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Europaudvalget 2008-09
EUU Alm.del Bilag 377
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Joint Declaration of the Prague Eastern Partnership Summit

7 May 2009, Prague

In the presence of

***

The

EUROPEAN UNION

represented by

HE Mr Mirek TOPOLÁNEK

HE Mr José Manuel BARROSO

HE Mr Javier SOLANA

President of the European Council

President of the European Commission

Secretary-General of the Council of the European

Union / High Representative for the Common

Foreign and Security Policy

***

President of the Republic of Armenia

Permanent Representative of Austria to the European

Union

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of

Belarus

Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Belgium

Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of

Cyprus

Prime Minister of the Czech Republic

Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Denmark

Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia

Prime Minister of the Republic of Finland

Prime Minister of the French Republic

President of Georgia

Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of

Germany

Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic

ARMENIA

represented by

HE Mr Serzh SARGSYAN

AUSTRIA

represented by

HE Mr Hans Dietmar SCHWEISGUT

AZERBAIJAN

represented by

HE Mr Ilham ALIYEV

BELARUS

represented by

HE Mr Vladimir SEMASHKO

BELGIUM

represented by

HE Mr Herman VAN ROMPUY

BULGARIA

represented by

HE Mr Sergei STANISHEV

CYPRUS

represented by

HE Mr Markos KYPRIANOU

CZECH REPUBLIC

represented by

HE Mr Mirek TOPOLÁNEK

DENMARK

represented by

HE Mr Lars Løkke RASMUSSEN

ESTONIA

represented by

HE Mr Andrus ANSIP

FINLAND

represented by

HE Mr Matti VANHANEN

FRANCE

represented by

HE Mr François FILLON

GEORGIA

represented by

HE Mr Mikheil SAAKASHVILI

GERMANY

represented by

HE Ms Angela MERKEL

GREECE

represented by

HE Mr Konstantinos KARAMANLIS

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HUNGARY

represented by

HE Mr Gordon BAJNAI

IRELAND

represented by

HE Mr Brian COWEN

ITALY

represented by

HE Mr Maurizio SACCONI

LATVIA

represented by

HE Mr Valdis DOMBROVSKIS

LITHUANIA

represented by

HE Mr Vygaudas UŠACKAS

LUXEMBURG

represented by

HE Mr Jean ASSELBORN

Prime Minister of the Republic of Hungary

Taoiseach of Ireland

Minister of Welfare of the Italian Republic

Prime Minister of the Republic of Latvia

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of

Lithuania

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign

Affairs of and Immigration of the Grand Duchy of

Luxembourg

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign

Affairs of the Republic of Malta

Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland

State Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the

Portuguese Republic

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign

Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of

Moldova

Prime Minister of Romania

Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic

Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Spain

Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Sweden

Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

President of Ukraine

Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth

Affairs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and

Northern Ireland

MALTA

represented by

HE Mr Tonio BORG

POLAND

represented by

HE Mr Donald TUSK

PORTUGAL

represented by

HE Mr Luís AMADO

REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

represented by

HE Mr Andrei STRATAN

ROMANIA

represented by

HE Mr Emil BOC

SLOVAKIA

represented by

HE Mr Robert FICO

SLOVENIA

represented by

HE Mr Borut PAHOR

SPAIN

represented by

HE Mr Miguel Angel MORATINOS

SWEDEN

represented by

HE Mr Fredrik REINFELDT

THE NETHERLANDS

represented by

HE Mr Jan Peter BALKENENDE

UKRAINE

represented by

HE Mr Viktor YUSHCHENKO

UNITED KINGDOM

represented by

HE Mr David MILIBAND

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***

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

represented by

HE Mr Hans-Gert PÖTTERING

President of the European Parliament

COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

represented by

HE Mr Luc Van den BRANDE

Secretary-General of the Committee of the

Regions

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE

represented by

HE Mr Ivan VOLEŠ

Member of the Economic and Social

Committee

***

EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK

represented by

HE Mr Philippe MAYSTADT

EUROPEAN BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION

AND DEVELOPMENT

represented by

HE Mr Thomas Mirow

***

President of the European Investment Bank

President of the European Bank for

Reconstruction and Development

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Joint Declaration of the Prague Eastern Partnership Summit

7 May 2009, Prague

The Heads of State or Government and representatives of the Republic of Armenia, the

Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and

Ukraine, the representatives of the European Union and the Heads of State or Government

and representatives of its Member States have met in Prague to bring their relationship to a

new level by establishing the Eastern Partnership and have adopted the following Joint

Declaration:

A more ambitious partnership between the European Union and the partner countries

1. The Eastern Partnership is launched as a common endeavour of the Member States of

the European Union and their Eastern European Partners (hereinafter the partner

countries), founded on mutual interests and commitments as well as on shared

ownership and responsibility. It will be developed jointly, in a fully transparent

manner.

The participants of the Prague Summit agree that the Eastern Partnership will be based

on commitments to the principles of international law and to fundamental values,

including democracy, the rule of law and the respect for human rights and fundamental

freedoms, as well as to, market economy, sustainable development and good

governance.

The Eastern Partnership builds on and is complementary to existing bilateral

contractual relations. It will be developed without prejudice to individual partner

countries' aspirations for their future relationship with the European Union. It will be

governed by the principles of differentiation and conditionality.

The Eastern Partnership will be developed in parallel with the bilateral cooperation

between the EU and third states.

The main goal of the Eastern Partnership is to create the necessary conditions to

accelerate political association and further economic integration between the European

Union and interested partner countries. The significant strengthening of EU policy

with regard to the partner countries will be brought about through the development of

a specific Eastern dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy. With this aim,

the Eastern Partnership will seek to support political and socio-economic reforms of

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the partner countries, facilitating approximation towards the European Union. This

serves the shared commitment to stability, security and prosperity of the European

Union, the partner countries and indeed the entire European continent.

The Eastern Partnership should further promote stability and multilateral confidence

building. Conflicts impede cooperation activities. Therefore the participants of the

Prague summit emphasize the need for their earliest peaceful settlement on the basis of

principles and norms of international law and the decisions and documents approved

in this framework.

Furthermore, the Eastern Partnership could help to develop closer ties among the

partner countries themselves.

3. The Eastern Partnership carries a clear political message about the need to maintain

and bolster the course towards reforms. The Eastern Partnership will provide

additional impetus to the economic and social and regional development of the partner

countries. It will facilitate good governance, including in the financial sector, promote

regional development and social cohesion and help to reduce partner countries´ socio-

economic disparities. In this way, the Eastern Partnership will be complementary to

macro-economic assistance provided through relevant international instruments.

Deeper bilateral engagement

4. The participants of the Prague Summit share the wish to deepen and to intensify

bilateral relations between the EU and the partner countries, taking into account the

specific situation and ambition of each partner country and respecting existing

bilateral relations between the EU and the respective partner country. They agreed that

bilateral cooperation under the Eastern Partnership umbrella should provide the

foundation for Association Agreements between the EU and those partner countries

who are willing and able to comply with the resulting commitments.

5. New Association Agreements, beyond existing opportunities for trade and investment,

will provide for the establishment or the objective of establishing deep and

comprehensive free trade areas, where the positive effects of trade and investment

liberalization will be strengthened by regulatory approximation leading to

convergence with EU laws and standards. Open markets and economic integration are

essential to the sustainable economic development of the partner countries and to

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underpin political stabilisation. Establishing bilateral deep and comprehensive free

trade areas between the EU and partner countries could in the long-term perspective

grow into a network of deep and comprehensive free trade areas.

6. The European Union will develop Comprehensive Institution-Building Programmes

individually with each partner country in order to improve their administrative

capacity, including through training, technical assistance and any appropriate

innovative measures.

7. Supporting mobility of citizens and visa liberalisation in a secure environment is

another important aspect of the Eastern Partnership. It will promote mobility of

citizens of the partner countries through visa facilitation and readmission agreements;

the EU, in line with its Global Approach to Migration, will also take gradual steps

towards full visa liberalisation as a long term goal for individual partner countries on a

case-by-case basis provided that conditions for well-managed and secure mobility are

in place.

8. The Eastern Partnership aims to strengthen energy security through cooperation with

regard to long-term stable and secure energy supply and transit, including through

better regulation, energy efficiency and more use of renewable energy sources.

Provisions on energy interdependence could be included in the new Association

Agreements or other bilateral arrangements between the EU and the partner countries.

Energy cooperation should take into account the EU’s Second Strategic Energy

Review and each partner country's energy policy.

Focus on multilateral co-operation

9. The multilateral framework of the Eastern Partnership will provide for cooperation

activities and open and free dialogue serving the objectives of the Partnership. It will

operate on a basis of joint decisions of the European Union and the partner countries.

It will provide a forum to share information and experience on the partner countries'

steps towards transition, reform and modernisation and give the EU an additional

instrument to accompany these processes. It will facilitate the development of

common positions and joint activities. The multilateral framework is aimed at

fostering links among partner countries themselves and will be a forum for discussion

on further developments of the Eastern Partnership.

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Legislative and regulatory approximation is crucial to those partner countries willing

to make progress in coming closer to the EU. The multilateral framework will provide

the setting for the systematic undertaking in this respect, including through dedicated

sessions devoted to the presentation and explanation by the European Union of EU

legislation and standards, as well as its comparison with national policy and

legislation.

10. Meetings of Heads of State or Government of the Eastern Partnership will be held in

principle every two years. They should take place in the EU and in the partner

countries. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs will meet every year. These high-level

meetings will move and shape the Eastern Partnership further.

11. Four thematic platforms currently organised by the European Commission will allow

for target-oriented sessions and serve for open and free discussions, on the basis of the

main areas of cooperation, namely Democracy, good governance and stability;

Economic integration and convergence with EU sectoral policies; Energy security; and

Contacts between people.

12. The initial meetings of the four thematic platforms will take place during June 2009.

Each platform will adopt a set of realistic, core objectives that should be updated

periodically, with a corresponding work programme, and will review the progress

achieved. Meetings would be held at least twice a year at the level of senior officials

engaged in the reform work in the relevant policy areas. The platforms will report to

the annual meetings of Ministers of Foreign Affairs. The work of the platforms may

occasionally be promoted through sector-specific Ministerial meetings. There will also

be panels to support the work of the thematic platforms in specific areas.

Third states will be eligible for the participation on a case-by-case basis in concrete

projects, activities and meetings of thematic platforms, where it contributes to the

objectives of particular activities and the general objectives of the Eastern Partnership.

Activities within the multilateral framework of the Eastern Partnership should be

voluntary and based on the principles of a cooperative approach.

13. The participants of the Prague Summit support the launching of Flagship Initiatives

that will give additional momentum, concrete substance and visibility to the Eastern

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Partnership and are looking forward to an early discussion of the platforms in this

regard.

14. Complementarity with regional initiatives between the European Union and relevant

partner countries, in particular the Black Sea Synergy, will be ensured. Interaction

with other regional initiatives should be considered on a case-by-case basis.

15. High representatives of the European Parliament, the Committee of the Regions, the

European Economic and Social Committee, the European Investment Bank and the

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development have attended the Prague

Summit. The Eastern Partnership will engage a wide range of actors, involving

government ministries and agencies, parliaments, civil society, international

organisations (such as the OSCE, Council of Europe and OECD), international

financial institutions, the private sector, economic and social partners in the

framework of the multilateral platforms.

Therefore, the participants of the Prague Summit invite the parliamentarians from the

European Union and the partner countries to come forward with ideas regarding the

European Parliament’s proposal to establish a EU-Neighbourhood East Parliamentary

Assembly (EURO-NEST PA), and the European Commission to develop and propose

modalities for the establishment of a Civil Society Forum of the Eastern Partnership.

The participants also invite the European Investment Bank to work on investment

support in the framework of its Eastern Neighbourhood mandate in favour of small

and medium sized enterprises. They invite the European Investment Bank, the

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and other international financial

institutions to establish an appropriate joint small and medium-sized enterprise

facility.

Funding

16. In line with the March 2009 Eastern Partnership Declaration, adopted by the European

Council, increased European Union financial support will be provided serving the

goals of the Eastern Partnership and taking into consideration progress made by

individual partner countries. The participants of the Prague Summit agree that beyond

the Community grant assistance and national co-financing, the implementation of the

Eastern Partnership will require additional financial resources and they therefore call

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on other donors, the international financial institutions and the private sector to

provide additional financing in support of reforms, the flagship initiatives and projects.

17. The Eastern Partnership should contain an innovative approach to promote joint

ownership and deeper cooperation between the public and private sectors. Pro-active

political support and the EU incentives and guarantees for the private sector should

create the conditions for motivating the private sector to invest in the concrete projects

in the partner countries and thus contributing to the attainment of the Eastern

Partnership goals.

18. The participants of the Prague Summit encourage the EIB, EBRD and other

International Financial Institutions to step up their efforts to assist all partner countries

with the reform and modernisation process and to identify suitable investment

projects.

Concluding points

19. The participants of the Prague Summit agree on the necessity to promote key

principles and purposes of the Eastern Partnership among the public, mobilise support

for and raise awareness of it. The increased visibility of concrete projects and

activities will bring the initiative closer to citizens.

20. The participants of the Prague Summit call upon the current and incoming

Presidencies of the Council of the European Union as well as the European

Commission to intensify their joint efforts with the partner countries in order to define

the schedule of ministerial and senior officials meetings within the multilateral

dimension of the Eastern Partnership, to define the priorities of the activities of the

thematic platforms for the period of 2009-2010, and to prepare proposals on early

implementation of Flagship Initiatives.

21. The participants of the Prague Summit are confident that the results of the Prague

Summit and the establishment of the Eastern Partnership will advance the cause of

democracy, strengthen stability and prosperity, bringing lasting and palpable benefits

to citizens of all participating states. The participants of the Prague Summit will work

closely to achieve the objectives envisaged by this Joint Declaration.