EU looks into priorities of cooperation with Belarus

Civil society organizations (CSOs) and other interested external stakeholders have until 19 May to send in their suggestions with regard to the priorities of the EU’s cooperation with Belarus, according to a Commission press release.

The European Commission has outlined its own proposals in a concept note drawn up for the Belarus National Indicative Programme for 2012-13, which is available on the ENP website. It lists good governance, people-to-people contacts and economic modernization among the key areas of cooperation.

The concept notes for the ENP countries are developed following initial consultations with the national authorities, CSOs, EU Member States and other donors present in the partner country. They present the approach suggested by the European Commission and outline a number of possible areas of intervention.

To ensure a wide participation in the process, interested organisations are invited to provide their suggestions on:

• Co-operation priorities which should be supported until 2013 through the European Neighbourhood Partnership Instrument (ENPI);
• The role of civil society organisations in achieving the cooperation objectives.

The consultations are being held in the framework of the Mid Term Review of the ENPI programming documents. The Mid Term Review for Belarus had been postponed until the beginning of 2010 in order to take into account the Council Conclusions of March 3 and November 4 2009 and the most recent developments in Belarus. The current NIP 2007-2010 was extended with one year until 2011, with light updates but without changing its priorities. The new NIP for Belarus, covering the period 2012-2013, will be drafted during 2010. (ENPI Info Centre)

Also consult: Commission concept note with its own proposals 
More detailed information about the consultation procedure is available at: http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/mid_term_review/index_en.htm