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Slovenia's upcoming EU Presidency - Speech by EU Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner

Dear Minister Rupel,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to be here. Not just as a neighbour and long-time friend of your country. But also as the Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy who will work very closely with Slovenia in the months ahead.

Slovenia's Presidency will indeed be special. Slovenia will be the first "new Member State" to assume this office, and it will do so at critical juncture of EU integration.

A Presidency is a logistical challenge. I headed the Task Force running Austria's EU Presidency in 1998 - at the time also the first "new member" to take over. So I know what I am talking about!

More importantly, a Presidency is an enormous opportunity. It focuses the world's spotlights on you. And it gives you the chance to make a political contribution to our European project.

In this light, I would like to talk about three central issues that will feature prominently on our joint agenda:

Let me first touch on the European Neighbourhood Policy, which is a crucial project and a special responsibility of mine.

Europe does not want to become a fortress. On the contrary: We must use the EU's great transformational power to project stability abroad - in our very own interest, and that of our partners.

The ENP puts this strong commitment to our neighbours into practice. It offers our neighbours substantial encouragement and support, if they want it. It is thus a partnership.

Despite its short existence, the ENP has already achieved a lot. We have assessed these first results and proposed ideas for fine-tuning the ENP last December - because this policy must become even more effective and attractive to reach its goals.

Last week in Brussels, we had an excellent Ministerial Conference with stakeholders from the EU and ENP countries. It reflected an emerging consensus on what the EU can do to foster reforms in a more concrete and credible way.

There are two key areas where we must deliver results quickly.

The first is to facilitate visas for ENP citizens. Later this morning, you will have an exchange of views with Vice President Frattini.

Increased mobility is a crucial element of the intensified ENP. It has a great impact in our partner countries and shows that we are serious about our offer. Therefore, it is critical we deliver on this.

The second immediate deliverable is the setting-up - before the end of the year - of a Neighbourhood Investment Facility (NIF), which would help to mobilize funds for partners more effectively.

Beyond that, we need to continue work on the economic component of the intensified ENP. We offer partners to gradually integrate into the EU's internal market. That is a powerful incentive that we need to use smartly, especially through deep Free Trade Agreement, like the one we are negotiating with Ukraine.

Moreover, we need to show that we are willing to rise to the challenge of frozen conflicts in the ENP region. Not only because these conflicts are obstacles to reforms; but also because they impact on our Union: Through instability, the potential disruption of energy supplies or unmanageable migratory flows.

I therefore believe that Member States should carefully reflect on how the EU can improve its policy in this field.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the end of this year, I will publish a new Communication, reporting on ENP progress and the way forward.

In spring 2008, during your Presidency, we will present 12 individual progress reports on ENP countries.

In early 2008, some ENP Action Plans will be coming to term. The decision as to what should replace them will need to be taken under Portuguese Presidency. My view is that these plans should be rolled over for the time being.

Let me also stress that I attribute great importance to "balance" in the ENP. We offer the same possibilities to all partners. The ENP is performance-driven. It is critical that we keep the focus on all countries alike. Looking at specific partners in isolation would send the wrong message and would be possibly counterproductive.

In short, the main ENP work ahead will be in implementation and in supporting, encouraging and monitoring our partners' efforts.

Excellencies,

The beginning of the Slovenian Presidency will coincide with the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue.

A robust dialogue of civilizations, based on shared and non-negotiable values, is critical. The last years have shown that globalization as such cannot succeed without it.

The EU promotes tolerance and good governance through a variety of instruments, from human rights support to education assistance. We work for truly "human security", a concept to which both Minister Rupel and I are highly committed.

We must put the fate of individuals, especially vulnerable ones, at the center of attention, throughout all strands of foreign policy. I have moved the human security agenda forward over the last years and I am looking forward to working on this also with Slovenia.

In this regard, deepening Euro-Mediterranean cooperation is important. We are very interested in the idea of a Mediterranean Union launched by France. We have offered our support to this through known instruments like the ENP and EuroMed.

Helping the forces of moderation and modernity also means that we must tackle the thorny issues that often spark political radicalization, especially the Middle East conflict.

Here, the Commission is active both on the ground, as a member of the Middle East Quartet and as the largest direct donor to the Palestinian people. We are giving key assistance to the Palestinian Authority for institutional-building and security sector reform, and we are now working closely with Tony Blair's new team.

We identified four priorities in a non-paper presented to the Quartet last July, on which we now need to work jointly: There is new momentum in the peace process, which we must foster: An international Middle East meeting in the fall is being prepared, which should support the bilateral discussions between PM Olmert and President Abbas towards a lasting settlement.

Excellencies,

A second key theme, which is critical for Europe's prosperity and security, is strengthening our external energy policy.

There has been a growing consensus among Member States on the value of speaking with one voice on external energy issues and on the need to ensure a more coherent policy in this vital field. We can only pursue our interests effectively if we act at EU-level.

Having established an EU network of energy correspondents, which will help us to coordinate, we now need to make progress on the substantial priorities adopted by the March Summit.

First, the EU needs to work for upgrading the key infrastructure such as the gas-transit network to our East and the construction of infrastructure including the Euro-Med gas and electricity networks.

Second, we are currently reviewing all existing energy frameworks in the ENP region to see how to respond better to the issue of security of supply. One option we explore is a regional energy agreement or legal framework.

Within the neighbourhood, we have already negotiated energy agreements with Azerbaijan, Morocco and Ukraine, and we hope to complete Memoranda of Understanding with Algeria and Egypt by the end of the year.

It is equally important to intensify our relations beyond our immediate neighbours. Following our Communication on co-operation with the Black Sea region earlier this year, we plan a political launching event in early 2008, during your Presidency.

Also the work on the implementation of the EU strategy on Central Asia agreed last July will be taken further. A Commission feasibility study on the Trans-Caspian energy corridor is already under way and will be ready by the end of this year.

Beyond these regions, we need to work more actively with other strategic partners.

This means launching negotiations with Russia on a new comprehensive agreement which will also include a robust energy component; and deepening ties with Algeria, Egypt and other producing and transit countries in the Mashrek/Maghreb, the Middle East and, the Gulf.

The Commission will also create an energy dialogue with African countries, including Nigeria and Angola. We plan to integrate the Sub-Saharan region into the Euro-Med energy cooperation. The EU-Africa-Middle East energy conference later this year in Egypt will provide a springboard for these initiatives.

In parallel, we plan to deepen our dialogues with the US, China, India, Brazil and other emerging economies, especially on energy efficiency, renewable sources and low-emission technologies.

On all these actions, we count on Slovenia's support to secure real results, including at the European Council.

Finally, climate change and energy security are two faces of the same coin. Climate change has an important geo-strategic dimension. It must be at the center of our foreign policy.

I know that Slovenia is a supporter of this "green diplomacy", and I look forward to working with you in this field

The Spring European Council confirmed our commitment to start, at the end of 2007, negotiations on a global comprehensive post-2012 agreement. This should build on and broaden the Kyoto Protocol and include the widest possible number of emitting nations.

In this context, the EU would like to develop a range of instruments to support the efforts of developing nations, and exercise influence with developed countries as the debate goes on.

In short: Energy and climate change need to be high on the agenda during the Summits with our strategic partners.

Excellencies,

This brings me to my third main point: The challenge of organizing EU Summits. You will shoulder this task with the USA, Russia, Japan, Canada, and jointly with Peru on the 5th EU/LAC Summit in Lima.

All of these are vital to promote our common European agenda. Summits are a central platform of effective multilateralism. They are key events to agree fair rules for globalization.

Organizing them is difficult. Obviously, we will give you whatever support is needed. It is vital that you are straight-forward on agendas and deliverables and firm in our EU objectives.

During recent Presidencies, the Commission has worked hard on strategic planning: through joint papers, early consultations, and feeding into Council discussion. This will of course continue.

The EU-US Summit will certainly be a challenge to organize. On the other hand, I am sure that President Bush is looking forward to return to Slovenia, a "slice of heaven", as he rightly called it.

This Summit will be an opportunity to review the results of the first year's work of the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC) created by the 2007 Summit and to discuss trade in goods and services, visas, climate change and energy- all of them key issues.

The EU-Russia Summit on 30 May 2008 will be the first one with a new Russian administration, following the Duma elections and the election of a new President in March 2008.

And while I would not expect the new President to diverge greatly from the assertive policies of President Putin, 2008 might perhaps open up an opportunity for a "fresh start" in EU-Russia relations.

The key points here remain shaping stronger dialogues under the four Common Spaces and progress in launching negotiations, as soon as possible, on a new framework agreement.

The bottom line is that Russia and the EU share common interests and need to find common views based on this mutual interest.

This means finding solutions to issues of energy supply and agricultural trade, both areas where the Commission is active, but also to counter pressure on Member States and ENP partners.

We also need to ensure that the United Nations are not used as a forum for "power battles", Kosovo being the obvious example. The EU must remind Russia that we are "members of the same club and that this club has certain rules".

Following the successful EU-Latin America and Caribbean Summit in Vienna last year (2006), the EU-LAC Summit in Lima in May 2008 must be another success. We need to keep the momentum in this strategic partnership and produce results.

I am pleased that Slovenia wants to organize, together with us, an environmental dialogue with the Latin American and Caribbean region. Having such a first EU-Latin America Ministerial meeting on the environment in March 2008 would be an important move.

The Commission also looks forward to working with you on the EU-Japan Summit, in principle planned for April 2008.

Japan is another strategic EU partner, with whom there is definitely potential to do more together e.g. on climate change, development co-operation and regional issues.

The Presidency will also need to address the key question of EU's relations with the "Asian giants". The effects of this will certainly be felt during Japan's Presidency of the G8, and Slovenia, as EU Presidency, will be part of that political dialogue.

In January this year, I launched negotiations on a new EU-China Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA). I hope that we will be able to have an "early harvest" of first results at the EU-China Summit, scheduled for 23 November 2007 in Beijing, although the Chinese side has been slow to engage so far.

India is another key partner with whom we are deepening relations.

We are negotiating a broad-based trade and investment agreement, but also thinking of cooperation on issues from energy security to non-proliferation and UN reform. India is a natural partner for us, not least because of our common democratic values and shared diversity.

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me conclude.

A Council Presidency is a collective effort. It cannot succeed without the smooth cooperation of all institutions, and in particular without a strong axis between the Commission as an "engine" and the Presidency as an "honest broker".

Let me emphasize that you can count on our total support in the preparation and running of your Presidency.

My services have already taken part in the training of your officials in Ljubljana. The reports of the Heads of Commission Delegations are now forwarded to your European Correspondent. Generally, the Commission delegations will do their utmost to provide local support to your Embassies.

I am entirely confident that Slovenia's first Council Presidency will be a major success. Slovenia has taken up its rightful place in the heart of Europe. I am sure we will see that in the first semester of 2008 - and beyond.

Thank you.

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