New proposals are on the table to strengthen and develop Europe's
neighbourhood policy, geared towards countries to the east and south of the
enlarged EU. The policy encourages commitment to common values and deeper
economic, political, cultural and security integration.
The Romanian and Bulgarian candidate commissioners took the stand yesterday
as MEPs tested their suitability for the posts of commissioner for
multilingualism and consumer protection (27 November).
EU leaders proceed with this biannual EU-Russia summit – the potentially
disruptive issue of Russia's year-old ban on Polish agricultural products will
now be handled by the EU. Other items on the agenda are energy, economic
integration and external affairs.
EU and Iraq set to intensify trade relations in a bid to boost economic
stability and aid long-term recovery. Negotiations have been opened for a trade
and cooperation agreement that should help integrate the country in the world
economy.
Poverty reduction and sustainable development in Africa will require major
improvements in governance – this was the clear message from the European
Development Days conferences on 13-17 November.
13/11/2006 - Development and Developing countries
Minds will be on Africa this week, as the streets of Brussels are transformed from 13-17 November by a string of lively, colourful events. The city is hosting the very first in a series of “European Development Days” to enhance and raise awareness of cooperation with developing countries.
Official negotiations are to begin early next year between the EU and
Ukraine on a new Enhanced Agreement whose principal aim is to form a free trade
zone. Meeting together in Helsinki on 27 October, the EU offered Ukraine
stronger economic and trade relations on the condition that corruption be
reined in and political stability reinforced. Membership of the World Trade
Organization is also a prerequisite.
The Commission has nominated its Commissioners‑designate for Bulgaria and
Romania. The Romanian nominee, Leonard Orban, currently the minister
responsible for readying his country for EU membership, will be in charge of
multilingualism, while the Bulgarian minister for European affairs, Meglena
Kuneva, will take over consumer protection.
The Commission adopted an EU partnership for peace, security and development
in the horn of Africa on 20 October. This partnership provides a political
framework for concrete regional initiatives to be discussed with the countries
concerned, and with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a
regional organisation which coordinates development in the Horn of Africa.
EU ministers of defence met to discuss EU-led operations around the world as
well as the outlook of military capabilities within the framework of an
informal meeting in Levi, Finland, on 2-3 October.
The European Commission met the Commission of the African Union (AU) for a
joint working session on 2 October in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was their third
meeting together in the last three years, but the first outside the European
continent. The growing institutional, financial and political partnership saw
several commissioners travel to Ethiopia, including President José Manuel
Barroso and two Vice-Presidents Franco Frattini (Justice, freedom and security)
and Siim Kallas (Administration).
The Seventh EU-India Summit took place on 13 October in Helsinki.
Participants of the summit meeting seized the opportunity to assess the
implementation of the Joint Action Plan endorsed at the 2005 summit. They
welcomed achievements made since last years' summit and pinpointed areas where
further progress in bilateral cooperation is needed.
Bulgaria and Romania are ready to become members of the European Union on 1
January 2007, as foreseen in the Treaty of Accession signed in 2005. The
Monitoring Report released by the Commission on 26 September shows that both
countries have made further progress during the past months, stepping up
efforts to complete their preparations for membership.
The European Parliament backs the UN decision to send 15,000 troops to
Lebanon. In a resolution adopted on 7 September, MEPs expressed their support
for the extended mandate of UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon)
while stressing there was no military solution to the conflict in the Middle
East. UNIFIL will monitor the cessation of hostilities and ensure humanitarian
access to civilian populations.
Asia was high on the EU's agenda this month. During three high-profile
summit meetings in Helsinki, EU leaders met with delegations from China, South
Korea and from the ASEM countries.
One week after world leaders committed themselves to finding a way out of the deadlock for the Doha round trade talks at the G8 summit, the talks have been suspended following a meeting of the Group of Six (G6) on 24 July. The participants failed to reach agreement on the stalled negotiations.
