Declaration by The European Council on The Eastern Partnership

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.