s own merits and their pace will depend on
the country's progress in meeting the requirements for membership.
- b) For
the other countries of the Western Balkans, the Commission
proposes a road map for realising their European perspectives, setting
out the stages and conditions attached to each stage. Establishing a
Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU is a
fundamental step in this process. Albania has made sufficient
overall progress to establish implementation capacity, paving the way
for concluding negotiations on such an agreement. Serbia and Montenegro have just opened SAA negotiations, and Bosnia and Herzegovina will do so shortly. Depending on the progress made in terms of
introducing political, economic and institutional reforms, it should be
possible to conclude these negotiations within a year from their
opening.
With the setting in place of
the SAAs, these countries will move from the process of stabilisation and
reconstruction to one of sustainable development, association and integration
into European structures, achieving the aims set out at the Thessaloniki
European Council in 2003. These agreements will enable these countries
establish a sound contractual relationship with the Union. A country’s
satisfactory track-record in implementing its SAA obligations (including the
application of its trade-related provisions in the form of an Interim
Agreement) will be an essential element for the EU to consider any membership
application. Once stabilisation is sufficiently ensured, the Commission
can recommend to the Council in a feasibility
report whether and under
what conditions SAA negotiations can start.
Lastly, there is the special
case of Kosovo which is under international administration. The EU is
ensuring that Kosovo benefits from the key instruments offered to the region.
The opening of status discussions is a challenge for the entire region, and
for the international community. The strong commitment of all parties to a
multi-ethnic, stable and democratic Kosovo will be essential to achieve a
sustainable settlement that reinforces the security and stability of the
region, and to ensure its further progress towards the EU.
- c) new membership candidates – the
case of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM): the European
Council could grant the status of candidate country to the FYROM based
on the Commission’s opinion. It is in this context that the Commission
has examined the FYROM’s accession request (see COM(2005)0562)
recommending that the Council should grant the FYROM candidate status. Candidate
status is a political recognition of a closer relationship with the EU,
but it does not automatically mean that a country can start negotiations
for EU membership. To do so, the country needs to reach a sufficient
degree of general compliance with the membership criteria, in
particular, full co-operation with the International Tribunal for the
former Yugoslavia. The Commission will present a report to the Council
no later than the end of 2006 on the progress of the FYROM.
3) supporting reforms: the Commission is proposing revised
accession partnership agreements for Turkey and Croatia taking into account
the main priorities highlighted in the 2005 Regular Reports.
- Having got the status of candidate
country, Croatia has now the possibility to benefit from pre-accession
aid: Phare for the strengthening of institutions and economic and social
cohesion, ISPA for the environment and transport infrastructure, and
SAPARD for agricultural and rural development. It will keep the right to
access the CARDS regional programme in 2005 and 2006. Pre-accession
funding will amount to EUR 105 and 140 million respectively in 2005 and
2006. Croatia will also be able to participate in Community programmes.
- The 2005 pre-accession funding granted
to Turkey comprises a national programme and funding relating to
multinational programmes, as well as for communication and management
activities, reaching a total of EUR 300 million in 2005 and EUR 500
million in 2006. The main priorities of the 2005 programme reflect EU
concerns regarding the political criteria, economic and social cohesion,
the implementation of the acquis in key fields and political and
social dialogue between the EU and Turkey. They also include funding
for preparing Turkey to apply measures relating to large-scale
infrastructure and measures similar to the Structural Funds from 2007.
European partnerships will also be set up
with the Western Balkan countries to meet the main priorities highlighted by
the Commission. EU assistance will involve EUR 539 million for 2005, of
which a part will go towards a regional programme (to which Croatia still has a right). This assistance is based on measures specified in the European
partnerships.