Sommaire: 10 October 2008, Sarajevo - Speech by Olli Rehn, EU Commissioner for Enlargement, "EU enlargement policy and South Eastern Europe progress in a changing context" at the Crans Montana Forum
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am glad to be here today and speak about EU enlargement policy in South Eastern Europe. Enlargement is a strategic priority for the European Union, and it is important to keep it on the international agenda.
The context in which we are discussing EU enlargement today is very different from just couple of months ago.
The global financial crisis, for one, risks having a profound and lasting impact on the real economy, and thus also on the general political atmosphere. European Commission President Barroso joined European G8 leaders this past weekend to help chart the course ahead. The European Central Bank, together with other major central banks, reduced interest rates by 0.5 percent. EU finance ministers met two days ago, and EU Heads of State will take further steps next week. This will be an overwhelming
concern in the coming period.
I know the economic shock has been felt in the countries of the Western Balkans too. If this crisis shows anything, it is that international financial markets are now so integrated that only stronger global governance and European coordination will do.
Lisbon Treaty ratification is another topic that weighs heavily on European leaders' minds.
The Georgian crisis and its consequences raise fundamental questions too. Europe today faces security and stability challenges on our eastern doorstep that we hoped had disappeared with the cold war.
The images of mass displacement and tanks rolling into European cities sent a shock through Europe and the world. A decade after the Balkan wars, Europe faced - once again - a conflict in its back yard.
This time, thanks to a coordinated European diplomatic action and the efficacy of the French EU Presidency and other EU institutions, the war in Georgia was stopped and the worst avoided.
But the fundamental question of our relations with the eastern neighbourhood region remains. Apart from crisis management, a medium-term strategy is needed to assure peace and stability in the eastern part of Europe - for the region's own sake and for the rest of Europe.
Ladies and gentlemen,
This brings me back to the enlargement agenda for South East Europe.
The global financial crisis, the Irish vote on the Lisbon Treaty, and the Georgian crisis all give cause for profound reflection.
But we cannot take a sabbatical from our important work for peace and stability in the Western Balkans and Turkey.
While we deal with the urgent problems that confront us at present, we must keep on working in parallel on a carefully managed and gradual accession process in South East Europe.
European Heads of State recognised this in June, when reaffirmed the EU perspective of the Western Balkans.
Since June, we have opened further negotiation chapters with both Turkey and Croatia. The EU has signed Stabilisation and Association Agreements with Bosnia and Herzegovina and with Serbia this year.
Regional cooperation also took a great stride forward this summer when the Stability Pact handed over to the Regional Cooperation Council based here, in Sarajevo.
It is truly positive that South Eastern Europe has taken increased ownership of its own regional integration - and done so in a most impressive way. While creating its own legacy in this respect, the Regional Cooperation Council has succeeded the Stability Pact and taken its work forward in such crucial areas as the Energy Community Treaty, the new Central European Free Trade Agreement, the Transport Community, and regional refugee return.
In the end, it is the politicians and people of the region who will determine whether their countries, through reforms, will realise their European perspective.
I wish the Regional Cooperation Council, the leaders and the people of South East Europe the best of success in achieving this goal. The EU and all our international partners will support them as best we can.
Ladies and gentlemen,
As for the enlargement process as a whole, it too is moving forward. It may not be a bullet train, but it is on track and that's what counts.
The accession negotiations with Croatia are proceeding well. I expect most of the remaining chapters to be opened this autumn. It should be possible to conclude the technical negotiations before the end of next year, if Croatia puts all efforts into it and can meet the conditions.
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is a candidate country since 2005. In our November Progress Report, we will assess the fulfilment of the key priorities of its Accession Partnership, especially the judiciary and administrative reforms and electoral standards. Any recommendation concerning the accession negotiations will depend on the country's performance.
Albania signed its Stabilisation and Association Agreement in late 2006. Ratification is nearly complete and implementation is proceeding smoothly on the whole. Based on cross-party consensus on the EU, key political reforms are progressing, including election reform. One of the Albania's key challenges ahead will be handling of the 2009 elections. It will also need to strengthen the rule of law and build administrative capacity.
Montenegro's Stabilisation and Association Agreement has been in place for a year now. Here too, implementation is proceeding smoothly.
Political consensus on the EU and cross-party support in the parliament enabled adoption of a new Constitution in 2007, as well as solid progress on EU agenda. Administrative and institutional capacities remain weak but the authorities recognise this and are taking action. Here, like elsewhere in the region, the rule of law remains a key challenge.
As I told the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier today, we all share the same vision for this beautiful country: a stable, prosperous and successful Bosnia and Herzegovina within the EU.
The signature of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement this summer provided an opportunity that should not be wasted. The Stabilisation and Association Agreement is the gateway to candidate status, if it is properly implemented, and if other EU reforms are undertaken seriously. This is about actions rather than words; results as well as commitment. The challenge for Bosnia's leaders today is to achieve the degree of political consensus that has delivered progress on EU integration
elsewhere.
The Bosnian people overwhelmingly want to join the EU. It is up to their leaders to deliver on this aspiration and move EU reforms to the top of the political agenda.
In Serbia, the new government has made EU integration its key priority and set itself an ambitious reform agenda. The arrest of Radovan Karadžić showed that the Serbian government is determined to cooperate fully with the International Criminal Tribunal in the Hague.
As President Barroso said last month, Serbia could achieve candidate status next year, if the conditions are met. This possibility is further reinforced by the fact that the Parliament of Serbia just ratified the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA).
Kosovo will remain a focal point in 2009. A successful deployment of our ESDP mission "EULEX Kosovo" is essential. The EU is committed to help secure peace and stability in Kosovo and support its economic development, as well as its progress towards the EU as part of the Western Balkans. Kosovo on its part needs to ensure its commitment to a democratic and multi-ethnic society. Best way to congratulate and honour President Ahtisaari for Nobel Peace Prize.
Dialogue on visa liberalisation for the Western Balkan countries will reach a crucial state in 2009. Commission Vice-President Jacques Barrot recently confirmed that the countries most advanced in fulfilling the criteria might obtain visa-free travel already by the end of 2009. The Commission will present its assessment of this in November.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is clear that Europe today faces more serious challenges to its economies and its security strategy, than at any time since the end of the Cold War.
In this context, cementing democracy and the rule of law in the Western Balkans and Turkey and encouraging their progress towards the EU are important for stability and security in Europe.
This has been underlined by Turkey's constructive role in the Caucasus crisis ad its recent diplomatic activities in relation to Syria, Armenia and the Middle East. These have demonstrated Turkey's strategic importance for Europe in building stability in our common neighbourhood. Turkey averted a serious political crisis in July, and must now resume its EU reforms with energy.
Last but not least, there is finally serious movement towards the reunification of Cyprus. The EU supports the efforts of the leaders of both communities to achieve a comprehensive settlement under the auspices of the United Nations. The Commission is ready to contribute to a UN settlement process with its expertise in matters of EU relevance.
The year ahead will be a crucial one in addressing persistent challenges in the Western Balkans and Turkey. But - despite the crises we face - all the countries can make steady progress in the reforms and, thus their own determined actions, provide for acceleration of their European path.
So the context may be changing, but progress in EU enlargement continues. This year 2009 can still be a "Year of the Western Balkans."
Thank you.
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