State of play of the ENP
Paloma Agrasot, Neighbourhood Programme Manager
WWF European Policy Office
ENP Policy Seminar, HBf & WWF, Brussels Nov 2006
ENP implementation “steps”
POLICY context
 “Strategies”
 Action Plans (EU and the NC Government)
FUNDING tools
 ENPI regulation (co-decision EP & Council, Commission)
 Country programmes: Country Strategy papers, CSP,
National Indicative Programmes, NIP, Annual Action Plan,
AAP
 Regional Programmes: RSP, RIP, AAP
 Cross Border Cooperation programmes: CBC Strategy,
implementing rules, joint programmes
“Strategies”
 ENP « to avoid new dividing lines »
 Criticism bcse of the lack of incentives (money,
EU accession)
 ENP : a "complementary" policy to accession rather
than an "alternative",
 New ENP-plus to be unveiled in Brussels on 29
November
“Strategies”
 ENP-plus will suggest a second new fund of €700
million to help neighbourhood states co-fund
borrowing from the EIB and EBRD
 Brussels to propose a new multilateral diplomatic
structure for the six ex-Soviet states covered by the
ENP on the model of the Barcelona Process (1995)
 Interest on ENP also shared by the German
Presidency
« Strategies »
Next steps :
(Under German Presidency)
Commission’s Communication on specific proposals to strengthen
the ENP, specific proposals in areas such as deeper economic
and trade integration, greater mobility for ENP citizens in the
EU, and a Neighbourhood Investment Fund.
“Berlin foresees an enhanced ENP that would see EU neighbours
adopt EU single market law but fall short of accession during
the next 10 years to create a buffer-ring of non-EU but EUlike states.” EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS 21/11/06
ENP Action Plans
 Action Plans seen as « a first step » in a process
(Introduction to AP). They cover a first period of 5 years
and will be revised after.
 New AP take note of « expressed European aspirations »
 Existing AP were assessed in 2006.
 New APs seem more « progressive »
ENP Action Plans
Next steps:
(Under German Presidency)
Communication from the Commission with :
 Progress report on implementing existing ENP Action Plans with
11 partner countries to be published
 Specific proposals for successor arrangements with Ukraine,
Moldova and Israel, whose Action Plans will expire in 2008.
© WWF-Canon / Michel GUNTHER
ENP Action Plans
Next steps:
 Adoption AP for Egypt and Lebanon (2007)
 Evaluation of new AP 2 years after their adoption (Caucasus
countries in 2008)
 Periodic reports on the implementation of Action Plans
 Negotiation with remaining countries (Syria and Libya and
Algeria)
© WWF-Canon / Michel GUNTHER
The ENPI regulation
Adopted by the Council (Oct 06)
KEY ASPECTS OF THE FINAL ENPI:
 Large scope of assistance including development of civil
society and NGOs (Art 2),
 Different types of programmes: Country, Multi- Country
(“trans-regional”) and Cross Border (CBC) (Art 6)
 Strong emphasis on CBC programmes (new!) Title III (Art 9
to 11)
The ENPI regulation
 Various types of beneficiaries: NGOs included (Art. 14);
 Easy access to financial intermediaries and international
organisations (EIB, WB, UN, etc)
 Various types of measures (Art 15): twinning, sector
budgetary support, micro-projects……(credible?)
 Financing of projects involving countries not covered by the
ENP (projects of global, regional or CBC nature) (Art. 9 and
27).
The ENPI regulation
SD AND ENVIRONMENT ASPECTS:
 Objectives: promoting sustainable development,
environmental protection and good management of natural
resources, renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean
transport; (whereas…)
 SD and environmental protection quite detailed (nature
protection, freshwater, marine) in the scope of cooperation
(Art. 2)
The ENPI regulation
 Consistency with community policy: one of the main
principles of the Regulation; (Art. 5)
 No environmental conditionality at all, evaluation
requirements very poor with regards the overall ENPI (Art.
24) and the CBC (Art.9.7)
 So… greening the strategies, implementation rules and
guidelines is crucial!
The ENPI regulation
 An envelope of nearly 15 billion € was proposed by the
Commission; the EP proposed 17 billion €
 The final figure is smaller: 11.181 M€ of which a min of
95 % for geographic programmes and up to 5 % for
CBC programmes. (Art. 29)
 Management stays in the hands of the EC, assisted by a
Committee (Art. 26)
 The EP has a minor role: regular information but no
decision (Art. 26)
ENPI Country Strategies
 Country Strategy Papers, CSPs include National Indicative
Plans, NIP, and Country Environmental Profiles, CEP, in annex
 CSPs in ENPI countries were revised in 2006
 They are not yet public
 They should follow the European Consensus on Development
and the EU Common Framework for CSP Formulation (revised
in 2006) that require:
 An analysis of the environmental situation
 Consultation of non state actors
 EIAs and SEAs
ENPI Country Strategies
Next steps:
 Assess CSP once they are public from the point of view of the
environmental assessment and public participation.
 Discuss them with the EU Delegations and the Desk Officers
 Use the CEPs
 Make suggestions for the annual plans
 Seek opportunities to participate in upcoming EIAs and SEAs
 Contribute to mid term review in 2009
ENPI Regional Strategies
 Not yet public
Three different regional programmes:
 ENPI trans-regional, covers East and Med. Should allows for
horizontal matters such as support to urban communities.
 ENPI East: envtal priorities are Climate Change, FW,
Forest/FLEG
 ENPI Med: no clear news. It should include the Mediterranean
Envt Strategy and the Horizon 2020 Initiative launched by the
EC (Sept 06)
© WWF-Canon / Michel GUNTHER
ENPI Regional Strategies
Next steps:
 The three strategies should be available in 2007
 Initiative by the EC to develop a regional « body » in the
East ENP similar to the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership
(German Presidency)
 Initiative to enhance joint regional work on FW in the
Mediterranean (Portuguese Presidency?)
© WWF-Canon / Michel GUNTHER
ENPI CBC
 Eligibility, amounts, guidelines and major players already
identified
 Bottom-up (in theory) but civil society absent of the
preparatory work
 Joint operational programmes in preparation and at different
stages
 Environmental objectives not evident
© WWF-Canon / Isaac VEGA
ENPI CBC
Next steps:
 CBC Strategy made public early 2007
 Joint Operational Programmes finalised in 2007
 They will be assessed by the EC to ensure compliance
with the implementing rules, the ENPI and the EU policies.
© WWF-Canon / Isaac VEGA
Thank you,
Paloma Agrasot
WWF European Policy Office
Neighbourhood Programme Manager
[email protected]
www.panda.org/eu