The communication considers how to strengthen the framework for relations between the enlarged European Union and those of its new neighbours that at present have no prospects of accession, i.e. Russia, the western new independent States (Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus), and the countries of the southern Mediterranean (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Syria and Tunisia), with a view to creating an area of shared prosperity and stability and contributing to the gradual development of closer relations with the countries concerned. The Commission aims to create a zone of prosperity and friendly neighbourhood - a 'ring of friends' with whom the EU will enjoy close and peaceful relations based on cooperation. It suggests that in return for efforts and progress by those countries with political, economic and institutional reform the EU should offer the prospect of a stake in the EU's internal market and, in particular, access to the 'four freedoms' of movement. Specifically, the Commission proposes extending the internal market and regulatory structures; setting up preferential trade relations and opening up markets; offering prospects of lawful migration and movement of persons; greater cooperation to prevent and combat common security threats; greater EU political involvement in conflict prevention and crisis management; greater efforts to promote human rights, further cultural cooperation and enhanced mutual understanding; integration into transport, energy and telecommunications networks and the European research area; new instruments for promoting and protecting investment; support for integration into the global trading system; enhanced assistance better tailored to needs, and new sources of finance. The Commission envisages implementing this policy within the framework of national and/or regional strategic action programmes, devised in partnership with the neighbouring countries, which could replace the common strategies and become the key documents setting out EU policy. The Commission also envisages concluding new neighbourhood agreements to supplement, if necessary, the existing partnership and cooperation agreements and association agreements.


The Council stated that the European Union wished to define a new kind of policy toward its neighbours based on such shared values as liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law. However, it stressed that this initiative should be seen as separate from the question of possible accession to the EU. It welcomed the Commission's communication as a good basis for developing a new range of policies towards Algeria, Belarus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia and Ukraine, and for reinforcing the EU-Russian strategic partnership. It stated its intention of examining at a later stage whether the countries of the southern Caucasus could fall within the scope of application of these policies. The Council also stated that policies under this initiative should not override the existing framework for EU relations developed in such contexts as the Barcelona process and the northern dimension initiative, since implementation of existing agreements remained a priority. It recalled the objectives of this initiative, based on cooperation in a range of areas and the prospect of gradual participation in the EU internal market and preferential trade relations. Lastly, it called on the Commission to present proposals, from 2004 onwards, for action plans for all the countries concerned to implement these policies on the basis of differentiation, and to present a communication on the creation of a new neighbourhood instrument.


The Committee or the Regions welcomed the Commission's initiative but called for the introduction of a regional perspective in the proposed phase-in of the new framework for relations with the new neighbours; the promotion of cultural cooperation; sustainable development and economic, social and territorial cohesion. The main aim of the opinion is to allow the Committee to contribute to the ongoing debate in the EU on the Union's relations with its neighbours.


The European Economic and Social Committee presents a basic assessment of the EU's neighbourhood policy, then discusses a number of issues which it believes essential to consider: the partnership and cooperation agreements; securing the EU's external borders, including more people-friendly arrangements to promote the free movement of people on the EU's new external borders; access to the internal market and the establishment of 'structured dialogues'; closer cooperation with organisations in the Russian Federation. The Committee recommends formulating a proactive strategy towards Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine and setting priorities for supporting civil society.


Parliament stressed that the northern dimension should be given a higher profile in order to attain its objectives, that improved coordination between the various actors remained a key challenge and that the northern dimension should receive the same attention as the other regional cooperation models. It called on the Commission to create a comprehensive approach in the Union's external northern dimension policies, both bilateral and multilateral, including those relating to the Baltic and Barents sea regions and the Arctic as a whole. Parliament also emphasised that the successful accession of 10 new countries, among them those involved in the northern dimension, had taken the northern dimension into a new phase, and called on the Commission to allocate adequate resources to northern dimension policy in order to allow new partnerships to be envisaged, particularly in the fields of transport, logistics, energy and culture. It further called on the Commission to include a Baltic Sea strategy in its forthcoming proposal in order to strengthen cooperation between the countries around the Baltic, reap the full benefits of enlargement and firmly link the infrastructure with the rest of the European Union.

Parliament voted in support of a neighbourhood policy for those European countries which do not, or do not currently have an accession perspective, but seek a closer political and economic relationship with the EU. The Parliament insisted on the European neighbourhood policy being adapted to the needs of the different countries to which it applies and not being a one-size-fits-all policy. The Parliament also supported the idea of sanctions against countries which failed to respect European and international standards, particularly in human rights, considering that, for such countries, the EU should be ready to restrict or suspend Community aid, or even revoke the European neighbourhood policy action plan. Furthermore, the Parliament stated that the promotion of human rights, democracy and the rule of law must remain priorities in the ENP action plans drawn up within the framework of this policy.