Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-03-09-Speech-2-247"
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"en.20040309.9.2-247"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would first like to thank Mr Lagendijk very sincerely for drafting the European Parliament legislative resolution on the Commission's proposal for a Council regulation on the establishment of European Partnerships in the framework of the Stabilisation and Association Process.
The amendments proposed address some of the key points in our relations with the Western Balkan countries. We have noted all the proposals and carefully considered them. The Commission and the Council need Parliament’s full support and commitment in their efforts to assist these countries with their reforms and in bringing them closer to the European Union.
Let me briefly describe the background to this proposal for a Council regulation on the establishment of European Partnerships, which goes back to the European Council held in Thessaloniki in June 2003, at which the Heads of State and Government reiterated their determination to fully and effectively support the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries. The Stabilisation and Association Process has now been strengthened and supplemented by several elements that have been implemented in the course of the ongoing enlargement process. The introduction of European Partnerships is one of the most important proposals to this end. The Commission was requested to present the first European Partnerships for approval at the end of this month, together with the next Annual Reports on the Stabilisation and Association Process. Like the Accession Partnerships for candidate countries, the European Partnerships establish short- and medium-term priorities that those countries are required to comply with in order to move closer to the European Union. They will be adapted to the countries’ specific needs and respective stages of preparation, and to the specificities of the Stabilisation and Association process, and will also take account of regional cooperation. In accordance with progress achieved, the European Partnerships will increasingly be steered towards adoption of the
. Progress will be monitored by the Commission and assessed in the annual reports. The texts of the individual European Partnerships will be transmitted to the European Parliament, and, exactly as in the case of the Accession Partnerships, the European Parliament will be kept appropriately informed about the progress made by the countries concerned.
The Commission has noted the rapporteur's comments about financial assistance for countries in this region. I would like to stress once again that the proposal does not have any financial implications. The priorities of the European Partnership will continue to form the basis of the programme of assistance, which will be provided under the CARDS programme. I should, however, emphasise that the Partnerships have their own priorities, the achievement of which has no financial implications whatsoever, such as the acceptance of legislative provisions.
I fully understand Parliament’s concerns about the conditionality of Community assistance. Respect for the principles of democracy and constitutionality, and for human rights, minority rights and fundamental freedoms are a prerequisite for the granting of Community assistance. If these general conditions are not met, the Council can decide to suspend financial assistance. The Commission has agreed to make specific reference to this point in draft Council decisions on the individual partnership priorities. The priorities of the European Partnerships are just as much EU priorities as the priorities for Accession Partnerships were for the accession countries. Of course, the governments of the countries concerned will be informally consulted on the European Partnership. Their agreement will not come as a surprise. The Commission agrees with Parliament's proposal that a passage on the consultation of the national governments should be added to the regulation.
In the context of the mechanisms established under the Stabilisation and Association Process for this purpose, we have regular contacts with these countries. We assume that these countries are working out plans setting out a time frame for compliance with the requirements for further integration with the European Union. This work is intended to give them an increased sense of responsibility and a better understanding of the process. Implementing the priorities of the European Partnerships requires commitment, political will and the provision of appropriate funding. The partnerships will provide a solid basis for steering the reform efforts in the Western Balkan countries to moving closer to the European Union."@en1
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