European Neighbourhood Policy must be extended. Elmar Brok MEP

After today’s publication of the Commission’s report on the European Neighbourhood Policy 2007, Elmar Brok MEP, EP Rapporteur on the Enlargement Strategy, sees a high degree of agreement with regard to its future implications. "The report that was submitted by Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner makes it very clear that there is considerable progress within the European Neighbourhood Policy. However, it also shows that the existing instruments of the neighbourhood policy must be extended further", Brok said. 

It becomes even more obvious that the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is not sufficient with regard to those countries that already have a European perspective. "What remains right and correct for the projected Mediterranean Union within the framework of the neighbourhood policy, must be complemented by additional instruments for EU partners in the East. Following the example of the European Economic Area (EEA) as a possible preliminary stage to full membership, deeper forms of cooperation are needed, but must not entail any automatism, as both ENP models are equally important", Brok continued.

The rapporteur therefore advocated to further define the political and strategic conditions of the European Neighbourhood Policy still more clearly than until now. In this context, it is crucial that Europe can develop further around the European Union according to the model of the concentric circles. The EEA model also offers a visible political and economic added value for ENP states but also for example with respect to their internal security. In addition, the EEA model provides an enormous flexibility as an intermediate stage between the previous neighbourhood policy and full membership. At the end of this process, a far-reaching transfer of the EU acquis can be possible, such as in the case of Switzerland or Norway, Brok concluded.

For further information:
Elmar Brok MEP, Tel: +32-2-2847323
Knut Goelz, EPP-ED Press Service, Tel: +32-479-972144

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