COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION: Conclusions on Eastern. Council meeting, Luxembourg, 25 October 2010

Conclusions on Eastern Partnership

3041st FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Council meeting
Luxembourg, 25 October 2010

The Council adopted the following conclusions:

1. The Council recalls its Conclusions of 26 July 2010 on the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). It reiterates its commitment to a strong ENP including its regional dimensions. The Council also recalls the Declaration by the European Council on the Eastern Partnership of 19/20 March 2009, as well as the Joint Declaration of the Prague Eastern Partnership Summit of 7 May 2009 which established the Eastern Partnership as a specific Eastern dimension of the ENP. It confirms the strategic importance for the European Union of promoting stability, good governance and economic development in its Eastern neighbourhood. The EU is committed to deepening relations and strengthening cooperation with its Eastern partners.

2. Since its launch at the Prague Summit, the Eastern Partnership has reinvigorated the EU's policy towards its Eastern partners (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine), with a view to creating the necessary conditions for political association and further economic integration between the European Union and interested partner countries. It has created a meaningful political framework for deepening relations with the partner countries, including cooperating on reform. Through the Eastern Partnership, the EU will continue to support political and socio-economic reforms of the partner countries, facilitating approximation and convergence towards the European Union. The Council recalls that the Eastern Partnership is founded on mutual interests and commitments, as well as on shared ownership and responsibility.

3. It is now important for the dynamics of the process to be maintained so that further tangible results can be made. The second Eastern Partnership Summit in Budapest in May 2011 will provide an opportunity to take stock of progress made and give guidance for the future.

4. The Council recalls that the active engagement of the partner countries and their commitment to shared values and principles, including democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights and good governance are essential to take the process forward and to make the negotiation and the subsequent implementation of ambitious future Association Agreements a success. The EU is committed to assisting the partner countries in this regard.

5. The Council underlines that progress on the bilateral track of the Eastern Partnership, on the basis of the own merits of each of the partner countries, remains essential. This includes the upgrading of bilateral contractual relations, and, in this context, developing Comprehensive Institution-Building with each of the partners, as well as promoting the mobility of citizens in a well managed and secure environment, and strengthening energy security. In the same context, the EU will continue to pursue the establishment of Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas with Eastern partners once they have met the necessary conditions.

6. The Council notes the progress made so far in negotiations with Ukraine on a future Association Agreement, including the establishment of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, and encourages further efforts on both sides so that the negotiations can be finalised soon. Negotiations with the Republic of Moldova on a future Association Agreement have made very good progress since they were launched in January this year. Furthermore, the accession of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova to the Energy Community offers a concrete perspective for the integration of both countries in the EU's internal energy market on the basis of alignment with the relevant acquis. As for future Association Agreements with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, the Council welcomes the launch of negotiations in July and hopes that these will progress swiftly. The extent of Belarus' participation in the bilateral track of the Eastern Partnership continues to depend on internal political developments in Belarus. The EU will therefore continue to follow the situation pertaining to democracy and human rights in Belarus.

7. The Council reiterates the importance it attaches to people-to-people contacts as a means to promote mutual understanding, as well as business, civil society and cultural ties. Recalling the Stockholm Programme and the Joint Declaration of the Prague Summit, the Council reiterates its commitment to promote mobility of citizens of the Eastern partner countries through visa facilitation and readmission agreements, and once these are successfully concluded and implemented, to take gradual steps towards full visa liberalisation as a long term goal for individual partner countries on a case-by-case basis provided that conditions for well-managed and secure mobility are in place.

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION