OUTCOME OF EASTERN PARTNERSHIP SUMMIT (Riga, 21-22 May 2015)

The Heads of State or Government and the representatives of the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, the representatives of the European Union and the Heads of State or Government and representatives of its Member States met in Riga on 21-22 May 2015. The President of the European Parliament and representatives of the Committee of the Regions, the European Economic and Social Committee, the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Conference of Regional and Local Authorities of the Eastern Partnership and the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly were also present at the Summit.

The six countries in the Eastern Partnership are themselves divided, with Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova seeking for association, while Belarus and Armenia want limited cooperation being already involved in Russia-led Customs Union, and Azerbaijan remains “equidistant” from both points. In fact, Azerbaijan‘s main interest does not lie on the political part of the Agreement, but only in its energy component, namely the Southern Gas Corridor project, in which Baku is involved. Given that the EU confirmed its interest in the project, Azerbaijan may be the only country satisfied with the outcomes of the summit. On the other side, the promise of a future EU membership has not been included in the offerings for those EaP countries (namely Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova) explicitly wishing to forge deeper ties.
 

Summit participants urge progress to be made in the following four fields by the time of the next Summit.

1. Strengthening institutions and good governance

Summit participants reaffirm that progress in the fields of strengthening the independence of the judiciary, effectively preventing and tackling corruption and implementing public administration reform is essential for good governance, building citizens' trust and strengthening relations between the EU and its partners. Improved rule of law and legal certainty will enable partners to provide better public services, attract investment and in turn improve the lives of their citizens. The EU and its Eastern European partners will continue to cooperate in these fields, underpinned by EU support.

The Summit participants agree on the importance of strengthening the resilience of Eastern European partners faced with new challenges for their stability. They support the strengthening of democratic structures, notably through enhanced cooperation in state building including, where appropriate, civilian security sector reform and cyber security and encourage efforts to identify key projects in these fields in the coming period. A more structured cooperation framework in the area of civil protection and disaster management based on common objectives will help to address the destabilising impact of emergencies and crises and foster societal resilience.

Summit participants welcome the range of support the EU has provided to strengthen institutions in Ukraine: Macro-Financial Assistance under the conditions agreed between the Ukrainian authorities and the EU and linked to Ukraine's sustained implementation of the IMF programme, extension of autonomous trade preferences, development grants to support state-building and stabilise the economy, humanitarian aid, expert advice across all areas of governance overseen by a specially created Support Group for Ukraine, as well as deployment of an Advisory Mission (EUAM) to advise on civilian security sector reform. The Summit participants welcome the signature by Ukraine and the EU of the Memorandum of Understanding and Loan Agreement related to the Macro-Financial assistance programme of EUR 1.8 billion. They welcome the significant financial and technical assistance and policy advice provided by the EU to support the implementation of economic and institutional reforms in the Republic of Moldova and in Georgia. They also welcome similar support provided to other Eastern European partners. They welcome the support for Georgia through the ongoing Macro-Financial Assistance programme. They also commend the valued contribution of the Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) to border-related cooperation between the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine and look forward to its continuation.

The participants of the Summit agree on the further strengthening, where appropriate, of multilateral and bilateral security dialogue and practical CSDP cooperation including opportunities for the participation of the partners concerned in CSDP activities, missions and operations, enhancing their capacities in this respect. They commend the speedy entry into force of the Framework Participation Agreement with Georgia. They welcome the contribution by Ukraine to the EU-led Naval Military Operation (EUNAVFOR Atalanta), the contribution by Georgia to the EU Military Operation in Central African Republic (EUFOR CA) and by the Republic of Moldova to EU Training Mission in Mali (EUTM Mali), as well as further commitments by Georgia and the Republic of Moldova to contribute to EU Military Advisory Mission in Central African Republic (EUMAM RCA) and by Georgia to EUTM Mali. They also appreciate Ukraine's contribution to an EU Battlegroup in 2014 and its interest in continuing such contributions in the future. They also acknowledge the important role played by the two EU CSDP missions in Eastern European partners, welcoming the extension of the Monitoring Mission in Georgia for another two years and the deployment of the Advisory Mission in Ukraine.

2. Mobility and people to people

The Summit participants reconfirm that enhanced mobility of citizens in a secure and well managed environment remains a core objective of the Eastern Partnership. This will facilitate easier and more frequent travel, business and people to people contacts. They welcome the fact that the visa free regime for citizens from the Republic of Moldova holding a biometric passport, in place since April 2014, has been operating effectively facilitating travel, business and people to people contacts. They warmly welcome the progress made by Georgia and Ukraine respectively in the implementation of their Visa Liberalisation Action Plans as described in the latest Progress Reports by the European Commission. They look forward to completion by Ukraine and Georgia of the implementation of the 2nd phase of their Visa Liberalization Action Plans once all benchmarks are fulfilled through the implementation of all required reforms, and welcome the Commission's readiness to do its utmost to support Ukraine and Georgia in the implementation of their VLAPs and its intention to report on progress by Ukraine and Georgia respectively by the end of 2015. Fulfilment of all benchmarks would allow to conclude the VLAP process and the Commission to propose to the European Parliament and to the Council to exempt Ukrainian and Georgian citizens respectively from the visa requirement in line with the criteria of the Regulation 539/2001.

They welcome the progress to date in the implementation of the Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements (VFA/RA) with Armenia and Azerbaijan respectively. They look forward to consideration in due course of the opening of a visa dialogue with Armenia, provided that Armenia continues to ensure sustained progress in the full implementation of the VFA/RA. They welcome the progress achieved in the VFA/RA negotiations with Belarus, as well as that achieved towards the establishment of an EU-Belarus Mobility Partnership.

The Summit participants stress the importance of effective and full use of the Mobility Partnership Instrument by the signatories of the respective Partnerships, building on the successful experiences to date. They also welcome the outcomes of the second Eastern Partnership Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial meeting, held on 29 January 2015 in Riga.

The participants of the Summit stress the importance that people-to-people contacts in the areas of education, research, youth and culture play in supporting the objectives of the Eastern Partnership. They welcome the launch in 2014 of the first call of Erasmus+ programme fully open to students, young people and universities from the Eastern European partners offering enhanced opportunities for cooperation and mobility. Summit participants welcome the accession of Belarus to the European Higher Education Area and look forward to the report on its progress in implementing the road map of reforms to its higher education system necessary to meet the requirements of the Bologna Process. The Summit participants welcome the association of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine to the framework programme for research and innovation Horizon 2020 and look forward to finalising the agreements for association of Armenia and Georgia. They take note of the outcomes of the 2nd EaP Youth Forum that took place in Riga on 10-11 February with a focus on youth employment and cross-sectoral cooperation in the area of youth. Participation by Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in the programme "Creative Europe", as well as the launch of the second phase of the EaP Culture Programme earlier this year will further strengthen culture cooperation under the EaP. The Summit participants also take note of the signature of, and the ratification by, Azerbaijan of the Protocol to the Framework Agreement on Participation of Azerbaijan in EU programmes and look forward to its final entry into force once the EU internal procedures have been completed. The participants of the Summit look forward to the first ever European Games, to be hosted in Azerbaijan in June.

The participants of the Summit reaffirm the value they attach to the role of the broader society within the Eastern Partnership. They take note of the outcome of the Civil Society Conference held in Riga on 20-21 May and confirmed their continued support for the Civil Society Forum and its National Platforms. The Summit encourages closer inter-parliamentary cooperation, dialogue and promotion of exchanges within the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. Summit participants also welcome the further steps taken by the Conference of local and regional authorities of the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP) in promoting cooperation at the regional and municipal levels of government. They invite the European Commission to ensure appropriate, targeted support to local and regional authorities to assist their role in pursuing the goals and objectives of the Eastern Partnership.

3. Market opportunities

The participants of the Summit welcome closer cooperation within the Eastern Partnership in the areas supporting business and enterprise. They agree to the further strengthening of the business dimension of the Eastern Partnership including through improving the business environment and legal certainty in Eastern European partners to the benefit of local, regional and European SMEs and businesses. They take note of the recommendations submitted by the Business Forum held in Riga on 21 May in conjunction with the Summit and welcome EU cooperation programmes supporting the development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in the Eastern European partners. With all three AA/DCFTA partners, the EU has also put in place a new initiative, the DCFTA Facility, to support Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) benefit from the AA/DCFTAs. They welcome the participation of the Republic of Moldova in the EU programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (COSME) and look forward to Ukraine and Armenia joining in future. The Summit participants look forward to the imminent accession of the Republic of Moldova to the Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential rules of origin and look forward to future accession of Georgia. The Summit participants emphasise the importance of ensuring the functioning of an efficient system of transit of goods. In this context, they encourage the implementation of the Authorised Economic Operator system.

They also stressed the importance of cooperation and regulatory convergence, where appropriate, in the field of agriculture and rural development, including to use available trade opportunities under the DCFTAs in this sector.

The Summit participants recognise the digital economy as an area with yet untapped potential for both the EU and partners. They welcome the launch of E@P.CONNECT linking the research and academic communities in the Eastern European partners to the pan-European research and education network GEANT. They also welcome the setting up and establishment of EaPeReg, the EaP network of regulators for electronic communications and the completion of the Study on Harmonisation of Digital Markets in EaP. They look forward to holding of the first Eastern Partnership Ministerial meeting on digital economy next month and the planned establishment of a Panel on Harmonising Digital Markets in the second half of this year, building on an initiative of Belarus with support from several EU Member States.

4. Interconnections

The participants of the Summit reaffirm their common interest in strengthening energy security, sustainability and competitiveness and in enhancing the diversification of supply. They reiterate their intention to deepen further bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the sphere of energy. Participants emphasise the need for well-functioning energy markets with a stable, transparent and investor-friendly regulatory framework, rule of law and a gradual liberalisation of the market, when appropriate, to provide a basis for investments. They will promote an inclusive and open policy on energy security, transportation and supply. They underline the contribution that energy efficiency and renewable energy can make to increased security of supply, and encourage practical cooperation between the EU and Eastern European partners in this respect. They acknowledge the progress made on major energy infrastructure projects and interconnectivity enhancements put in place since the last summit, including opening natural gas reverse flow capacities to Ukraine from Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, the particular role played by Azerbaijan as well as the contribution by others, including Georgia, in the realisation of the Southern Gas Corridor and the ongoing work on the expansion of the South Caucasus Pipeline, and the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline, the inauguration of the Iasi-Ungheni gas interconnector, and the preliminary work on Isaccea-Vulcanesti electricity interconnection between Romania and the Republic of Moldova. Participants concerned reaffirm their commitment to facilitate the development, in a result-oriented way, of strategic infrastructure, notably in relation to the Southern Gas Corridor. The Summit participants also encourage and support the continuation of gas and electricity interconnections both inside the EU and between the EU and its Eastern European partners, including through standard Interconnection Agreements between Transmission System Operators. They look forward to continued EU support for the modernisation of the Ukrainian Gas Transmission System as a key part of the European grid network. Participants take note of the progress made on energy sector reform in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, in line with EU energy market legislation under the Energy Community and note the importance of further work and implementation in this field. They emphasise the importance of the EU's continued role in facilitating gas talks between Russia and Ukraine that will contribute to underpinning the stable, sufficient and uninterrupted gas flow to Europe and the work to develop an energy contingency plan. The Summit participants welcome the objective of the Energy Union regarding the closer integration of the EU and Energy Community energy markets. They also welcome the progress in the negotiations for Georgia's accession to the Energy Community. They welcome the work towards the inclusion of Energy Community members in the Central and South Eastern Gas Connectivity Steering Group and the interest of Azerbaijan to participate as an observer in this Group. They welcome the conclusion of the Cooperation Arrangement between the European Commission and Belarus on an Early Warning Mechanism.

In the area of Transport, the Summit participants stress the importance of making transport links between the EU and Eastern European partners safer and more efficient, and of supporting the improvement of logistics systems, including motorways of the sea, and fostering cooperation between rail corridors. They look forward to further work on updating and streamlining the list of priority projects and removing infrastructure and non infrastructure bottlenecks to enhance transport interconnections between the EU and partners on the EaP transport network thanks to further investments and to improved cross-border transport cooperation by the time of the next Summit. They attach importance to improved connections with the TEN-T network across all transport modes. The participants also welcome the ongoing work towards the definition of an Eastern Partnership inland waterways network and look forward to its inclusion into the EaP transport network. They stress the importance of concluding the EU-Ukraine Aviation Agreement, as referred in the Association Agreement, at the earliest possible date in 2015. They look forward to the launching of negotiations on an EU-Armenia Aviation Agreement at the earliest opportunity. They welcome the resumption of negotiations on an EU-Azerbaijan Aviation Agreement. They welcome implementation of the EU-Republic of Moldova and EU-Georgia Aviation Agreements.

The Summit participants look forward to the next Summit to be held in 2017 that will assess the results achieved and will outline the way forward in the Partnership.