European Union

NATO leaders gathered in Bucharest on Wednesday (2 April) agreed to admit two Balkan countries – Croatia and Albania – to the organisation, but an unsolved dispute between Skopje and Athens has delayed Macedonia's invitation.

Croatia and Albania also link NATO membership to their EU integration. "Membership in NATO will be a stimulus to our partners on the other side of the table to accept Croatia as a full member of the European Union", Croatian premier Ivo Sanader was quoted as saying by daily Javno on Thursday (3 April). For his part, Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha told the Associated Press that joining NATO would represent for his country "the most important development since independence."

"Debate Europe" will have a budget of €7.2 million which will be used to fund a number of civil society projects. It will, among other things, establish 'European public spaces', where exhibitions, debates, seminars and training sessions on EU matters will take place and involve EU officials in activities at regional and local levels in the different member states. The commission will also try and boost its "Debate Europe" website. Launched at the end of January, it has gathered some 12,000 posts by EU citizens so far – something Ms Wallstrom called a "big success". But in addition to its goal to involve citizens in decision-making, the EU is also still aiming to make itself more popular.

Description Set clearly in the changed context of the 21st century, this major new text provides a comprehensive analysis of the foreign policy of the European Union assessing the history, actors, processes, partnerships and rivalries of this key area of EU policy. Contents The Context and Nature of (EU) Foreign PolicyEuropean Integration and Foreign Policy: Historical OverviewThe European Union’s Foreign Policy System: ActorsThe European Union’s Foreign Policy System: Policy-makingEuropean Union Foreign Policy and National Foreign PoliciesThe Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)The European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP)European Union Foreign Policy beyond CFSPThe Foreign Policy Dimension of Internal PoliciesThe Main Areas of European Union Foreign PolicyThe European Union, Multilateralism and Competition with Structural PowersConclusions: Theorizing European Union Foreign Policy

Despite its steady opposition to the EU's policy on Kosovo, the largest country in the Balkans will continue its move towards EU membership, Serbia's foreign minister Vuc Jeremic told his EU counterparts at their informal meeting in Brdo last weekend (28-29 March).

Much will depend on the forthcoming elections in Serbia on 11 May, he added, describing them as "a critical battle for the European souls of the Western Balkans". 

Underlining his country's EU commitment, Jeremic said that the Serbian government was ready to sign the SAA "immediately" and continue moving forward rapidly. This step, in addition to an agreement over a road map for the adoption of a visa-free regime, could help counter Serbian concerns fostered by uncertainty over Kosovo, Jeremic suggested.  The Netherlands and Belgium remain opposed to signing an SAA with Serbia before it hands over the former Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic and his military commander Ratko Mladic to the court in The Hague.  Jeremic said that "we are very much aware of our obligations to the ICTY," adding that "the only way we'll be able to finish what we started […] is to keep building Serbia's road to Europe".

The Sejm's special session was convened after Liberal Prime Minister Donald Tusk (Civic Platform party) and conservative opposition leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski of the Law and Justice Party struck a deal on Tuesday (31 March), lifting the threat of a block by the opposition.

The ratification bill is now expected to be approved by the Polish Senate on Wednesday (2 April). The process will then be finalised with a signature by the country's president. So far, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Malta, Romania, France and Bulgaria have approved the document. Ratification of the Lisbon treaty is expected to be finalised by the end of this year, in order that the treaty can come into force in 2009. So far, only Ireland is to hold a referendum on the treaty, expected in June.

The inclusion of think-tanks in the proposal was also a major win for transparency campaigners, who argued that the research bodies, which had earlier been excluded from the report, were "a major part of the lobbying community" in Brussels. "By recognising these are key lobbying channels in Brussels, MEPs have closed an important loophole in the proposal," said Luxembourg Green MEP Claude Turmes. These gains were largely the result of oral amendments tabled by Green MEPs, who also managed to win a requirement that lawyers be included in the register not only when their purpose is to influence policy, but also when they give legal advice, which they argued was still a form of lobbying activity.

SARAJEVO -- EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn says Bosnia could sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) in April.

Rehn added that he believed in Bosnia-Hercegovina’s European future, and that signing the agreement was possible if all the established criteria were met. “Bosnia-Hercegovina has a clear EU future with the remaining west Balkan states. That is a process during which every country must individually meet political and economic criteria for membership and adopt all the Union’s laws,“ he told daily Dnevni Avaz.

Commission President José Manuel Barroso has presented an "indicative timetable" for concluding EU membership talks with Croatia by November next year, with 2010 as the likely entry date.

"In this autumn's enlargement package, the Commission will present an indicative timetable for the technical conclusion of the negotiations in 2009, provided a number of conditions are met by Croatia," said the Commission President. He said these included: Complying with all legal obligations under the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), including cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY); "urgently" improving the management of EU financial assistance under the PHARE and IPA programmes, and; suspending all aspects of Croatia's Ecological and Fisheries Protection Zone, which had blocked Slovenian and Italian vessels from fishing in Croatian waters.

Links EU official documents Commission: Speaking points of Commission President Barroso following his meeting with Croatia's PM Sanader Commission: Croatia - Country profile Commission: Croatia - Key documents

This year could also be "decisive" for Croatia if it makes "substantial progress" with its judicial and administrative reforms, with the fight against corruption and the restructuring of its ship-building industry.

For their part, potential candidates Albania and Montenegro need to build a "convincing track record over the implementation of the SAAs and pursue reforms with determination," while Kosovo must ensure its commitment to a "democratic and multi-ethnic society".

EU citizens largely consider the European Parliament to play an increasingly important role within the Union, but the majority also admit that they are not well-informed about its role and functions, a special Eurobarometer reveals.

73% of the people interviewed admitted that they feel fairly or very badly informed about the Parliament's activities. Even among those citizens who said they have a good knowledge of the Parliament, only 41% described themselves as well-informed.  The lack of knowledge may also explain the relatively low turnout in the last elections. Participation rates have consistently dropped since the first elections in 1979.  MEPs and researchers agreed that the key to higher voter turnout is better informing the citizens. This, they said, required increased mobilisation, higher party activity and better media coverage (EurActiv 09/01/08).

TNS: Eurobarometer Special Survey on the European Parliament

The Irish government has indicated that the country's highly anticipated referendum on the EU treaty will take place in the second week of June.

Ireland is the only country to have a referendum on the EU treaty, meaning that between now and the poll, the government and Irish voters will be carefully watched by both politicians and media from around Europe. All 27 member states must ratify the treaty for it to come into force, with the goal for this to take place being the beginning of next year.

So far, five countries have ratified the treaty - France, Romania, Slovenia, Hungary and Malta. But in other countries, the treaty question is becoming tangled up in other issues. Slovakia was forced to put off a vote on the treaty due to an internal dispute over media law, while the Finnish media is reporting that semi-autonomous Aaland - an island between Finland and Sweden - is kicking up a fuss over snuff. Finnish state broadcaster YLE reports that the Aaland government may reject the EU treaty - and undermine the country's general ratification of the treaty, due to a row over the right to sell snuff, a smokeless tobacco.

11 March 2008 Brussels _ The European Union has urged Bosnian authorities to "make further efforts" if the country is to sign a key agreement with Brussels next month. A meeting of EU Foreign Ministers urged that, "important underlying problems remain and called upon all parties in Bosnia to work together in order to overcome them as soon as possible.”

“I trust the country will be able to settle the remaining problems so it can achieve the signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, SAA, in April,” he added. The EU's Council of Ministers, too, concluded that Bosnia has made progress with regards to the SAA, and reiterated its full support to Sarajevo's European perspective.

“The Council welcomed the PIC Steering Board's unanimous decision that the Office of the High Representative (OHR) will remain in place and continue to carry out its mandate under the Dayton Peace Agreement until necessary objectives and conditions as set out in the PIC Steering Board Declaration are met,” it was concluded.

The German parliament is due to ratify the treaty in May and is likely to approve it, however the final act of ratification requires the country's president, Horst Kohler, to sign off the document. Mr Kohler may decide to wait for the court to reach a decision before putting his stamp under the treaty.

The Irish vote Meanwhile, another country in the ratification process that is set to provide for plenty of discussion is Ireland, the only member state to have a referendum.

The Commission presented new measures on 5 March to accelerate EU pre-accession preparations with all the Western Balkan countries, including visa liberalisation, negotiations on a 'Transport Community' and better funding for education exchange.

Regarding Bosnia, the Commission hopes that the Stabilisation and Association Agreement will be signed by EU ministers this April (EurActiv 29/02/08). Rehn said the main condition, cooperation with the International Criminal Court for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), had reached "a generally satisfactory level".  Rehn also reiterated the clear membership perspective for Kosovo and Serbia, saying that the latter plays a "key role" in the region. The Commissioner, however, urged Serbia to reaffirm its European commitment, responding to moves by leading Serbian politicians to reject deeper EU relations unless the bloc supports Serbia's claim to Kosovo. 

Links European Union Commission: Communication on the Western Balkans: Enhancing the European Perspective (5 March 2008) Commission: Press release: Western Balkans: enhancing the European perspective