The Council welcomed the review of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) presented by the High Representative and the European Commission which sets out the EU's response to the rapid changes in its neighbourhood, with support for deep and sustainable democracy and the strengthening of both the eastern and southern dimensions of the ENP. The Council adopted certain conclusions which may be summarised as follows:

1) Principles and values : the new approach of the EU will (i) be based on mutual accountability and shared commitment to universal values of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law; m(ii) reflect the needs of each of the EU’s neighbours as well as their capacities and reform objectives; (iii) be based on joint ownership and differentiation; (iv) will permit those countries that are willing and able to move further to closer political association and progressive economic integration into the EU Internal Market.

The Council agrees on the need to provide greater support to partners engaged in building deep and sustainable democracy, to support inclusive economic development and to strengthen both the Eastern and the Southern dimensions of the ENP, in particular in the areas of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

2) Partnership with society : the Council invites the High Representative and the Commission to put forward concrete proposals in support of civil society, including on a European Endowment for Democracy and a Civil Society Facility , to develop new means for the EU to support the development and functioning of deep and sustainable democracy in the neighbouring countries.

3) Free trade areas: the Council supports the idea of the EU continuing to pursue integration through the establishment of Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas (DCFTAs) It expects rapid progress in the ongoing DCFTA negotiations with Ukraine . It invites the Commission to submit recommendations for negotiating directives for DCFTAs with selected Southern Mediterranean partners.

4) Partnership for mobility : the Council invites the Commission to pursue work with partners in this field on the basis of the Global Approach to Migration. The EU will prepare the launch of negotiations for Mobility Partnerships with Morocco , Tunisia and Egypt . It will consider launching, on a case by case basis, readmission and visa facilitation agreements with Southern partners and EU engagement will depend on effective cooperation against illegal migration including on readmission and border management. The EU will seek to conclude negotiations for a Mobility Partnership with Armenia and will also seek to launch negotiations on visa facilitation agreements in parallel with readmission agreements with Belarus, for the benefit of the population at large, as well as with Armenia and Azerbaijan.

5) Financial support : significantly increased financial support of up to EUR 1.242 billion to address the urgent needs and to respond to the new challenges and transformations underway in the Neighbourhood will be decided in accordance with the normal budgetary procedures and without prejudice notably to the Multiannual Financial Framework.: The Council looks forward to the Commission proposal to the budgetary authority in that respect. The Council asks the Commission, in connection with the EIB, to consider how risk capital operations could be reinforced in the neighbourhood, and reaffirms its support for the increase in lending from the EIB. .

6) New instrument : in the context of the enhanced approach to the ENP, the Council looks forward to the Commission proposal to establish, under the next multi-annual financial framework, a new European Neighbourhood Instrument which is based on a simplified programming, is increasingly policy driven and provides for increased differentiation on the basis of a "more for more" approach, including the flexibility to allow for greater targeting of resources in line with reform performance and needs.

7) Eastern Partnership : the Council looks forward to the Eastern Partnership Summit in Warsaw on 29-30 September 2011 with the view to enhancing the relations between the EU and the Eastern partners. It also invites the High Representative and the Commission to propose a roadmap to guide the further implementation of the Eastern Partnership, drawing on the results of the Summit.

8) Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) : the Council underlines the importance of the UfM which complements the bilateral relations between EU and partners in the South and which should be enhanced to organise effective and result-oriented regional cooperation through concrete projects. The Council reiterates its support to the UfM Secretariat which should operate as a catalyst to bring states, the EIB, International Financial Institutions and the private sector together around concrete projects of strategic importance and support job generation, innovation and growth throughout the region.

9) Southern Neighbourhood : whilst stressing that transition may be long and difficult, the Council underlines the strong commitment of the EU and its Member States in accompanying and supporting concrete efforts by governments genuinely engaged in political and economic reforms, as well as the civil societies. In this respect, the Council encourages the High Representative and the Commission to ensure that the continuing implementation of the 8 March Communication on a Partnership for democracy and shared prosperity with the Southern Mediterranean takes into account the new approach set out in the new response to a changing Neighbourhood. The Council welcomes the setting up of the Task Force for the Southern Mediterranean and also welcomes the High Representative's proposal for an EU Special Representative for the Southern Mediterranean region .

In conclusion, the Council considers that Member States should complement and reinforce EU support in the context of the European Neighbourhood Policy with national support programmes, while ensuring close co-ordination. It also encourages the European Commission to intensify coordination with other donors and international finance institutions.

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Results of vote in Parliament

The European Parliament adopted, by 572 votes to 24 with 12 abstentions, under the 1st reading of the codecision procedure, a legislative resolution approving the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 1638/2006 laying down general provisions establishing a European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument The report had been tabled for consideration in plenary by Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI (EPP-ED, PL), on behalf of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

T6-0315/2008

A6-0271/2008

A6-0271/2008

The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted the report by Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI (EPP-ED, PL), approving unamended, under 1 st reading of the codecision procedure, the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No. 1638/2006 laying down general provisions establishing a European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument.

PURPOSE: to amend Regulation (EC) No 1638/2006 on the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (see COD/2004/0219 ) in order to clarify some technical provisions of the basic regulation.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

CONTENT: the purpose of amending Regulation (EC) No 1638/2006 is twofold:

(1) to clarify the existing provisions on Community funds managed by financial intermediaries for loan financing, equity investments, guarantee funds or investment funds: the current text is ambiguous about the possibility of continuing to re-invest such funds (e.g. through a revolving fund mechanism). Re-using resources is common practice in operations involving risk capital and loan financing. Funds reflowing from old loans and investments can thus be re-invested. In this way they bring further benefit to the target beneficiaries and enhance the impact of the assistance. Clarity on this issue is also important and urgent, as similar operations may take place in the context of the Neighbourhood Investment Facility, which is about to become operational;

(2) to allow EIB to re-invest , within the Facility for Euro Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP) the funds reflowing from past operations (reflows) financed under MEDA and the earlier financial protocols with Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey . The reflows include the capital repayment and the benefits on the investment (including interests, dividends, the profits/losses on the sales of participations, and the penalties applied by the Bank). The re-investment will take place within the framework of this Regulation. At present, as the earlier Regulations did not explicitly provide for the possibility of re-investing the funds, the “reflows” are returned to the Community budget shortly after the beneficiary has reimbursed the EIB. With the proposed amendment, the EIB can be allowed to re-invest such funds in the context of FEMIP until the Commission decides to close the operation.

COM(2008)0308
EUR-Lex