EU context

The EU

European Union

The European Union is a unique economic and political partnership between 27 European countries. It has delivered half a century of peace, stability, and prosperity, helped raise living standards, launched a single European currency, and is progressively building a single Europe-wide market in which people, goods, services, and capital move among Member States as freely as within one country.

The EU has its origins in the aftermath of the Second World War, with the first steps involving economic cooperation. Since then, the union has developed into a huge single market with the euro as its common currency. What began as a purely economic union has evolved into an organisation spanning all areas, from development aid to environmental policy.

Primary among the EU’s objectives are the promotion of peace, the well-being of its 500 million citizens, its cultural and linguistic diversity, and economic and social cohesion. The EU also seeks to promote its core values, namely a respect for human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and human rights.

The primary legislation of the EU are the treaties signed between Member States. These treaties lay down the basic policies of the EU, establish its institutional structure, legislative procedure and powers. Some of the main treaties are: the EEC Treaty of Rome (1957), the Single European Act (1986), the Treaty of Maastricht (1992), the Amsterdam Treaty (1997) and the Lisbon Treaty (2007).

The EU’s main institutions are: the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council of the European Union, and the European Commission.

The European Parliament

It is elected every five years by the people of the European Union to represent their interests. The main job of the European Parliament (EP) is to pass European laws on the basis of proposals presented by the European Commission. The EP shares this responsibility with the Council of the European Union. The Parliament and the Council also share joint authority for approving the EU’s annual budget. The main meetings of the Parliament are held in Strasbourg (France), and in Brussels (Belgium).

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/default.htm

The European Council

It consists of the heads of State or Government of the Member States, together with its President and the President of the Commission. The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy takes part in its work. The European Council defines the general political direction and priorities of the European Union. It does not exercise legislative functions. The European Council meets twice every six months, convened by its President. When the situation so requires, the President will convene a special meeting. The President’s term of office is two and a half years, renewable once. The European Council usually meets in Brussels.

http://www.european-council.europa.eu

The Council of the European Union

It is the EU’s principal decision-taking body. It shares with the European Parliament the responsibility for passing EU laws. The Council of the EU consists of ministers from the national governments of all the EU countries. Meetings are attended by whichever ministers are responsible for the items to be discussed. Every six months, a different member state assumes the so-called Presidency of the EU, meaning that it chairs these meetings and sets the overall political agenda. The rotating presidency does not apply to the Foreign Affairs Council, which is chaired by the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. http://www.consilium.europa.eu/

The European Commission

It is the EU’s executive body and represents the interests of the EU as a whole. It drafts proposals for new European laws, which it presents to the European Parliament and the Council. It puts into practice the EU’s common policies and manages the EU’s funds and programmes. The Commission also plays a role as ‘guardian of the treaties’ making sure that everyone abides by EU treaties and laws. It can act against rule-breakers, taking them to the European Court of Justice if necessary.

The Commission consists of 27 Commissioners — one from each EU country. The president of the Commission is chosen by the 27 EU governments and endorsed by the European Parliament. The other commissioners are nominated by their national governments in consultation with the incoming president, and must be approved by the European Parliament. They do not represent the governments of their home countries. Instead, each of them has responsibility for a particular EU policy area. They are all appointed for a period of five years.

http://ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm

European Neighbourhood Policy

The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) was developed in 2004, with the objective of avoiding the emergence of new dividing lines between the enlarged EU and its neighbours and instead strengthening the prosperity, stability and security of all.

This ENP framework is proposed to 16 of the EU’s closest neighbours – Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Tunisia and Ukraine.

The policy was first outlined in a Commission Communication on Wider Europe in March 2003, followed by a Strategy Paper on the European Neighbourhood Policy in May 2004. The strategy sets out in concrete terms how the EU proposes to work more closely with these countries.

The ENP, which is chiefly a bilateral policy between the EU and each partner country, is further enriched with regional and multilateral co-operation initiatives: the Eastern Partnership (launched in Prague in May 2009), the Union for the Mediterranean (the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, formerly known as the Barcelona Process, re-launched in Paris in July 2008), and the Black Sea Synergy (launched in Kiev in February 2008).

Within the ENP the EU offers its neighbours a privileged relationship, building upon a mutual commitment to common values (democracy and human rights, rule of law, good governance, market economy principles and sustainable development). The ENP goes beyond existing relationships to offer political association and deeper economic integration, increased mobility and more people-to-people contacts.

The ENP remains distinct from the process of enlargement although it does not prejudge, for European neighbours, how their relationship with the EU may develop in future, in accordance with Treaty provisions.

Central to the ENP are the bilateral Action Plans between the EU and each ENP partner (12 of them were agreed). These set out an agenda of political and economic reforms with short and medium-term priorities of three to five years. Following the expiration of the first Action Plans succession documents are being adopted. The ENP is not yet fully ‘activated’ for Algeria, Belarus, Libya and Syria since those have not agreed Action Plans. The ENP builds upon existing agreements between the EU and the partner in question: Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (PCA) or Association Agreements (AA).

EUBAM and the EU

Supporting security

A more secure neighbourhood means a more secure EU.

The enlargement of the European Union in 2004 and 2007 extended its borders further east, to touch the western fringes of Moldova and Ukraine. The European Neighbourhood Policy was developed in 2004 to create a cooperation framework within which the EU and 16 of its closest neighbours – including Moldova and Ukraine – could work in partnership to enhance prosperity, stability and security for all parties in the region. In 2009 the Eastern Partnership initiative expanded further the EU’s cooperation offer to its eastern neighbours.

In the context of the EU Neighbourhood Policy and the Eastern Partnership, the EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM) offers a two-fold contribution. Firstly, the Mission promotes the approximation of EU standards and practice in border management in the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Secondly, as a monitor and a neutral, technical advisor, EUBAM contributes to the peaceful and sustainable settlement of the Transnistrian conflict. Both these elements directly support the aspirations of EU member states for regional security, stability and prosperity.

Supporting stability

A more prosperous neighbourhood means a more prosperous EU.

A stable neighbourhood provides an environment for enhanced trade. An improved flow of legitimate trade fuels the EU’s economic success and strengthens cross-border relationships.

Along the entire Moldova-Ukraine border, the Mission supports efforts to make border checks more efficient to further enhance legitimate trade. Streamlining border and customs controls, supporting the effective use of border resources to target threats and supporting cross border and international information exchange all in turn support European and international trade.

Odessa Seaport is a busy trade transit point for EU markets. The EUBAM Field Office on the port’s premises directly supports security improvements and swift facilitation of international sea-borne trade to benefit the prosperity of the EU and its neighbours.

Accountability

EUBAM is ultimately accountable to the people of the EU and seeks to be as transparent as possible. In return it enjoys a high level of support from EU institutions and from member states.

The Head of Mission reports to the EU delegations in both Ukraine (Kiev) and Moldova (Chisinau), but is ultimately accountable to the Head of the EU Delegation in Kiev. From time to time the Mission also reports directly to the European Commission, and to EU member states via the EU delegations in Kiev and Chisinau.

The Advisory Board is EUBAM’s governing body. It is composed of the representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Moldovan and Ukrainian Customs and Border Guard Services, the European Commission, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the EU Presidency, as well as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The Board meets twice a year to review progress and chart the way forward for the Mission.