2015年-CEPS欧洲政策研究中心_The_EUs_Enlargement_Agenda_–_Credibility_at_stake_10页_1mb

EU Enlargement Agenda Summary

Core Content

The EU's enlargement agenda, despite its historical success, is currently facing significant criticism from within member states and the public. The document highlights the challenges in maintaining the credibility of the EU's reform efforts in candidate countries, particularly in the Western Balkans and Turkey. The focus is on the need for a more consistent, determined, and transparent approach to ensure that the EU's transformative power continues to be effective.

Main Points

• Growing Criticism: Populist and eurosceptic parties are increasingly opposing the EU's enlargement policy, often linking it to concerns over immigration and national sovereignty.
• Credibility Concerns: The EU's credibility is at risk due to a lack of tangible progress in candidate countries, with many reports indicating regression rather than improvement.
• Reforms as Priority: The EU's enlargement strategy emphasizes the importance of rule of law, economic governance, and public administration reform. These reforms are seen as critical for long-term stability and integration.
• Need for Stronger Strategy: To maintain credibility, the EU must adopt a more proactive and consistent strategy, including better benchmarking, clearer communication, and stronger engagement with civil society.

Key Recommendations

1. Enhanced Benchmarking and Road Maps:

   • Implement more interim benchmarks and use 'road maps' to track reform progress.
   • Apply this approach systematically across all policy areas, not just the three pillars (rule of law, economic governance, public administration).

2. Legislation Implementation:

   • Ensure that legislation is only considered adopted if it includes sufficient government funding and an inclusive consultation process with civil society.

3. Support for Civil Society:

   • Increase funding for local and grassroots civil society organizations, especially in multi-ethnic communities.
   • Encourage EU delegations to engage with these organizations to promote accountability and openness.

4. Media Freedom and Investigative Reporting:

   • Actively defend media freedom and provide direct financial support for investigative journalism.
   • Avoid using media laws as a smokescreen for government control; instead, focus on real accountability mechanisms.

5. Political Dialogue and Consensus Building:

   • Promote sustained political dialogue and consensus-building among political parties and civil society.
   • Support youth branches of political parties to ensure future political engagement.

6. User-Friendly Reports:

   • Use clearer and more relevant language in Progress Reports to reflect the actual situation on the ground.
   • Avoid vague statements like "the political criteria continue to be sufficiently met" when the report highlights numerous failures.

7. Addressing Bilateral Disputes:

   • The EU should work to resolve bilateral disputes (e.g., Cyprus-Turkey, Greece-Macedonia) without compromising the enlargement process.
   • Consider moving away from the unanimity principle in the Council to allow for more flexible and fair handling of such issues.

8. Strategic Foreign Policy Engagement:

   • Strengthen the EU's strategic relationship with candidate countries, especially in light of regional challenges and the influence of external actors like Russia.
   • Encourage early engagement on foreign policy and defense issues in the negotiation process.

9. EU Parliament's Role:

   • The European Parliament should encourage MEPs to support the reform agenda and promote democratic processes in candidate countries.
   • Ensure that parliamentary delegations respect and advocate for EU reform goals.

Credibility and Transformation

The document underscores that the EU's enlargement policy must demonstrate real progress and not be undermined by internal political dynamics or bilateral tensions. It stresses that the credibility of the EU's transformative power is essential for both the candidate countries and the broader EU public. The EU must remain consistent in its approach, use its leverage effectively, and show that it is committed to long-term stability and integration in the region.

Conclusion

The EU's upcoming Commission faces a critical task in revitalizing the enlargement agenda. It must ensure that reforms are implemented effectively, that civil society is engaged meaningfully, and that the EU's credibility is preserved. A more assertive and coherent strategy is needed to address the deep-rooted challenges in candidate countries and to maintain the EU's role as a transformative force in the region.