2. Renewed Consensus on Enlargement
European Council December 2006 and 2007
Foreign Affairs Council December 2008
Consolidation
- EU honours commitments made but is cautious in assuming
new commitments;
- pace of accession process depends on pace of reforms in
each country;
- maintaining momentum of integration by ensuring
functional capacity of EU; no automatism
Conditionality
- Strict but fair conditions for opening, conducting and
concluding negotiations (benchmarks);
- suspension in case of serious shortcomings in the area of
political criteria
Communication
- Intensifying political and cultural dialogue of civil societies
in EU and candidate countries;
- achieving broad public support of the enlargement process;
- increased transparency (publication of key documents)
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3. Pre-accession strategy
• Association Agreement (Turkey 1963)
• Stabilisation and Association Agreements (Western Balkans)
• Liberalisation of trade (Free Trade Area)
• Political and economic cooperation
• Accession and European Partnerships (2008 revision)
• Framework for EC financial assistance
• Priorities for adoption of acquis
• Financial and technical assistance
• Until 2006 PHARE, SAPARD, ISPA, CARDS)
• As from 2007 replaced by IPA – Instrument for Pre-Accession
Assistance (~ 1 bn €/Jahr)
• Participation in EC Programmes, Agencies and Committees
• Accession negotiations
• Annual Strategy Paper and Country Progress Reports
(next reports in November 2010)
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4. Annual Progress Reports
Commission Progress Reports
Annual strategy paper and country reports published in autumn
reference to human rights and protection of minorities in political chapter
(and Chapter 23 for candidate countries)
Preparations start in spring with written input on progress made in
legislation, administrative capacity, judiciary, civil society etc), from:
Governments & COM delegations (involving local NGOs)
International Organisations (e.g. Council of Europe, OSCE –
ODIHR, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, OSCE
Representative on Freedom of Media, UN High Commissioner for
Refugees, UNDP, UNICEF, IOM, WHO)
NGOs (Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, OSI, MRGI, Save the Children,
International PEN, International Publishers Association, International
Press Institute, South East Europe Media Organisation – SEEMO,
Roma organisations such as ERIO, ERGO, DecadeWatch)
Informal meetings COM with international organisations and NGOs
Drafting and internal coordination
November 2010: Adoption by Commission
DG Enlargement 4
