On March 8th, the second leg of the Vienna Process International Conference on the Future of Europe, titled Europe Future Neighbourhood at 75: Disruptions, Recalibration Continuity, was organised by the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna and the implementing partners –the European news platformModern Diplomacy, IFIMES think-tank, the international scientific journal European Perspectives and Vienna-based Culture for Peace. Among some 20 contributors to the conference’s three panel discussions were two serving European Presidents, an EU Commissioner, the former OSCE Secretary General, and several other high-level officials of European as well as international FORAs. In addition, a variety of thinkers and practitioners from the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain France, Poland, Ukraine and Norway provided their contribution to the debate about the European neighbourhood.
The keynote speaker of this unique international conference linking the Continent’s leading professionals with expertise the EU’s Neighbourhood policy, was the EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Mr. Oliver Várhelyi. In his highly absorbing speech, he focused on the EU’s Eastern Partnership, which represents the since-2009-ongoing partner project between the Union with its member states, and six countries of its Eastern neighbourhood –Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. Mr. Várhelyi commenced his speech by stressing that “during the times of the Covd crisis, the EU has been showing solidarity with its Eastern partners from the very beginning. We have notably supplied medical equipment across the region, saving thousands of lives.”
Indeed, the C-19 has posed significant challenges for all present and future work on the EU’s Eastern Partnership policy, which over 10 years has been crucial for bringing the European Union and the partner countries closer together. Therefore, the European Commission issued a proposal on the future of the Eastern Partnership, which focuses on five main priorities under the overarching theme of building resilience.
First of the priorities Mr. Várhelyi addressed in his speech is investing in the cross-Europe dialogue and understanding, economy and connectivity. “It is essential that we further enhance support to small- and medium-sized enterprises in these countries, and also that we accelerate the investment on the extended core trans-European network.”
Second priority is the investment into the post-C-19 pan-European space in the spirit of “build back better”. This entails projects and policies that will allow for a greener recovery of the Europe’s East. Indeed, these two attributes of the post-C-19 efforts to rebuild resilient societies based on acceptance and inclusion as well as objectives of the EU’s strategy for the future. This is further confirmed by the priority number three, in the words of Commissioner Várhélyi: “Investing in transformation, which is necessary to make the most for the world.”
The European Union represents a community of member states based on shared democratic values and practices, and therefore the fourth priority of the EU’s strategy for the future of its Eastern Partnership is invest in promoting the rule of law, credible justice reforms, and efficient public administration institutions. Only well-functioning democratic institutions can allow for making the countries of this region more prosperous and thereby contribute to the well-being of their populations. Not least, the fifth priority is represented by investing in fair and inclusive societies. Together, these priorities that are identified within the EU’s future strategy are aimed at strengthening the relationship between the Union and the countries, and thereby allow for further development of the countries located in the EU’s direct neighbourhood.
“The next summit of the EU with Eastern Partnership countries is expected to take place in autumn, and will be focused on the following three pillars: recovery, resilience, and reform. We are now preparing a more detailed plan for concrete targets to shape this future together thanks to the Eastern Partnership. The targets will be supported by an economic investment plan, focused to support socio-economic recovery, which is the absolute priority in the midst of the C-19, while ensuring that the citizens stay at the heart of our policies.”
Following from the mentioned pillars for recovery, what people need most is to have stable jobs, and therefore Mr. Várhelyi mentioned the need to boost the economies and make them more competitive. The EU therefore aims at supporting small- and middle-sized businesses in the region with its budget support, which is more needed than ever. Moreover, societies that are rebuilding need resilience, for which reforms in less-effective parts of the system play a key role.
At the end of his speech, the Commissioner for European Neighbourhood and Enlargement Mr. Várhelyi remarked that the Eastern Partnership currently faces a number of challenges, whether that is the ongoing political instability in Belarus and Georgia, or the conflicts in Armenia, Azerbaijan or Moldova. This would of course necessitate sobriety, de-escalation and listening to all.
“These challenges reinforce the message of working together in order to build an area of shared democracy, prosperity, stability and peace. The C-19 is just the latest of the ever-increasing list of global challenges we all face. But the EU’s responses to these challenges only further confirm my conviction that we are always stronger together.”
The final message corresponded well with the main tone of the “Europe Future Neighbourhood at 75: Disruptions, Recalibration Continuity” conference – no future for Europe without its neighbourhood f we are any series and sincere about it.
