Legal provisions of SEC(2010)513 - DTS 1 - Sectoral progress report accompanying the COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL - Implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy in 2009 - Main contents
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| dossier | SEC(2010)513 - DTS 1 - Sectoral progress report accompanying the COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE ... |
|---|---|
| document | SEC(2010)513  |
| date | May 4, 2010 |
EN
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Brussels, 12.5.2010
SEC(2010) 513 final
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT
Accompanying the
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL
Taking stock of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP)
Implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy in 2009
Sectoral Progress Report
{COM(2010) 207 final}
{SEC(2010) 514 final}
{SEC(2010) 515 final}
{SEC(2010) 516 final}
{SEC(2010) 517 final}
{SEC(2010) 518 final}
{SEC(2010) 519 final}
{SEC(2010) 520 final}
{SEC(2010) 521 final}
{SEC(2010) 522 final}
{SEC(2010) 523 final}
{SEC(2010) 524 final}
{SEC(2010) 525 final}
Introduction
The current financial and economic crisis is the most severe experienced in several generations. It has impacted the real economy in the EU and its partner countries in its neighbourhood through tighter credit conditions, collapsing confidence, and a sharp contraction in global demand and trade and, subsequently, in economic growth. This has led to a slump in investment activity and a sharp drop in output and capacity utilisation, particularly in manufacturing and construction. The depth and global nature of the crisis undermined otherwise viable and competitive businesses, thus leading to massive un-employment, while leaving the most vulnerable populations particularly exposed.
Many of the countries covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy are amongst the emerging economies hardest hit by the global recession. After a sharp contraction across the region in 2009 in general, only a fragile and patchy recovery is expected in 2010 and some economies may continue to shrink this year.
Nonetheless, while the crisis has slowed down the reform momentum in the region, it has not led to a reversal of economic reforms. It is a testament to the resilience of the transition process that the answer to the current crisis has not been to replace the transition agenda, but to try to maintain it, as far as possible.
The sector policy dialogue conducted together with the ENP partners in growing number of sub-committees and, indirectly, through the negotiation of new contractual relations continued unabated and enabled further transfer of reform experience. This dialogue focussed on a wide range of growth-enhancing policy objectives included in the Action Plans, such as developing a framework for financial services to improve access to finance, insurance and other financial services important for enterprises; addressing administrative, legislative and regulatory obstacles to the creation and development of firms; ensuring the security of property rights, contract enforcement and investor protection; improving competition policy; undertaking institutional and judiciary reforms; supporting research and development and improving the quality of education; combating corruption; and supporting specific sectors such a transport, energy and the environment.
Social reform and development
The global economic and financial crisis impacted negatively on the labour market, the social climate and consequently on the ability to curb poverty and to promote employment. This led in particular to an increase of the unemployment rates, the return of migrant workers (notably in Jordan and Egypt), the decrease of remittances (most notably in the Republic of Moldova, hereinafter, including in the tables, Moldova), and the suspension of the poverty programme in Armenia. Despite this difficult background, most countries continued to consider employment promotion and poverty reduction key priorities.
ENP partners generally acknowledge the key role of social dialogue in socio-economic development. However, a majority of countries still lack adequate social dialogue mechanisms and Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco still need to ratify ILO Fundamental Conventions on freedom of association and collective bargaining. Overall implementation of ILO conventions should be reinforced.
The implementation of social protection schemes was severely affected by the economic turmoil. However, Moldova and Ukraine increased basic social allocations and the minimum subsistence wages. The fiscal sustainability of such assistance might be at risk. Social inclusion strategies, facilitating access of vulnerable groups into the labour market, are often lacking or not coherent.
Most ENP countries continued efforts to upgrade legislation to promote gender equality and enhance the participation of women in social, political and economic life. Morocco introduced gender sensitive budgeting and Jordan established gender equality units in main ministries. However, women continued to have a less favourable situation on the labour markets and to suffer from gender pay gaps and gender-based discrimination. The legal framework and its implementation need to be significantly strengthened to effectively protect women’s rights and to combat domestic violence.
Sustainable development
Little progress can be seen in the preparation of sustainable development strategies or, where these exist, their implementation. ENP partners frequently experience difficulties in coordinating sustainable development issues among ministries.
Trade, market and regulatory reform
Progress was made in 2009 in the area of trade and economic integration. Negotiations on the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) with Ukraine continued. Negotiations on the trade-related part of the framework agreement with Libya continued. The feasibility study exploring possible DCFTA negotiations with Moldova was finalised in 2009. Following up the DCFTA fact-finding missions, the preparatory work for the DCFTA negotiations with Georgia and Armenia progressed. Negotiations continued with Mediterranean ENP partners on the liberalisation of services and the right of establishment.
In June 2009, ACAA (Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products) negotiations with Israel were concluded in the sector of Good Manufacturing Practice of Pharmaceuticals. Bilateral protocols on the creation of a dispute settlements mechanism were signed with Tunisia, and initialled with Jordan, Tunisia and Morocco. Negotiations continued with Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Agreements on further liberalisation of trade in agricultural, processed agricultural, fish and fishery products were signed with Israel and Egypt, and negotiations were concluded with Morocco and continued with Tunisia. The Palestinian Authority adopted the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean protocol on rules of origin. Negotiations on an agreement on the protection of Geographical Indications (GIs) continued with Georgia.
At the 8th Trade Ministerial meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean, held in Brussels on 9 December, Ministers generally endorsed the EuroMed Trade roadmap beyond 2010 while noting Syria’s reservations on certain aspects of the Roadmap. In the longer term, the aim of the roadmap is to make sure that the EuroMed Free Trade Area is deep and comprehensive and removes not only tariff but also non-tariff barriers and that South-South regional integration is further developed. Ministers also endorsed the conclusion of the single regional convention on preferential rules of origin for the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean area. This will replace the current network of protocols and will allow the Western Balkans to be included in the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean system.
Some customs administrations in partner countries, such as Israel, Morocco, Moldova and Tunisia, have already implemented a large part of the customs-related commitments in their respective Action Plans and are continuing their reform process. In implementing their respective strategic plans, the customs administrations of most partner countries are currently concentrating on developing more sophisticated and modern customs techniques. For example, Georgia, Armenia, Lebanon, Ukraine and Moldova are upgrading their risk management systems and Armenia, Georgia and Moldova are developing the use of post clearance controls. Azerbaijan, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia have already made progress in implementing the single window approach to facilitate trade. Several IT projects are ongoing, such as the pilot phase of the Israeli TRACK system, the ASYCUDA project in the oPt and Jordan, and SINDA 2010 in Tunisia. Most countries are continuing their reforms to facilitate trade and ensure the security of the supply chain based on international standards (WCO) and are working on the concept of “authorised economic operators” (AEO) to facilitate trade for reliable operators. The question of customs ethics is being tackled in most countries but it remains a concern. The implementation of WTO-compatible customs valuation rules remains problematic, in particular in Ukraine and Georgia. Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine need to ensure that their customs administration acquires the necessary capacity for certification and verification of origin. Here, Georgia took a first step to involve customs in the process of issuing and verifying certificates of preferential origin. The dialogue at technical level between the European Commission and the State Customs Committee of Belarus on issues of common interest continued during the reporting period and was focused, among others, on future alignment of transit.
On standards, technical regulations and conformity assessment, most ENP partner countries achieved some progress in their preparatory work towards the conclusion of bilateral agreements on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products (ACAAs). The key areas of work include the approximation of their legislation with EU law in selected sectors and the gradual upgrading of their administrative structures. As stated above, ACAA negotiations with Israel on Good Manufacturing Practice of Pharmaceuticals were concluded. Tunisia and Egypt have also progressed well in their ACAA preparations. In Ukraine, progress in this area has been very limited.
Negotiations on the liberalisation of services and establishment are on-going with Israel, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia. However, progress was limited. Jordan expressed interest in entering into bilateral negotiations on the liberalisation of trade in services and the right of establishment in 2010.
In the area of sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) issues, the ENP partners made further progress. However, substantial efforts are required over the coming years to improve food safety for citizens and to enhance agricultural trade. Similar efforts are also needed with a view to preparing deep and comprehensive free trade areas between the EU and ENP partners.
Several ENP partners prepared draft food safety strategies (Georgia, Moldova) or carried out a needs assessment (Palestinian Authority). ENP partners continued to adopt or prepare legislation (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Moldova, Morocco, Tunisia and Ukraine). In Moldova, key veterinary and phytosanitary agencies, established in 2008, became operational in 2009. In Morocco a food safety agency was formally established. Laboratories were further upgraded (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) and SPS experts were trained.
Most ENP partners are now connected to the external window of the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed.
In 2009, the European Commission’s Food and Veterinary Office carried out several inspection visits to ENP countries (Azerbaijan, Egypt, Israel and Ukraine). In July 2009 ENP partners participated in a first TAIEX seminar on food safety issues organised jointly by the Commission and the European Food Safety Authority. The ENP partners and the EU consolidated their cooperation under the Commission’s ‘Better Training for Safer food’ training programme. ENP partners without an Action Plan also participated in the programme. In July 2009, for example, a workshop on meat was held in Syria. In October 2009, the European Commission and Belarus further strengthened dialogue with an expert meeting on SPS.
The EU and its neighbours also continued SPS cooperation through (twinning) projects under the ENPI.
As regards business climate, establishment and company law, administrative requirements for company ownership (Azerbaijan) and limitation on disclosure requirements (Georgia) still exist. Overall, only limited progress can be reported in the adoption and implementation of corporate governance.
As regards taxation, tax administration reform is an ongoing process in most of the partner countries. Activities to promote voluntary compliance, such as in Jordan and Azerbaijan, and to strengthen the audit capacity, as in Georgia, are ongoing. Several projects for the computerisation of tax administrations are being developed (for example in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Moldova and Morocco). A number of bilateral treaties on the avoidance of double taxation with EU Member States were signed and entered into force during the reporting period. Armenia succeeded in tackling the problem of VAT refunds, while further efforts are needed in Moldova and particularly in Ukraine.
In the field of competition policy, some countries (Egypt, Armenia) continued reforms towards establishing a modern competition policy. However, ENP countries still face many challenges in implementing competition policies (Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco) as no adequate legal and institutional framework is yet in place. In 2009, there was technical dialogue with Georgia on competition matters.
Most ENP countries continued to upgrade legislation in the field of intellectual property (IP) rights. However, only limited progress can be noted overall in the sound and effective implementation of IP rights. The powers of enforcement bodies as well as legal sanctions need to be significantly enhanced to effectively fight piracy and counterfeiting.
On financial services, ENP partners were affected by the global financial and economic crisis. Nevertheless, most partner countries continued to make progress in implementing financial sector reforms with the aim of bringing the sector into line with international best practices. ENP partners progressed in upgrading their regulatory and supervisory frameworks and in establishing independent supervisory authorities. In 2009, Egypt established a unified financial supervisory body and Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine adopted new banking laws.
The implementation of public procurement procedures and the lack of adequate review mechanisms remained, for most countries, a challenge in their effort to improve the business climate.
There was continued liberalisation in the movement of capital and payments (for example Morocco and Tunisia).
Most ENP countries continued to improve legislation and administrative capacities on statistics.
ENP partners continued to raise awareness on consumer protection. Lebanon and Israel reinforced legislation in this area.
Regarding public internal financial control (PIFC) for public finance management, Moldova and Ukraine pursued the establishment and implementation of control systems and internal audit in accordance with internationally agreed standards. No significant developments may be noted in Armenia and Georgia while initiatives stalled in Azerbaijan. Reforms advanced steadily in Jordan, the occupied Palestinian territory and Morocco but were slow in Egypt and Lebanon. Public internal financial control, based on advanced principles such as managerial accountability and operationally independent and decentralised internal audit, can successfully develop only under the conditions of transparency inherent in a democratic state order.
On enterprise policy, Mediterranean partners continued to implement the Euro-Mediterranean Charter for Enterprise. Most countries (Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Syria and Tunisia) made good progress in promoting their enterprise policies based on the recommendations of the 2008 assessment of the Charter’s implementation. A regional meeting and bilateral meetings on the Euro-Mediterranean Charter for Enterprise were organised in all the Mediterranean partner countries in 2009. Enterprise policy dialogue also forms part of the Eastern partnership.
Most countries continued to update their audit and accounting standards and to reinforce the capacity of the regulatory agencies.
Cooperation on justice, freedom and security
In the field of migration, the visa facilitation and readmission agreements with Moldova and Ukraine were implemented successfully for the second year running in 2009. New visa facilitation and readmission agreements were initialled with Georgia with conclusion expected during 2010. A visa dialogue was carried out with Ukraine with a view to visa liberalisation. No substantial progress can be reported in negotiations for a readmission agreement with Morocco.
In the field of asylum, Regional Protection Programmes continued to be implemented in Moldova and Ukraine, while Jordan continued to host large numbers of Iraqi refugees. By the end of 2009, the Commission proposed the establishment of a new Regional Protection Programme in North Africa, to encompass Egypt, Libya and Tunisia.
Two mobility partnerships are being implemented, in Moldova and in Georgia (initialled in November 2009). This instrument introduced a range of topics for cooperation and dialogue in the area of migration, going beyond the traditional border and visa focused approach. In the framework of this cooperation, the signatories (COM, the willing EU MS and the partner country) implement together a wide range of initiatives related to legal mobility, labour migration, migration and development, asylum policy and the fight against irregular migration.
ENP partners strengthened their border management capacities to combat cross-border and organised crime. They also continued approximation of their border and law-enforcement authorities’ standards with those of the EU. A greater capacity to ensure effective border controls and surveillance led, in certain cases, to improved detection of smuggling, illegal migration and customs fraud. Efforts to professionalise and civilianise border management services need to be consistently pursued. Improvements to risk assessment techniques and analysis remain critical in this regard. Closer cooperation and communication between national authorities at regional level remains necessary for ENP partner countries whose borders still need to be demarcated and delimitated.
Regarding the fight against organised crime, all ENP partners with an ENP action plan have ratified the UN Convention against Trans-national Organised Crime. Syria and Jordan ratified it in 2009. The Convention’s First Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish the Trafficking of Persons, especially Women and Children has also been ratified by all partners except Morocco. The Second Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air has been signed and ratified by all partners except Morocco. This Protocol was acceded to by Jordan in 2009. he Third Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms Their Parts, Components and Ammunition are yet to be signed and ratified by Armenia, Georgia, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Syria and Ukraine. Morocco acceded to this protocol in 2009. Progress was made in establishing national plans and strategies. Continued attention remains necessary to ensure the full and effective implementation of established national plans and strategies to combat all forms of organised crime, particularly in the context of regional cooperation Moldova ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime in 2009 while Azerbaijan ratified in early 2010.
Most ENP partners began implementation of national action plans to fight trafficking in human beings, including victims’ support measures aimed at recovery, social re-integration and inclusion. However, changes to the legislative framework and further measures to improve and develop protection, prevention and rehabilitation measures are required in all countries. Investment in awareness-raising actions will be particularly crucial to amplify their impact. In February 2010, outside the reporting period, Azerbaijan signed the Council of Europe 2005 Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. This country and Ukraine have yet to ratify it.
Most ENP partners continued developing and implementing national strategies to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism, incorporating the 40 + 9 FATF (Financial Action Task Force) recommendations. The work of MoneyVal continued to act as one of the reference point for reforms in this area. Nevertheless, certain shortcomings remain in terms of implementing the control regime and properly advising financial institutions on their due diligence obligations. The Council of Europe Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime and on the Financing of Terrorism (Warsaw Convention) was not ratified by Ukraine, and remains to be signed and ratified by Azerbaijan and Georgia.
In the fight against drugs, partner countries continued to implement their obligations under the 1988 UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances and other international instruments. Capacity building within designated national authorities and other law enforcement agencies to deal with the drugs phenomenon using both repressive and preventive measures advanced incrementally. Continued attention to human resource development is required in this respect. As noted in 2008, effective sharing of intelligence among ENP partners and other geographical neighbours on drugs production as well as on trafficking supply routes remains critical in order to consolidate regional cooperation. The overall efficiency of national strategies can be enhanced only through structured cooperation with civil society groups as part of an integrated approach. The development of effective harm-reduction and rehabilitation programmes as well as additional public investment in health and curative facilities remain priorities in all partner countries.
In the area of police and judicial cooperation, relevant ENP partners did not progress in 2009 on ratification of the 1997 Second Additional Protocol to the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, although Armenia signed this protocol in March. In 2009, Armenia and Moldova signed and ratified the Council of Europe’s 2005 Convention on the Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime and on the Financing of Terrorism. It has yet to be ratified by Ukraine and signed and ratified by Azerbaijan and Georgia.
In the area of criminal law cooperation, Moldova ratified the 2001 Convention on Cybercrime, while Azerbaijan and Georgia have yet to ratify it. The Convention’s Additional Protocol concerning the criminalisation of acts of a racist and xenophobic nature committed through computer systems remained to be ratified by Moldova and signed and ratified by Azerbaijan and Georgia. Further attention and additional resources are required to ensure the ratification and effective implementation of these Conventions.
Regarding cooperation on civil law, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Ukraine are members of the Hague Conference on Private International Law concerning the international protection of children, family and property relations, legal cooperation and commercial and finance law. In this context and in order to improve international legal assistance and cooperation, ENP partners are encouraged to accede to the 1980 Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, the 1996 Hague Convention on Parental Responsibility and the Protection of Children, the 1965 Hague Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents and the 1970 Convention on Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters.
In 2009, Jordan joined, with the assistance of the Hague Conference, the Judicial Conference on Cross-Frontier Family Law Issues, the so-called ’Malta Process’. This aims to promote expert dialogue on international child protection and family law issues. Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia had joined in previous years. There is growing recognition of the relevance of the Malta Process for regional cooperation as a point of reference in deliberating and settling cross-frontier family law disputes.
In the area of protection of personal data Ukraine has not ratified the 1981 Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data, while it has yet to be signed by Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova have not signed or ratified the Convention’s Additional Protocol on supervisory authorities and trans-border data flows, while it remains to be ratified by Ukraine. Ratification of both instruments is essential to develop further cooperation including in the judicial and police area as well as exchange of information with EUROJUST and Europol.
Regarding judicial reform, ENP partners continued in 2009 to adopt legislation to enhance the capacity and efficiency of the judiciary. Efforts to secure greater judicial independence and impartiality faltered for the second year in succession in several partner countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine). Morocco, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority restated their commitment to reforms in this area. The situation remained substantially unchanged in Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia.
Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and the occupied Palestinian territory continued to implementing national programmes for the continuing training of judges, prosecutors, court staff and other legal professionals. ENP partners continued efforts to simplify of court administrative procedures, automate case management (Egypt, Morocco, Moldova, occupied Palestinian territory and Ukraine) and improve access to justice through provision of legal aid (Azerbaijan, Egypt and Georgia). An increase in judicial appointments was noted in Georgia and the occupied Palestinian territory while increases in remuneration were registered in Armenia. A continued political commitment to comprehensive judicial reform is needed in all ENP partner countries in order to secure and enhance public and investor confidence in the impartial administration of justice.
In 2009, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Egypt, Moldova, Morocco, and Ukraine made progress, albeit slow, on penitentiary reform. Some improvements were seen in detention conditions in prisons (Azerbaijan), better access by national and international observers (Egypt) and changes to the policy management structures for prisons (Lebanon and Morocco). Reform advanced in Jordan with investment in inmate training and the development of a post-release care programme to prevent recidivism. In contrast, the situation did not substantially change in Tunisia.
However, as stated in 2008, not much has been done to address overcrowding of prisons, particularly for remand prisoners, ill-treatment and torture, abuse of detainees’ human rights and limitations on access to penitentiary facilities for national and international observers. The use of parole and other alternatives to detention and long-term incarceration needs to be actively explored.
Dialogue in the field of juvenile justice continued with Georgia, Morocco and Ukraine on the development of appropriate protection policies for child and young offenders in the context of a policy commitment to reform. Dialogue has commenced with Jordan and Lebanon. Appropriate prevention and probation policies need to be developed alongside structural investment in education and rehabilitation activities in pre-detention and correctional facilities in order to prevent recidivism and encourage the social re-integration of young offenders post-release. A restorative juvenile justice system that respects international standards1 can best be served by defining judicial guidelines to offset the tendency to resort to incarceration and custodial sentences for juvenile offenders.
All partner countries except Syria have completed ratification of the 2005 UN Convention against Corruption. In 2009, Israel and Ukraine ratified the Convention and Lebanon acceded to it. Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Moldova and Tunisia completed the Self-Assessment Checklist provided for under Resolution 1-2 of the First Conference of State Parties in Amman of December 2006 and submitted it to UNODC in time for the Third Conference of State Parties in Qatar in November 20092. The checklists cover the following areas: prevention; criminalisation and law enforcement; international cooperation; and asset recovery for the period from December 2007 to August 2009. Signatories to the Convention are encouraged where possible, to make public the relevant findings of the Self-Assessment in line with the Convention’s spirit and intent (Article 13 Participation of Society).
To complement their international obligations under the above Convention, Egypt and Tunisia have yet to sign the 2003 African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption.
Cooperation with civil society in the implementation of national anti-corruption plans remained critical in all partner countries in order to fight corruption in both the public and private sectors.
In 2009, Ukraine ratified the Council of Europe’s Criminal Law on Corruption as well as its 2003 Additional Protocol aiming to protect judicial authorities from corruption. The protocol has yet to be signed by Azerbaijan and Georgia.
With regard to civil service and public administration reform, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt Georgia, Jordan, Lebanon, Moldova, the occupied Palestinian territory and Ukraine made gradual progress with strategies and plans to build a professional and accountable civil service. Among other things, work focused on promoting and securing agreement on concepts and draft laws for comprehensive reform as well as the implementation of selected pilot actions. During 2009, SIGMA provided assistance in particular to develop legal frameworks. The pace of reform remained slow, however.
Regional cooperation under the Euro-Mediterranean Justice Programme with the participation of all Mediterranean ENP partners including Algeria and Syria, continued in 2009, covering access to justice and legal aid, the resolution of cross-border family conflicts and criminal and prison law. The programme aims to establish two regional networks of judges and other legal professionals and judicial schools.
All Mediterranean partners including Algeria and Syria participated actively in the EuroMed Police II programme covering joint cooperation activities and seminars for senior officers on specialised topics of practical police cooperation in all fields of organised crime, terrorism, drugs and weapons trafficking. In December 2009, Cepol organised a conference in Rome on perspectives for future cooperation with police education and training institutions in ENP countries, which was attended by representatives from Belarus, Georgia, Jordan, Moldova and Ukraine as well as EU Member States and FRONTEX.
Transport, energy, climate change, environment, civil protection, research and innovation, information society, audiovisual sector
Transport
In the road sector, alignment with international standards on road worthiness and driving times and rest periods is an ongoing process for most countries. Road maintenance and funding remained a challenge. Moldova set up a road fund and there are plans to do so in Lebanon. Tunisia and Morocco continued to implement their comprehensive fleet renewal schemes.
A comprehensive reform of the rail sector is ongoing in a number of countries. Some of the partners are also developing and upgrading their rail networks. Jordan and Syria have ambitious plans for network development and extension, while Morocco is pursuing plans to introduce high speed passenger trains.
In the aviation sector, negotiations on a Common Aviation Area Agreement have been launched with Georgia. The discussions with Ukraine on such an agreement should be concluded in 2010. Negotiations on comprehensive Euro-Mediterranean Area Agreements continued with Israel and should be finalised in 2010 with Jordan and Lebanon. Most countries continued to implement a policy of gradually introducing EU standards. All Eastern neighbouring countries have signed a working arrangement with the European Aviation Safety Agency to ensure continuation of pan-European safety coordination following the dissolution of the JAA (Joint Aviation Authorities). However, the need to strengthen civil aviation administrations and in particular safety oversight and the performance of carriers remains a priority.
Several partner countries still need to step up efforts to implement maritime safety standards, especially Georgia, which is still considered a high risk flag and remained on the black list of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on port state control. Egypt, Lebanon and Ukraine also remained on the black list.
At regional/multilateral level the Mediterranean partners remained very committed to implementing the 34 actions under the Regional Transport Action Plan for the Mediterranean during 2007-2013 (RTAP) and the establishment of the future Trans Mediterranean Transport Network. The RTAP actions address the different transport domains and target mainly regulatory (institutional) reform and infrastructure network planning and implementation. The framework for cooperation is the EuroMed Transport Forum and its four working groups. The working groups, namely those on Infrastructure and Regulatory Issues, on Aviation, on GNSS and on Maritime Affairs, Ports and Short Sea Shipping met in 2009. In November 2009 the aviation group adopted an ambitious road map towards establishing a Euro-Mediterranean Open Aviation Area. EC-funded technical support includes: Euro-Mediterranean Regional Transport II, Safemed, Motorways of the Sea-MEDAMOS, GNSS and the Euro-Mediterranean Aviation Project along with technical assistance and twinning programmes at bilateral level.
Regional cooperation with Eastern partners progressed under TRACECA and was stepped up in the context of the Black Sea Synergy policy. In particular, cooperation in the maritime field increased: firstly, in order to enhance maritime trade and port operations and establish Motorways of the Sea in the Black and Caspian Seas; and, secondly, in order to augment maritime safety and security in the Black and Caspian Seas especially against the background of ever-increasing oil tanker traffic in both these seas.
The revitalisation of the TRACECA Working Group and Technical Assistance Activities contributed to enhanced cooperation. In particular, cooperation in the maritime logistics and aviation sectors increased. TRACECA also covers the key issue of the safety of land transport operations, which is increasingly becoming a priority in most of the ENP countries.
Energy
In 2009, the EU and its ENP partners further strengthened energy cooperation and ENP partners progressed in their sector reform.
Bilateral cooperation with ENP partners generally continued under the ENP Action Plans and the Energy Memoranda of Understanding and Declarations (Azerbaijan, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Ukraine). In September 2009, the EU-Ukraine Summit endorsed the third progress report under the EU-Ukraine Energy MoU. The European Commission and Belarus signed a Declaration on energy cooperation. The European Commission and Belarus continued their energy dialogue. Exchanges with Algeria continued, for example, in the energy subcommittee. In 2009, discussions with this country on the finalisation of an Energy MoU resumed. Energy relations with Libya continued in particular through the ongoing negotiations towards an EU-Libya framework agreement.
At regional/multilateral level, the EU and the Eastern partners launched cooperation under the Eastern Partnership (EaP). The six Eastern partners participated in the first meetings (May and November 2009) of the EaP Platform on Energy Security. The Platform will promote the implementation of mutual energy support and security mechanisms by initiating work on ‘Security of Supply Statements’. The Platform furthermore covers energy efficiency and renewable energy. The Covenant of Mayors initiative was launched as part of the flagship initiative on ‘Regional Electricity Markets, Improved Energy Efficiency and Increased use of Renewable Resources’. The aim is to promote energy efficiency in EaP cities. An energy efficiency and environmental partnership for Eastern Europe was also launched and a pledging conference took place in Stockholm on 26 November 2009. The Platform will also promote the harmonisation of partners’ energy policy and legislation with EU practice and the acquis. Support for infrastructure development, interconnection and diversification of supply is a further objective.
The EU and the Eastern partners continued implementing the 2006 energy roadmap agreed by ministers under the ‘Baku initiative’ for EU-Black Sea/Caspian energy cooperation. They continued cooperation in the areas of market integration, regulatory convergence, networks, energy efficiency and renewable energy.
The Mediterranean ENP partners and the EU pursued implementation of the priority action plan 2008-2013, decided by Euro-Mediterranean energy ministers. They continued work towards the longer-term objective of establishing Euro-Mediterranean gas and electricity rings. Partners further worked on the Mediterranean Solar Plan. Other areas of cooperation cover regulatory convergence, the creation of a Maghreb electricity market and a Euro-Mashraq natural gas market, energy efficiency, renewable energy and statistical matters. The EU and the Mediterranean partners continued their cooperation through the Cairo-based Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency for Middle East and North Africa countries, which is supported by the European Commission, Denmark and Germany.
The European Commission encourages Israel and the Palestinian Authority to fully re-activate their trilateral cooperation including on the ‘Solar for Peace’ initiative and the establishment of a joint energy office. In 2009, an EU-funded study to support the ‘Solar for Peace’ project was completed.
In 2009, ENP partners continued to implement their energy strategies or progressed in preparing a new energy policy (Egypt). Partners took further steps to increase the use of domestic resources such as hydrocarbons (Azerbaijan, Jordan and Tunisia), renewable energy sources, uranium (Armenia, Egypt and Jordan) and oil shale (Egypt, Jordan and Morocco).
ENP partners continued with the construction, upgrading and development of infrastructure including domestic and international energy networks.
In March 2009, a joint EU-Ukraine conference on the modernisation of the Ukraine’s gas transit system was held in Brussels with the participation of the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the World Bank. At the conference Ukraine submitted a master plan for the modernisation of its gas transit system. In October 2009, Ukraine approved a Concept for the development, modernisation and re-equipment of the gas transportation system during 2009-2015.
The gas and oil export pipelines Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (Turkey) and Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (Turkey) continued to bring Caspian resources to the EU. Several (Eastern and Southern) ENP partners continued to support the development of the Southern gas corridor including Nabucco and the trans-Caspian transportation project. In May 2009 they attended the Prague Summit on the Southern Corridor. Azerbaijan and Georgia participated in the ongoing EU study for a Caspian Development Corporation, the central purpose of which is to aggregate gas demand in support of the Corridor’s development. In July 2009, energy companies from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine completed a study on the Euro-Asian Oil Transportation Corridor Project. Partners of the Arab gas pipeline continued work on the future connection of the pipe with the European Union. The gas pipeline between Armenia and Iran became operational. Work on an Egypt-Libya gas pipe continued. Preparatory work for an Egypt-oPt (Gaza) gas interconnection was pursued. The construction of additional pipeline capacity between Italy and Tunisia progressed. Algeria pursued the construction of a new gas interconnection with Spain (Medgaz) and the preparation of a link with Italy (GALSI). Algeria, Nigeria and Niger signed an agreement on the development of the Trans-Saharan gas pipeline project, connecting Nigerian sources to the Mediterranean region and the EU.
Some ENP partners are developing plans to construct an LNG terminal (Georgia, Israel, Lebanon and Morocco) or a new (oil) refinery (Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Tunisia).
In the electricity field, Moldova and Ukraine continued preparations to study the conditions under which they could join the interconnected electricity networks of continental Europe (ENTSO-e, European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity, the successor of UCTE). Moldova completed the Gotesti-Falciu (Romania) link. Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey continued the construction of additional electricity interconnections between their countries. Armenia and Georgia advanced their interconnection project. Armenia prepared the construction of an interconnection with Iran. In the Mediterranean area, the Lebanon-Syria electricity link was completed and the Algeria-Morocco link was reinforced. Egypt and Jordan developed plans to upgrade the undersea cable between the countries. Preparations progressed for additional electricity interconnections between the occupied Palestinian territory (Gaza and West Bank) and Egypt and Jordan respectively. Morocco and Spain worked towards constructing a third link between their countries Tunisia pursued efforts to increase interconnection capacity with Algeria and to construct an electricity interconnection with Italy.
ENP partners took some steps towards convergence with the internal energy market rules. In December 2009, the Energy Community ministerial approved the accession of Moldova and Ukraine to the Energy Community Treaty. Accession will be effective subject to the gas laws of the countries complying with the EU acquis and subsequent ratification. Georgia continued to participate as observer in meetings of the Energy Community. In December 2009, Moldova adopted new gas and electricity laws. ENP partners pursued the restructuring of the gas and electricity sectors, prepared legislation, strengthened regulators (or prepared for their establishment) and worked on the progressive elimination of price distortions.
ENP partners made some progress in improving energy efficiency and strengthened plans to increase considerably the use of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind (Azerbaijan, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Authority and Tunisia). In October 2009, southern ENP partners participated in the EU-Mediterranean-Gulf renewable energy conference, which promoted the use of renewable energy. The Cairo-based Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency for Middle East and North Africa, established with support from the EC, Denmark and Germany, had, in 2009, its first full year of operation.
Armenia and Ukraine further upgraded the safety of nuclear power plants and strengthened the nuclear regulatory authorities. Armenia continued drafting a detailed decommissioning plan for the Medzamor Nuclear Power Plant and selected an engineering company to oversee the construction of a new nuclear plant. Ukraine and the European Commission pursued their joint evaluation of the nuclear safety of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, with the involvement of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Ukraine implemented further projects at the Chornobyl site.
Belarus, Egypt and Jordan took further steps towards preparing the construction of nuclear power plants. Jordan ratified the Convention on nuclear safety and acceded to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material. Azerbaijan confirmed its plan to build a nuclear research reactor. Other ENP partners remain interested in developing nuclear power production (Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia). In 2009, the European Commission held a second expert meeting on nuclear safety issues with Morocco. It is recalled that the ENP partners should ensure a high level of safety and security of nuclear installations and ensure that the research, development and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes are carried out in compliance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
The reporting period was marked by international discussions and negotiations on post-2012 climate change action as well as increased awareness-raising on climate issues. Partner countries made some progress in implementing international climate change commitments. Some partners submitted national communications to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (Georgia, Jordan, Moldova and Ukraine), including greenhouse gas inventories, vulnerability assessments and mitigation and adaptation measures. Several other partner countries are in the final stages of preparing such communications. 2009 saw awareness raising and outreach events, for instance in Georgia and Jordan. Many partners either took steps to prepare a national adaptation strategy (Egypt and Israel) or drafted or adopted strategy documents and studies on adaptation, such as Georgia, Moldova and Morocco.
The majority of partner countries continued to prepare investment projects to promote the use of the Kyoto Protocol’s Joint Implementation and Clean Development Mechanism. Some new projects were registered at UN level in Armenia, Georgia, Israel Morocco, and Ukraine, but the vast majority have still not yet been formally registered. The European Commission continued to support the partner countries in implementing the Kyoto Protocol. Algeria, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Moldova, Morocco, Tunisia and Ukraine associated themselves with the Copenhagen Accord and in most cases provided information on the targets or actions that they will implement. The Commission will continue to call on partners that have not yet done so to associate themselves with the Copenhagen Accord. The EU remains fully committed to the UN negotiating process with a view to concluding a robust and effective legally binding international agreement. The EU is prepared to deepen dialogue and cooperation activities on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Progress in the field of environment varied from country to country. Many of the ENP countries face various challenges that hamper the progress. The overall environment situation in the occupied Palestinian territory remained a major concern.
Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Moldova and Morocco took some steps to strengthen the environment administration. However, strengthened administrative and implementation capacity, coupled with enhanced resources, is still required in partner countries at all levels, including co-operation and co-ordination between the different authorities. In the occupied Palestinian territory, the offices of the environmental and water authorities in Gaza remained closed in 2009.
Georgia has recently started to pay more attention to development of environment policy and legislation than it did a few years ago. The Presidential programme in Tunisia for 2009-2014 announced several environment related objectives, as did the 2009 Ministerial Declaration of the Government of Lebanon. Morocco launched the preparation of a new Charter for Environment and Sustainable Development, and many partner countries took steps to prepare (Georgia and Ukraine) or review and implement (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Jordan, Israel and Tunisia) their overall environment strategies and action plans.
Some partner countries took steps to amend (Egypt), prepare (Armenia, Georgia and Moldova) or review (Jordan) environment framework legislation. Some progress can be noted in the adoption of issue-specific legislation and implementing legislation. Jordan adopted new legislation on monitoring and inspections as well as on the environment fund. Implementing legislation was adopted on air quality and waste management in Morocco, on the protection of the Nile River and waterways in Egypt, on air quality, water and waste management and nature protection in Armenia and on the re-organisation of the Ministry of Environment in Lebanon, setting out the mandate of its regional departments. However, implementation and enforcement of environmental legislation requires continued attention. Many countries continued preparing new legislation, including on environmental expertise in Armenia, water in Georgia, air quality in Jordan, waste and water in Moldova, nature protection and integrated coastal zone management in Morocco, and protected marine and coastal areas in Tunisia.
Some progress was noted in the adoption of sector-specific strategies, programmes and plans, such as on water in Jordan, forestry in Ukraine, biodiversity in Morocco, water and wastewater in Egypt, and waste management in Tunisia. Ukraine and Moldova, together with the other Danube countries, adopted the first Danube river basin management plan. Israel took steps to prepare a packaging and packaging waste policy The preparation of new strategy documents and plans continued, such as on integrated coastal zone management in Georgia and Egypt, waste management in Azerbaijan, Egypt and Jordan, chemicals in Armenia and air quality and water in Morocco. Overall, partner countries took limited steps to integrate environment considerations into other policy sectors.
Egypt and Jordan strengthened requirements for conducting environmental impact assessments (EIA) and Armenia produced an implementation strategy on EIA. However, most partners still need to fully establish or strengthen procedures for EIA, in particular with regard to public participation. State-of-the environment reports were published or finalised in Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, and are under preparation in Georgia and Morocco. Most partner countries took some steps to inform and involve the public on environment issues, but in general access to information and public participation requires further attention.
Libya accepted the amendments to the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean. Otherwise overall progress remained limited in terms of ratifying and signing international and regional environment conventions and protocols. Furthermore, implementation of the many already ratified agreements remains a challenge in most cases.
Partner countries participated actively in various regional initiatives, such as the Danube-Black Sea Task Force, the Horizon 2020 Initiative and the preparation of a strategy for water in the Mediterranean (although the latter failed to get approval at the recent ministerial meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean). Partner countries also continued to participate in activities under the EU Water Initiative, including national policy dialogues in some countries.
The Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus (REC) covering Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, made good progress in 2009. It carried out regional activities notably in the fields of information and public participation, environmental policy and local environmental action plans, the protection and sustainable development of mountain regions.. REC Moldova continued its activities even if it is facing a number of challenges. Discussions continued between the European Commission and Ukraine to re-establish the REC in Ukraine, but they stalled in December. The European Commission held a further technical environment meeting with Belarus in June. The first environment sub-committees with Algeria and the Palestinian Authority met. Environment sub-committees with Armenia and Georgia were established.
ENP partners pursued the construction and upgrading of environment related infrastructure, including with the support of EU financing instruments such as the Neighbourhood Investment Facility (NIF), EU Member States and International Financial Institutions. Investment projects should comply with the European Principles for the Environment3, a commitment of five signatory European-based Multilateral Financing Institutions, which promote convergence with EU environment policy principles and legislation and in particular that related to environmental assessment, industrial production, water and waste management, air and soil pollution, occupational health and safety, and the protection of nature, where these can be applied to specific projects.
Many partners are showing a growing interest in EU experiences, and are ready to converge with key elements of the EU’s environment directives. Regulatory convergence should continue to be at the core of the ENP as well as cooperation on environmental governance (including impact assessment, public access to environmental information, public participation in decision-making and public access to courts in environmental matters). In the context of the Europe 2020 strategy, the EU aims to move towards an economy that is more resource-efficient and hence more sustainable, an area where the EU and partners can beneficially cooperate. In addition, stronger cooperation is urgently needed on biodiversity conservation. 2010 is the UN's International Year of Biodiversity and global efforts to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity need to be significantly stepped up. There is a need to raise awareness in partner countries of the economic benefits derived from ecosystem services and conversely, the costs of losing them.
In the field of civil protection, the Community Civil Protection Mechanism was mobilised in November to assist Ukraine in the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic and in January to alleviate the consequences of the Ukraine/Russia gas crisis in Moldova, as already mentioned in last year’s report. The Eastern Partnership flagship initiative on prevention on, preparedness of and response to man-made and natural hazards was launched in December. The Euro-Mediterranean Programme on the Prevention, Preparedness and Response to Natural and Man-Made disasters entered a new phase. Both initiatives aim to reinforce the level of civil protection and ensure institutional cooperation in order to involve partner countries more closely with the European Civil Protection Mechanism and with EU activities and to promote cooperation among the partner countries, contributing to the development of an integrated approach to disaster management. Moldova submitted a request to conclude a bilateral Administrative Arrangement with the relevant Commission service in order to strengthen cooperation on emergencies as well as in the areas of disaster prevention and preparedness.
As regards research and innovation, most ENP partner countries continued to increase their participation in the 7th Research Framework Programme (FP7). Countries who paid particular attention to building a strong national contact points network, like Egypt, Morocco , Ukraine and Tunisia, have reaped the benefits in the form of increased success under the FP7. In contrast, the participation of a number of countries like Algeria, Armenia and Lebanon remained below their potential. In 2009, Ukraine formally expressed interest in discussing possible association with FP7; negotiations with Moldova on FP7 association are expected to begin shortly. Moldova adopted a comprehensive action plan with a view to preparing its possible association with the FP7. Israel, the only ENP country already fully associated with the FP7 continued to perform at a high level. A Science and Technology Agreement between the EC and the Jordanian Government was signed in 2009 and another one with Algeria is currently under preparation. Egypt and Syria strengthened their cooperation with the Enterprise Europe Network. Morocco and Tunisia submitted an application to join this network.
At regional/multilateral level, a call for proposals, ERA-WIDE, for all ENP countries to develop the research strategy of their research centres, and to increase their cooperation capacity and networking with their counterparts in the EU Member States and FP7 associated countries was issued in July 2009. Participation in this call for proposals (74 submitted proposals) should improve the quality of research activities and/or promising research centres under all FP7 thematic priorities.
For the Mediterranean partner countries, a call was launched in July 2009 to enhance the activities of the ongoing INCO-NET MIRA4 by targeting two additional specific issues: shaping a Euro-Mediterranean Innovation Space and supporting the scientific component of the H2020 initiative5. The Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on Research has been prepared for April 2010.
In January 2010, Egypt hosted in Cairo, in the frame of the Union for the Mediterranean, the 'Euromed Innovation Marketplace'. This event offered a platform for researchers, scientists, business people, inventors and policy makers from Mediterranean and EU countries to meet, network and further develop projects, business ideas and partnerships.
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine continued to participate actively in the International S&T Cooperation Network for Eastern European and Central Asian countries (FP7 IncoNet EECA project). This aims to support EU-EECA policy dialogue on science and technology and to increase EECA participation in FP7. As part of this project, the Moldovan Academy of Sciences hosted a workshop on human genomics and related issues, in April 2009 in Chişinău. The results of this workshop were submitted to the European Commission as input for the definition of potential research topics for future FP7 work programmes.
In October 2009, the Kyiv State Centre for Scientific, Technical and Economic Information, the national information point, organised a workshop in Kyiv on sustainable surface transport for the FP7 IncoNet EECA project. This event brought together stakeholders from the scientific communities of both EECA and EU Member States with the aim of identifying research topics of mutual interest in the field of transport. Participants provided recommendations as input for the definition of potential research topics, for future FP7 work programmes, identifying rail and road transport infrastructure and freight as priority areas of common interest.
As regards regulatory approximation in the Information Society sector, most partner countries continued to complete their legislation and rules progressively, based on the principles of the EU framework. However, much remains to be done to establish a level playing field for new market players, including the imposition of appropriate access obligations to open up the markets to effective competition. Fixed telephony and wholesale access to the network infrastructure are still a de facto monopoly in several ENP countries. However, in Israel, Morocco and Moldova and, to a certain extent, in Egypt, the market became more open. Except for Azerbaijan, Israel, the occupied Palestinian territory and Syria, partner countries have established independent regulatory authorities. There is a need to continue to strengthen administrative capacity or independence in many countries, in particular in Armenia, Algeria, Georgia and Lebanon. A majority of countries have granted 3G licenses by now. Most partner countries continued to implement comprehensive information society policies aiming to bridge the digital divide and promote the use and spread of ICT applications and services.
At regional/multilateral level, the second phase of EUMEDCONNECT was launched in order to ensure the continued connectivity of the Mediterranean research networks among themselves and with the European Union. Its core is a high-capacity IP-based data-communications network serving the research and education communities in seven countries across the southern Mediterranean, enabling them to participate in collaborative projects. A major meeting to monitor EUMEDCONNECT II took place in Rabat in October 2009. In April, the Euro-Mediterranean Group of European Regulators (EMERG) held a contact group meeting in Brussels. A workshop on market analysis was organised in Malta as part of NATP II (New Approaches to Telecommunications Policy). The third phase of this NATP started in October 2009, and in December 2009 participating countries met in Amman (Jordan) to plan future activities. Under the Eastern Partnership, similar events are planned for Eastern regulators in the field of electronic communications. In March 2009, the Black Sea Interconnection (BSI) project, the largest research network project in the region, was implemented providing a boost to research internet capacity in the area. BSI provided the basis for closer cooperation in the region and additional joint actions in the area of seismology and scientific resource sharing. The entire BSI initiative is regarded as a role model, and a similar initiative is being prepared for Central Asia.
Partner countries made limited progress in the audiovisual sector. Many Mediterranean partners still need to set up agencies or strengthen their administrative capacities. Eastern partner countries made limited progress in adopting the conventions in this sector. Ukraine ratified the European Convention on Transfrontier Television in March 2009.
Human capital and public health
Education and training
Higher Education
The Bologna Process continued to act as the main policy reference framework for the reform of higher education in partner countries6. They advanced on national regulatory frameworks, accreditation structures, curricula modernisation and quality enhancement and monitoring. Most ENP partners pursued work on the development of national university standards and accreditation procedures. Certain ENP partners, in particular the Bologna Declaration signatories Armenia, Azerbaijan Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, have undertaken to introduce the three cycle structure (Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate) by 2010 for the establishment of a European Higher Education Area. Georgia, Moldova and Tunisia implemented Bologna Process Diploma Supplements, whereas they are being introduced in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine. Their use has been compulsory in Algeria since academic year 2009-10. Other ENP partner countries are considering adopting these supplements or similar national supplements to improve the transparency of higher education qualifications. Greater reference was made to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) in discussions on academic credit transfer and recognition of qualifications.
The Bologna Declaration of June 1999 was renewed for a further ten years at the Ministerial Conference in Louvain-La-Neuve in April 2009. Employability, access, lifelong learning, student mobility and international cooperation now figure as new priorities alongside earlier priorities of adoption of the three-cycle structure, quality assurance, recognition of qualifications and supporting mobility. Egypt, Israel, Morocco and Tunisia were invited to the first meeting of the Bologna Policy Forum with third countries under the Ministerial Conference, following a decision to develop an ‘external dimension’ to the Bologna Process.
A second phase of Erasmus Mundus, adopted in December 2008 aims to promote European higher education and improve and enhance the future career and employment prospects of students. In addition, it acts to promote intercultural understanding through cooperation with third countries and to increase mobility flows between these countries and the EU. The incorporation of joint doctoral programmes and the integration of the former Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window (EMECW) directly witin the programme under the new Action 2 (Partnerships) were the main changes of direct interest to ENP partner countries.
A total of 108 students and 41 scholars from ENP partner countries were awarded Erasmus Mundus Masters Course scholarships under the new Action 1 of Erasmus Mundus in 2009. In addition, student and academic mobility is to receive an additional boost in the academic year 2009-2010 under the new Action 2 (Partnerships) of Erasmus Mundus. Mobility flows between ENP partner countries and the EU totalled 1013 for the academic year 2008-9, including 899 students and academics from ENP partner countries. This testifies to the relevance of Erasmus Mundus in supporting higher education reform and international mobility.
As from 2009, higher education institutions from ENP and other third countries can now participate in Erasmus Mundus Master Courses (EMMC) and Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorates (EMJD) as full partners from the outset under Action 2 of Erasmus Mundus.
Under the Jean Monnet Programme, only one new Jean Monnet Chair was awarded in Georgia and Ukraine in 2009 and one Jean Monnet Information and Research Action in Ukraine. Considering the close geographical proximity of ENP partners to the EU and the common interest in pursuing international cooperation the European Commission would welcome the closer involvement of ENP partners.
The Tempus programme continued to support higher education reform in ENP partner countries by promoting voluntary convergence with EU developments including the Bologna Process. The second call for proposals under Tempus IV had an increasing response from ENP partners. The ENPI region countries (ENP and the Russian Federation) showed increased interest in multi-country and inter-regional projects. A total of 28 projects from ENP countries were selected under the call, plus a further 14 for the Russian Federation.
Regarding quality enhancement in higher education, ENP partners are encouraged to refer to the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ESG). Where applicable, partners are also encouraged to join the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) as full or associate members and to join the European Quality Assurance Register (EQUAR) as government members. Work on the development of national quality assurance authorities is ongoing in many ENP partner countries. To date, independent, single-agency authorities have been established in Armenia, Georgia and Jordan. As before, ENP partners are encouraged to facilitate greater student participation in decision-making processes within universities and higher education institutions and to develop effective measures to combat corruption. The academic quality and relevance of taught programmes including those developed through cooperation under Tempus will be enhanced if social dialogue in higher education is vigorously pursued with enterprises.
Vocational Education and Training
ENP partners further progressed in the reform of vocational education and training. They implemented national reform strategies, predicated on the gradual introduction of new competence-based training standards and the development of parallel quality monitoring mechanisms. ENP partners continued to give attention to the introduction of a life-long learning perspective and more integrated and coherent vocational education and training provision. Work continued, on the design of national qualification frameworks in line with or modelled on the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) in Algeria, Armenia, Egypt, Georgia, Jordan, Moldova, Morocco, Syria and Ukraine and began in Lebanon. The process requires the support of all relevant public authorities and national stakeholders to ensure that the frameworks correspond to national education and training requirements. ENP partners continued to face significant challenges as regards the development of training to meet future skills needs. Efforts need to be intensified to ensure the financial viability of reforms and to establish effective mechanisms of social dialogue so as to ensure the labour-market relevance of training provision. In this respect, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine continued work on social dialogue with EC financial assistance and the technical support of the European Training Foundation (ETF).
In January 2010, the European Training Foundation launched the Torino Process for a participatory review of progress in vocational education and training policy in ENP partner countries, the Russian Federation, Western Balkans, Turkey and Central Asia. The objective of the Torino Process is to provide a concise, documented analysis of vocational education and training reform in each country in order to improve the contribution of vocational education and training to sustainable development, competitiveness and social cohesion. In the medium to long-term, the Torino Process aims to become a guided self-assessment exercise for reform monitoring in partner countries, sustaining a ‘policy-learning’ approach7.
In 2009, the European Training Foundation completed the Black Sea Labour Market Review project and published analytical country reports on the labour markets of Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, in the context of human capital development. As part of the Black Sea Synergy Initiative, the project aims to report on human capital development issues in the six countries of the Black Sea Region. Country reports on Azerbaijan and Belarus remain to be completed.
In addition, the European Training Foundation involved a number of Mediterranean partners in a pilot exercise of peer-to peer learning in the area of entrepreneurial learning in higher education.
Youth
ENP partners continued to promote youth exchanges and informal education with a view to enhancing understanding and intercultural dialogue and improving the social integration of young people. However, the formulation and development of coherent national youth policies remained weak and often uncoordinated between concerned states agencies. The integration of youth needs into wider reform plans in areas such as health, social welfare, justice and employment remained an important policy challenge.
Increased levels of participation were registered for voluntary service actions under Youth in Action in partner countries as compared to 2008 (see Annex). Youth exchanges between the Mediterranean ENP partners, including voluntary service actions and youth policy support actions were facilitated under the Euro Mediterranean Youth III Programme, which ended in 2009. In July 2009, the programme financed ten national youth studies in Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the occupied Palestinian territory, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey. They identified legislation or national strategies addressing youth needs and the provision of non-formal education and youth work. The studies focused on young people’s rights and entitlements as active citizens, the challenges faced by young people in employment, housing and the generational/cultural conflict and governmental and non-governmental responses in terms of the provision of non-formal education and leisure time activities8. They demonstrated that non-formal education has a limited policy priority, with most resources and attention being devoted to formal education provision. All ENP partners concerned have confirmed their interest in pursuing and enhancing similar cooperation under the Euro Mediterranean Youth IV programme which will start in 2010. Visa problems continue to act as obstacles to the further development of youth exchanges and voluntary service actions in particular for disadvantaged young people across all partner countries.
Culture
All partner countries, except Israel, Lebanon and Morocco, have ratified the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions9. Implementation of the convention remained key for enhancing cultural cooperation and advancing policy dialogue.
Relevant Ministries and state agencies remained reticent to engage with independent cultural actors and to encourage free association and expression and the free circulation of cultural works and artists. Policy attention and resources are mostly devoted to cultural heritage rehabilitation and awareness actions at the expense of engagement with contemporary cultural expression and action. In addition, monopolistic attitudes towards definitions of cultural activity as well as lack of transparency in the allocation of public funding act continued to hinder the development of future inclusive cultural policies.
In order to complement the Kyiv Initiative and to enhance policy dialogue on culture in the context of the Eastern Partnership, relevant Eastern partners should expedite the signature and ratification of the 2000 European Landscape Convention and the 2005 Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society.
In 2009, a Special Action for ENP countries that have ratified the 2005 UNESCO Convention (Armenia, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Jordan, Moldova, occupied Palestinian territory and Tunisia) was launched under the Culture Programme (Strand 1.3, Cooperation Projects with Third Countries). These ENP partners were considered eligible as they have concluded Association or Partnership and Cooperation Agreements with the EU which include a cultural clause. A total of 41 applications were received involving 73 partners from cultural organisations in the eight eligible ENP countries. The themes covered: cultural heritage; visual arts; performing arts; literature, books and reading; architecture, design and the applied arts; multi-media and new technologies; and interdisciplinary activities.
In 2009, the Euro-Med Heritage IV programme was launched to encourage the appropriation of cultural heritage by local populations and improve access to knowledge of cultural heritage across the Mediterranean. Twelve projects were selected covering a diversity of themes, including the preservation of written heritage, promotion of intangible cultural heritage, youth outreach and engagement in culture, and the management of water heritage.
In February 2009, the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation launched the ‘Restore Trust-Rebuild Bridges’ Initiative in cooperation with the Alliance of Civilizations as a means to promote conciliation, dialogue and confidence-building between peoples in the Middle East following the events of December 2008. Its wider objective is to help restore trust in social, political and cultural dialogue as the only effective means to solve tensions and conflicts in the Euro-Mediterranean space. In 2009, the Foundation continued its development of an Arab Children’s Literature programme in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian territory and Syria with Swedish bi-lateral assistance. The programme aims to encourage children’s literature and reading as a means to develop the child’s core social competences and life skills. The focus is on improving book quality and integrating pleasure reading into school curricula in cooperation with teachers, libraries, the publishing industry, universities and relevant Ministries. The Foundation’s other strategic activities in 2009 focused on intercultural education; cultural production; media and intercultural dialogue; ideas and ideologies; religion, spirituality and values and cities and diversity.
In 2009, the CIUDAD programme (Cooperation in Inter-Urban Development and Dialogue) was launched, following up inter-regional action under Med-Pact10 and the TACIS Cities Award Scheme (TCAS)11. CIUDAD promotes cooperation between local and regional governments in capacity building for improved governance in sustainable urban development and planning. It complements cross-border cooperation and strengthens cooperation in governance and sustainable development between local and regional authorities on an inter-regional basis. Twenty-one intra- and inter-regional (East-South) projects were selected involving partnerships from all ENP countries and the Russian Federation. They cover energy, the environment, economic and social cohesion and urban planning as well as enhancing the role and input of civil society in decision-making processes.
Concerning Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC), thirteen of the planned fifteen CBC programmes under the ENPI are being implemented. Two CBC programmes (Spain-Morocco and the CBC Atlantic Programme) remain to be finalised. The majority of the calls for proposals to implement the CBC programmes were launched in 2009 and the selection of the projects is ongoing. Financing Agreements (FAs) to regulate financial flows between the EC and third countries were signed with most partners, except with Morocco and Azerbaijan. The Russian Federation joined five programmes to which it contributed more than € 100 million.
In the area of health, ENP partners continued their longer-term efforts to reform the sector. Key issues include better primary health care, increased efficiency, financial sustainability, and enhanced accessibility to health services including for the most vulnerable. In 2009, the ENP partners, like the EU, took measures to combat influenza A (H1N1). Measures included enhanced surveillance, additional budget allocations, quarantine, vaccination, and awareness campaigns. In the case of Ukraine, the EU provided assistance to combat influenza A (H1N1) through the Civil Protection Mechanism and bilateral assistance. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, in close cooperation with WHO, also provided support to Ukraine. In June 2009, in view of the Influenza A (H1N1) epidemic, the European Commission proposed to several ENP partners to establish communication channels for the exchange of epidemiological information in the event of health crises. Such channels have effectively been established with Jordan and Moldova. Both non-communicable and communicable diseases continue to be major public health challenges in the neighbourhood. In the Eastern neighbourhood, combating HIV/AIDS and, to some extent, tuberculosis remain public health concerns. In February 2009, Ukraine adopted a new HIV/AIDS programme for 2009-2013. The European Commission invited, also in 2009, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine to its HIV/AIDS Think Tank. In its dialogue and cooperation with ENP partners, the EU pursued the promotion of implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)12 and the International Health Regulations13. In February 2009, Moldova acceded to the FCTC. In October 2009, the European Commission invited the ENP partners to join the newly established, annual, enlarged health information committee, in which the Member States, EFTA countries and (potential) candidate countries also participate. The EU and the Mediterranean ENP partners continued their cooperation in the EpiSouth Network for Communicable Diseases Control in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean. Within the HIV/AIDS Think Tank and the above-mentioned networks, the EU, the ENP partners, the ECDC and the World Health Organisation (WHO) sustained their interaction on health policy issues.
Operational aspects
In 2009, TAIEX14 remained a valuable support instrument for advancing transition and reform. It provided ENP partners advice and technical assistance to support their efforts to converge with European practices and standards in a wide range of policies. The European Commission ensured the consistency of TAIEX events with country-specific sectoral policy dialogue. The attached table and charts (Annex) reflect the extent to which ENP partner countries have made use of this instrument in the period up to 31 December 2009. The European Commission has also included them in multi-country TAIEX events on topics of common interest. A 36% increase in applications was registered in 2009 compared with 2008.
ENP partners continued to benefit from the twinning15 instrument under the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument. The long-term twinning of experienced EU Member State officials with their peers in an ENP partner country contributed to reforms and to the transfer of EU legislative, regulatory and institutional experience.
By the end of 2009, 114 twinning covenants had been established while 110 covenants were still being prepared and under negotiation with 12 ENP partner countries. These 224 twinning projects are well spread between ENP partner countries and across a wide range of sector policies (see Annex).
SIGMA continued to work with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Egypt, Jordan, Moldova, Morocco, Tunisia and Ukraine. It supports governance and public administration reforms in areas such as administrative law and administrative justice, public expenditure management, internal and external audit, public procurement, civil service reform and regulatory management. As a joint initiative of the OECD and the European Union, SIGMA assisted national reform teams of ENP partners by providing ‘peer practitioner’ expertise in the form of either OECD staff or public servants from within Member State administrations. It engaged in a total of 54 reform support activities in all ENP countries in 2009, principally in the areas of financial control and external audit, public procurement and the legal framework for the public administration (see Annex).
EU programmes and EU agencies
During 2009, the European Commission further promoted, under certain conditions, the extension of the possibility for ENP partners to participate in EU programmes and EU agencies16. Such participation can help ENP partner countries to strengthen their administrative and regulatory capacities in a range of policy fields. ENP partners are eligible to participate or to cooperate in a wide range of EU programmes17. The Protocol concluded with Israel in 200818 to enable it to participate in EU programmes still awaits the consent of the European Parliament before its formal conclusion. To date, it remains provisionally applicable. In 2009, negotiations on a similar protocol were concluded with Moldova while those with Morocco and Ukraine continued. With regard to participation in the work of EU agencies, preliminary technical cooperation on food safety, in the form of a seminar, started between EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) and ENP partners. Technical cooperation arrangements on aviation safety have been approved between EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) and Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Israel, Moldova, Morocco and Ukraine. Technical cooperation arrangements with FRONTEX are in force with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine while they remain under discussion with Egypt and Morocco. Formal contacts have also been established between EUROJUST and Egypt, Israel, Moldova and Ukraine. An information seminar on participation in EU programmes and EU agencies took place in December in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Neighbourhood Investment Facility
In 2009 the Neighbourhood Investment Facility (NIF) entered its second year of operation. It provides grant support to lending operations by the EIB, the EBRD, and other European finance institutions in support of projects in the European Neighbourhood region.
The NIF was established to pursue three objectives:
1. Establishing better energy and transport infrastructure interconnections between the EU and neighbouring countries and among neighbouring countries themselves;
2. Addressing threats to our common environment including climate change;
3. Promoting equitable socio-economic development and job creation through support for small and medium-sized enterprise and the social sector.
In order to accomplish these objectives the NIF uses a broad range of measures, encompassing co-financing through direct grants, loan guarantees, interest rate subsidies, and technical assistance for project preparation and supervision.
The EC budget grant contribution amounted to € 185 million in 2007-0919. This was complemented by Member State grant funding contribution to the ‘NIF Trust Fund’, worth approximately € 47 million (see Annex for an overview of the Member State pledges in 2008 and 2009).
In its second year of operations, 13 projects were approved (15 projects in 2008). These projects received a total financing of € 104,7 million from the NIF (an increase of 46% compared with € 71,3 million in 2008), and contributed to leverage loans from European Finance Institutions amounting to € 4,76 billion (a threefold increase compared with the 2008 level of € 1,65 bn).
Through financing these large projects, the NIF supports the reform priorities agreed with ENP partner countries and contributes to the investment necessary to further integrate the EU and its neighbours. The full list of projects approved in 2009 and an overview of the distribution of NIF contributions per country, sector and objective are presented in the Annex.
Overview of Annexes
1. Governance related indicators for ENP partner countries: 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009
2. Tables of international human rights’ conventions binding ENP partner countries
3. Main macroeconomic indicators of ENP partner countries
4. Tables on mobility under Youth in Actions, Erasmus Mundus, TEMPUS IV
5. Tables of TAIEX events with ENP partner countries
6. Tables on SIGMA
7. Tables on twinning projects with ENP partner countries
8. Neighbourhood Investment Facility projects
Governance / Freedom of the Press / Human Rights & Fundamental Freedoms
| GOVERNANCE | FREEDOM OF PRESS | HUMAN RIGHTS & FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOM | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Transparency International CORRUPTION PERCEPTION INDEX | World Bank REGULATORY QUALITY | Reporters Without Borders WORLWIDE PRESS FREEDOM INDEX | World Bank VOICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY | Freedom House POLITICAL RIGHTS | Freedom House CIVIL LIBERTIES | |||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | |
| Armenia | 2.9 | 3 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 59 | 60.2 | 61.8 | 25.5 | 23.63 | 22.75 | 31.13 | 26.9 | 30.3 | 28.8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Azerbaijan | 2.4 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 34.1 | 2.1 | 42.5 | 47 | 55.4 | 53.63 | 53.5 | 14.9 | 14.9 | 13.5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Egypt | 2.8 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 35.1 | 3.4 | 49.03 | 46.25 | 58 | 50.25 | 51.38 | 17.8 | 11.5 | 14.4 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Georgia | 2.8 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 44.4 | 58.7 | 68.8 | 21 | 20.83 | 31.25 | 18.83 | 44.7 | 42.3 | 40.4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Israel | 5.9 | 6.1 | 6 | 6.1 | 78 | 82.5 | 86 | 12 | 13.25 | 8.83 | 23.75 | 70.2 | 69.7 | 68.3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Jordan | 5.3 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 5 | 62.9 | 62.1 | 62.8 | 27.5 | 40.21 | 36 | 31.88 | 28.8 | 27.4 | 26.9 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Lebanon | 3.6 | 3 | 3 | 2.5 | 51.7 | 47.6 | 48.3 | 27 | 28.75 | 14 | 15.42 | 31.3 | 34.1 | 35.6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Moldova | 3.2 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 41.5 | 42.7 | 47.8 | 19.17 | 24.75 | 21.38 | 33.75 | 32.7 | 36.5 | 38.9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Morocco | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 47.9 | 51 | 52.7 | 24.83 | 33.25 | 32.25 | 41 | 28.4 | 29.3 | 27.9 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| occupied Palestinian territory | 11.7 | 47 | 32 | 51.25 | 69.83 | 25 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| Tunisia | 4.6 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 58 | 56.8 | 55.6 | 53.75 | 57 | 48.1 | 61.5 | 19.9 | 13 | 11.5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Ukraine | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 32.7 | 36.4 | 39.1 | 26.5 | 26.75 | 19.25 | 22,00 | 45.7 | 45.2 | 47.1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
State of Ratification / Signature of selected Human Rights Conventions
Source: http://treaties.un.org/
| State of ratification/ signature of major HR conventions * | ICCPR International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights OP1 OP2 | ICESCR International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights OP | CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women OP | CAT Convention against Torture OP Right to Individual Complaint (Art.22) | CRC Convention on the Rights of the Child OP AC OP SC | |
| ARMENIA | ICCPR 23/06/1993 OP1 - 23/06/1993 OP2 - NO | 13/09/1993 OP – 29/09/2009 | CEDAW 13/09/1993 OP - 16/09/2006 | CAT 13/09/1993 OP 14/09/2006 Art. 22 - NO | CRC 23/06/1993 OP-AC - 30/09/2005 OP-SC - 30/06/2005 | |
| AZERBAIJAN | ICCPR 13/08/1992 OP1 - 27/11/2001 OP2 - 22/01/1999 | 13/08/1992 OP-25/09/2009 | CEDAW 10/07/1995 OP - 1/06/2001 | CAT 16/08/1996 OP 15/09/2005 Art. 22 4/02/2002 | CRC 13/08/1992 OP-AC - 3/07/2002 OP-SC - 3/07/2002 | |
| EGYPT | ICCPR 14/01/1982 OP1 - NO OP2 - NO | 14/01/1982 OP - NO | CEDAW 18/09/1981 R OP - NO | CAT 25/06/1986 OP - NO Art. 22 - NO | CRC 6/07/1990 R OP-AC - 6/02/2007 OP-SC - 12/07/2002 | |
| GEORGIA | ICCPR 3/05/1994 OP1 - 3/05/1994 OP2 - 22/03/1999 | 3/05/1994 OP - NO | CEDAW 26/10/1994 OP - 30/07/2002 | CAT 26/10/1994 OP - 9/08/2005 Art. 22 30/06/2005 | CRC 2/06/1994 OP-AC - NO OP-SC - 28/06/2005 | |
| ISRAEL | ICCPR 3/10/1991 OP1 - NO OP2 - NO | 3/10/1991 OP - NO | CEDAW 3/10/1991 R OP - NO | CAT 3/10/1991 R OP - NO Art. 22 - NO | CRC 3/10/1991 OP-AC - 18/07/2005 OP-SC - 23/07/2008 | |
| JORDAN | 28/05/1975 OP1 - NO OP2 - NO | 28/05/1975 OP - NO | CEDAW 1/07/1992 R OP - NO | CAT 13/11/1991 OP – NO Art. 22 - NO | CRC 24/05/1991 R OP-AC - 23/05/2007 OP-SC - 4/12/2006 | |
| LEBANON | 3/11/1972 OP1 - NO OP2 - NO | 3/11/1972 OP - NO | CEDAW 16/04/1997 R OP - NO | CAT 5/10/2000 OP - signed Art. 22 - NO | CRC 14/05/1991 OP-AC - 11/02/2002 OP-SC - 8/11/2004 | |
| REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA | ICCPR 26/01/1993 OP1 - 23/01/2008 OP2 - 20/09/2006 | 26/01/1993 OP - NO | CEDAW 1/07/1994 OP - 28/02/2006 | CAT 28/11/1995 OP 24/07/2006 Art. 22 - NO | CRC 26/01/1993 OP-AC - 7/04/2004 OP-SC - 12/04/2007 | |
| MOROCCO | 3/05/1979 OP1 - NO OP2 - NO | 3/05/1979 OP - NO | CEDAW 21/06/1993 R OP - NO | CAT 21/06/1993 R OP - NO Art. 22 19/10/2006 | CRC 21/06/1993 R OP-AC - 22/05/2002 OP-SC - 2/10/2001 | |
| TUNISIA | 18/03/1969 OP1 - NO OP2 - NO | 18/03/1969 OP - NO | CEDAW 20/09/1985 R OP - 23/09/2008 | CAT 23/09/1988 R OP - NO Art. 22 22/09/1988 | CRC 30/01/1992 R OP-AC - 2/01/2003 OP-SC - 13/09/2002 | |
| UKRAINE | ICCPR 12/11/1973 OP1 - 25/07/1991 OP2 - 25/07/2007 | 12/11/1973 OP – 24/09/09 | CEDAW 12/03/1981 OP - 26/09/2003 | CAT 24/02/1987 OP - 19/09/2006 Art. 22 12/09/2003 | CRC 28/08/1991 OP-AC - 11/07/2005 OP-SC - 3/07/2003 | |
| last update 11 February 2010 | ||||||
| * date of signature in bold; date of ratification in standard. Also in bold where an instrument has been neither signed nor ratified (“NO”). | ||||||
| R: text adopted with reservations |
| State of ratification/ signature of major HR conventions * | CERD Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination Right to Individual Complaint (Art.14) | CMW Convention on Migrant Workers | Rome Statute International Criminal Court | CED International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance | CRPD Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities OP | ||
| ARMENIA | CERD 23/06/1993 Art. 14 - NO | NO | 1/10/1999 | 10/04/2007 | 30/03/2007 OP – 30/03/2007 | ||
| AZERBAIJAN | CERD 16/08/1996 Art. 14 27/09/2001 | 11/01/1999 | NO | 06/02/2007 | 28/01/2009 OP- 28/01/2009 | ||
| EGYPT | CERD 1/05/1967 Art. 14 - NO | 19/02/1993 | 26/12/2000 | NO | 14/04/2008 OP - NO | ||
| GEORGIA | CERD 2/06/1999 Art. 14 30/06/2005 | NO | 5/09/2003 | NO | 10/07/2009 OP – 10/07/2009 | ||
| ISRAEL | CERD 3/01/1979 R Art. 14 - NO | NO | 31/12/2000 | NO | 30/03/2007 | ||
| JORDAN | CERD 30/05/1974 Art. 14 - NO | NO | 11/04/2002 | NO | 31/03/2008 OP-30/03/2007 | ||
| LEBANON | CERD 12/11/1971 R Art. 14 - NO | NO | NO | NO | 14/01/2007 | ||
| REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA | CERD 26/01/1993 Art. 14 - NO | NO | 8/09/2000 | 06/02/07 | 30/03/2007 OP - NO | ||
| MOROCCO | CERD 18/12/1970 R Art. 14 19/10/2006 | 21/06/1993 | 8/09/2000 | 06/02/2007 | 08/04/2009 OP - 08/04/2009 | ||
| TUNISIA | CERD 13/01/1967 Art. 14 - NO | NO | NO | 06/02/2007 | 02/04/2008 OP – 02/04/2008 | ||
| UKRAINE | CERD 20/06/1974 R Art. 14 28/07/1992 | NO | 20/01/2000 | NO | 04/02/10 OP – 04/02/10 | ||
| last update 11 February 2010 | |||||||
| * date of signature in bold; date of ratification in standard. Also in bold where an instrument has been neither signed nor ratified (“NO”). | |||||||
| R: text adopted with reservations |
Main Macro Economic Indicators
Youth in Action mobility figures 2009
| Youth in Action20 | ||||
| Youth Exchanges and Youth Workers Mobility | Voluntary Service | |||
| Country/Year | 2008 | 2009 | 2008 | 2009 |
| Armenia | 290 | 351 | 56 | 67 |
| Algeria | 88 | 91 | 1 | 0 |
| Azerbaijan | 237 | 231 | 25 | 8 |
| Belarus | 295 | 221 | 17 | 10 |
| Georgia | 340 | 344 | 40 | 60 |
| Egypt | 91 | 79 | 11 | 13 |
| Israel | 207 | 183 | 2 | 10 |
| Jordan | 95 | 94 | 10 | 4 |
| Lebanon | 102 | 68 | 1 | 3 |
| Republic of Moldova | 303 | 309 | 28 | 11 |
| Morocco | 157 | 116 | 3 | 4 |
| occupied Palestinian territory | 129 | 142 | 9 | 2 |
| Syria | 49 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Tunisia | 116 | 108 | 4 | 1 |
| Ukraine | 684 | 641 | 61 | 86 |
| Overall Total per Action | 3183 | 2988 | 270 | 279 |
Mobility under
Erasmus Mundus, Action 2, 2009-2010
| ENP Country | Total Mobility Flows for academic year 2009-2010* |
| ARMENIA | 35 |
| ALGERIA | 86 |
| AZERBAIJAN | 33 |
| BELARUS | 67 |
| EGYPT | 139 |
| GEORGIA | 58 |
| ISRAEL | 69 |
| JORDAN | 35 |
| LEBANON | 26 |
| REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA | 67 |
| MOROCCO | 86 |
| OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY | 56 |
| SYRIA | 26 |
| TUNISIA | 86 |
| UKRAINE | 98 |
| GRAND TOTAL | 967 |
*Figures based on the projected mobility flows by 1 April 2010, subject to possible adjustment upwards
| Erasmus Mundus Action 1 – Erasmus Mundus Masters Scholarships | ||||
| Students | Scholars | |||
| Country/Year | Academic year 2008-2009 | Academic year 2009-2010 | Academic year 2008-2009 | Academic year 2009-2010 |
| Algeria | 8 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Armenia | 7 | 13 | 2 | 1 |
| Azerbaijan | 5 | 3 | 2 | |
| Belarus | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Egypt | 9 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| Georgia | 10 | 9 | 1 | 2 |
| Israel | 8 | 8 | 9 | 13 |
| Jordan | 1 | 1 | ||
| Lebanon | 9 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Moldova | 6 | 10 | 1 | |
| Morocco | 8 | 3 | 7 | 7 |
| occupied Palestinian territory | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| Syria | 2 | 2 | ||
| Tunisia | 6 | 10 | 3 | 2 |
| Ukraine | 33 | 29 | 9 | 8 |
| Overall Total | 124 | 108 | 48 | 47 |
| Tempus IV- project status for country participation for 2009 | ||||||
| Country | Total Projects | National Projects | Multi Country Projects | Joint Projects | Structural Measures | As Grant Holder |
| Algeria | 6 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 2 | |
| Armenia | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Azerbaijan | 2 | 2 | 2 | |||
| Belarus | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Egypt | 6 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Georgia | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Israel | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Jordan | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Lebanon | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Moldova | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Morocco | 7 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 3 | |
| occupied Palestinian territory | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Syria | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Tunisia | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | ||
| Ukraine | 11 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 3 |
Breakdown of TAIEX requests from ENP partner countries and the Russian Federation
Number of requests per country
| 2006 (3&4Q) | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | Total | |
| Algeria | 16 | 16 | |||
| Armenia | 2 | 7 | 29 | 20 | 58 |
| Azerbaijan | 12 | 6 | 8 | 26 | |
| Belarus | 1 | 11 | 24 | 36 | |
| Egypt | 5 | 31 | 22 | 22 | 80 |
| Georgia | 3 | 15 | 24 | 54 | 96 |
| Israel | 10 | 18 | 36 | 30 | 94 |
| Jordan | 6 | 7 | 25 | 17 | 55 |
| Lebanon | 3 | 7 | 6 | 16 | |
| Libya | 8 | 8 | |||
| Moldova | 4 | 42 | 39 | 30 | 115 |
| Morocco | 6 | 27 | 10 | 26 | 69 |
| Occupied Palestinian Territory | 4 | 12 | 16 | ||
| Russia Federation | 1 | 25 | 14 | 18 | 58 |
| Syria | 4 | 1 | 5 | ||
| Tunisia | 1 | 7 | 15 | 18 | 41 |
| Ukraine | 14 | 22 | 41 | 139 | 216 |
| Total | 52 | 217 | 287 | 449 | 1005 |
Number of participants (single and multi-country events)
| 2006 (3&4Q) | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | Total | |
| Algeria | 93 | 106 | 36 | 235 | |
| Armenia | 72 | 42 | 221 | 235 | 570 |
| Azerbaijan | 91 | 33 | 148 | 78 | 350 |
| Belarus | 3** | 308 | 79 | 370 | 760 |
| Egypt | 9 | 139 | 179 | 410 | 737 |
| Georgia | 81 | 142 | 130 | 282 | 635 |
| Israel | 227 | 315 | 422 | 465 | 1429 |
| Jordan | 27 | 75 | 49 | 425 | 576 |
| Lebanon | 3 | 24 | 61 | 78 | 166 |
| Libya | 10 | 10 | |||
| Moldova | 11 | 559 | 476 | 585 | 1631 |
| Morocco | 29 | 55 | 353 | 298 | 735 |
| occupied Palestinian territory | 15 | 14 | 178 | 207 | |
| Russia | 9 | 437 | 617 | 309 | 1372 |
| Syria | 10 | 16 | 14 | 40 | |
| Tunisia | 1 | 131 | 149 | 75 | 356 |
| Ukraine | 237 | 899 | 294 | 1093 | 2523 |
| Total | 797 | 3.277 | 3.314 | 4.941 | 12.329 |
** attended at no cost to TAIEX
Taiex breakdown of events by sector 2007 – 2009
Type of assistance requested 2006-2009
| Workshop | Expert mission | Study visit | Total | |
| Algeria | 2 | 14 | 0 | 16 |
| Armenia | 17 | 14 | 27 | 58 |
| Azerbaijan | 8 | 7 | 11 | 26 |
| Belarus | 15 | 6 | 15 | 36 |
| Egypt | 23 | 36 | 21 | 80 |
| Georgia | 27 | 25 | 44 | 96 |
| Israel | 46 | 12 | 36 | 94 |
| Jordan | 12 | 18 | 25 | 55 |
| Lebanon | 5 | 2 | 9 | 16 |
| Libya | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Moldova | 50 | 32 | 33 | 115 |
| Morocco | 23 | 30 | 16 | 69 |
| occupied Palestinian territory | 6 | 2 | 8 | 16 |
| Russian Federation | 31 | 8 | 19 | 58 |
| Syria | 5 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Tunisia | 15 | 10 | 16 | 41 |
| Ukraine | 106 | 34 | 76 | 216 |
| Total | 395 | 252 | 359 | 1006 |
SIGMA
Activities per country/sector 2009
| N° | Country | Sector | N° of actions |
| 1. | Armenia | Legal Framework, Civil Service and Justice | 2 |
| Financial Control and External Audit | 2 | ||
| Public Procurement | 2 | ||
| Policy-making | 2 | ||
| 2. | Azerbaijan | Legal Framework, Civil Service and Justice | 1 |
| Financial Control and Audit | 1 | ||
| 3. | Egypt | Legal Framework, Civil Service and Justice | 4 |
| Policy-making | 4 | ||
| Financial Control and External Audit | 1 | ||
| 4. | Georgia | Legal Framework, Civil Service and Justice | 3 |
| Financial Control and External Audit | 1 | ||
| Public Procurement | 1 | ||
| Policy-making | 1 | ||
| 5. | Jordan | Public Procurement | 2 |
| Policy-making | 4 | ||
| 6. | Moldova | Legal Framework, Civil Service and justice | 2 |
| Public Procurement | 1 | ||
| Financial Control and External Audit | 3 | ||
| 7. | Morocco | Legal Framework, Civil Service and Justice | 3 |
| Public Procurement | 1 | ||
| Financial Control and External Audit | 2 | ||
| 8. | Tunisia | Legal Framework, Civil Service and Justice | 3 |
| Public Procurement | 1 | ||
| Policy-making | 1 | ||
| Financial Control and External Audit | 2 | ||
| 9. | Ukraine | Legal Framework, Civil Service and Justice | 2 |
| Financial Control and External Audit | 2 |
Twinning projects
ENPI South (per country)
| Country | 2005-2009 Launched/ongoing/ terminated | 2005-2009 Under preparation/ identification/project ideas | TOTAL |
| Algeria | 3 | 12 | 15 |
| Egypt | 13 | 20 | 33 |
| Israel | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Jordan | 10 | 1 | 11 |
| Lebanon | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| Morocco | 19 | 27 | 46 |
| Tunisia | 19 | 6 | 25 |
| TOTAL | 73 | 67 | 140 |
Twinning projects
ENPI East (per country)
| Country | 2005-2009 Launched/ongoing | 2005-2009 Under preparation/ identification/project ideas | TOTAL |
| Armenia | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Azerbaijan | 8 | 13 | 21 |
| Georgia | 3 | 11 | 14 |
| Moldova | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| Ukraine | 20 | 13 | 33 |
| TOTAL | 41 | 43 | 84 |
Twinning projects ENP 2005-2009 (per sector)
| Finance & Internal Market | 40 |
| Trade & Industry | 30 |
| Justice & Home Affairs | 26 |
| Health & Consumer Protection | 18 |
| Employment & Social Affairs | 17 |
| Environment | 14 |
| Transport | 14 |
| Energy | 10 |
| Agriculture | 9 |
| Customs | 9 |
| Statistics | 8 |
| Competition | 6 |
| Telecommunications | 2 |
| Other | 21 |
| TOTAL | 224 |
114 ongoing and published projects - 110 under preparation
Total of 224 projects in 12 ENP countries
Number of Twinning proposals
by Member State 2006 – 2009
273 Proposals from 24 Member States for
105 ENP-Twinning Calls for Proposals (12.01.2010)
Member States selected
in awarded Twinning projects
2005-2009
19 EU Member States Selected for
99 attributed ENP-Twinning (12.01.2010
Exponential Increase of Twinning Launched in
ENP Countries:
C umulated 2005-2010
Neighbourhood Investment Facility (NIF): List of projects receiving final approval for a contribution in 2009
Projects in the ENP East Region:
The NIF contribution to the 8 projects approved for the East amounts to €58,7 million. The total amount for these projects is approximately €1,7 billion.
| Country | Project Title | Consortium of IFIs | NIF contribution | Sector | total cost |
| ARMENIA | Small municipalities water project | EBRD, EIB | 7,60 | Environment | 20,8 |
| ARMENIA | Yerevan Metro | EBRD, EIB | 5,00 | Transport | 16,6 |
| GEORGIA | Tbilisi Railway Bypass Environmental Clean up | EBRD, EIB | 8,50 | Transport | 253,5 |
| REGIONAL | Regional Energy Efficiency Programme for Corporate sector | EBRD | 2,00 | Energy | - |
| REGIONAL | ENBF - European Neighbourhood Small Business Growth Facility | KfW, OeEB | 10,00 | Private | - |
| REGIONAL | Financial sector Institutional building and crisis response | EBRD | 12,00 | Private | - |
| UKRAINE | Hydropower rehabilitation project | EBRD, EIB | 3,60 | Energy | 350 |
| UKRAINE | Ukraine Power Transmission Network | EBRD, EIB | 10,00 | Energy | 1110 |
| Total | 58,70 | 1751 |
Projects in the ENP South Region:
The NIF contribution to the 5 projects approved for the South amounts to €46 million. The total amount for these projects is approximately €3 billion.
| Country | Project Title | Consortium of IFIs | NIF contribution | sector | total cost |
| LIBYA | Kerswan Wastewater | EIB, AFD | 4,00 | Environment | 214 |
| MOROCCO | Education | AFD, EIB, WB | 15,00 | Social | 1900 |
| MOROCCO | Tramway de Rabat (5M+3M) | AFD, EIB | 8,00 | Transport | 346 |
| TUNISA | STEP (Part II) | KfW, AFD | 5,00 | Environment | - |
| TUNISA | Réseau Ferré Rapide de Tunis | AFD, KFW, EIB | 14,00 | Transport | 550 |
| Total | 46,00 | 3010 |
NIF: Contributions pledged by Member States 2008-2010
(as of 31/12/2009)
| List of Member State direct contributions (officially announced) | Pledge (2008-10) | Additional pledges made in 2009 | |
| Total | |||
| Germany | 10 | 10 | 20 |
| France | 10 | 10 | |
| Poland | 3 | 3 | |
| Czech Republic | 2 | 2 | |
| Spain | 2 | 2 | |
| Austria | 1 | 1 | |
| Bulgaria | 1 | 1 | |
| Estonia | 1 | 1 | |
| Finland | 1 | 1 | |
| Greece | 1 | 1 | |
| Italy | 1 | 1 | |
| Luxembourg | 1 | 1 | |
| Portugal | 1 | 1 | |
| Romania | 1 | 1 | |
| Sweden | 1 | 1 | |
| 37 | 10 | 47 |
11985 UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (Beijing Rules) and the 1990 UN Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (Riyadh Guidelines)
2Algeria provided an update on its Self Assessment while Jordan submitted in 2007. A State submitting its self-assessment prior to the second Conference of State Parties in 2008 was considered by UNODC as a reporting State also for the third Conference of State Parties in 2009..
3http://www.eib.org/infocentre/epe/declaration/index.htm?lang=en
4Mediterranean Innovation and Research Action
5The Horizon 2020 initiative aims to tackle the top sources of Mediterranean pollution by the year 2020
6Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine joined the Bologna Declaration in 2005. Southern ENP partners adopted a declaration calling for the establishment of a Euro-Mediterranean Higher Education Area at the First Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on Higher Education and Scientific Research in Cairo in June 2007. The Bologna Declaration of June 1999, signed by 29 European Ministers of Higher Education, foresees the establishment of a European Higher Education Area by 2010. The Bologna Process aims to put in motion the reforms necessary for its creation, namely: the introduction of a three-cycle system (bachelor/master/doctorate), quality assurance and mobility and recognition of qualifications and periods of study.
7The Torino Process will build on various and complementary quantitative and qualitative evidence such as statistical data and indicators, good practice, qualitative assessments drawing upon existing national and international studies and reports on an inclusive, multi-stakeholder basis.
8Studies on Youth in Meda Countries: http://www.euromedyouth.net/studies-on-youth-policies-in-meda,027. The 10 national studies were summarised in a regional overview “Introducing Youth Policies in the Mediterranean Partner Countries”
9Ukraine ratified the Convention in January 2010. The occupied Palestinian territory is not in a position to ratify the Convention
10http://www.med-pact.eu
11http://www.tcas.rec.org
12WHO FCTC: http://www.who.int/tobacco/framework/WHO_FCTC_english.pdf
13http://www.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA58/WHA58_3-en.pdf
14TAIEX provides short-term technical assistance and advice on convergence with EU legislation, best practices and standards and on related administrative capacity needs, technical training and peer assistance, as well as a data base and information network that facilitates the monitoring of approximation measures, see also : http://taiex.ec.europa.eu
15http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/index_en.htm
16COM (2006) 724 of 4 December 2006, see “Other relevant Commission Documents” at http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/documents_en.htm
17For a full list of these programmes, see “Other relevant Commission Documents” at http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/documents_en.htm
18Official Journal L129 of 17/05/2008, pp 39-43
19For the 2007-2013 period, the European Commission has earmarked a total amount of € 700 million for the NIF
20Approximate figures gathered at application level for projects submitted at decentralised level.
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