By Daniel Korski - 26 Jan 12 - It is too early to write off Egypt's revolution. Unlike in the past, politics is now a live issue across the country, and that popular force is a difficult one to control or stop, and even the steps that have been taken now seemed impossible just over a year ago.
Karel de Gucht speech, 23 January 2012
Belgrade resident Jelena Stankovic, 33, works in an international creative marketing agency, surviving cut after cut in both staffing and salary.
In response to the Arab Spring the European Commission has proposed to create a new European Neighbourhood Instrument, based on the European Union’s reviewed approach to cooperation with its neighbours in North Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
No diplomatic meeting has personified the rise of the BRICS as much as the recent EU-Summit. Fresh from rigging an election, Russia’s president turned up in Brussels for the regular powwow - not to be lectured by EU leaders on the importance of free and fair elections, but to be begged for money.
The EU decided on Friday (December 30th) to renew trade preferences for Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo until 2015. The preferences, which expired at the end of December 2010, will allow duty-free access of nearly all products from the region to the bloc. All exporters will be able to claim compensation for the duties they paid in 2011.
20-12-2011 - The European Union has recently disbursed €26.22 million to the Georgian Treasury in support of measures in two key sectors, internally displaced people and education, according to a press release from the EU Delegation in Tbilisi.
16 December - Since the first demonstrations in Tunisia in December 2010, a wave of popular discontent has shaken the Arab world, with people calling for dignity, democracy, and social justice. Despite the unexpected magnitude of these uprisings, the EU has been quick to recognise the challenges of the political and economic transition faced by the region as a whole. It has also recognised the need to adopt a new approach to relations with its Southern neighbours.
14 December - Summits are usually staged-managed to look as if they bring together cheerful leaders that have plenty of things to talk about. Before the financial crisis broke out both Russia and the EU shared a certain optimism about their future prospects
CRIN, 28 November 2011 - The deteriorating situation in the Syrian Arab Republic prompted the Human Rights Council to establish an independent international commission of inquiry to investigate alleged violations of human rights since March 2011.
The European Consensus on Development, adopted on 20 December 2005 by the three European institutions, defines the new policy of the European Union towards all developing countries. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) definition of developing countries, the European Consensus should apply to almost all countries covered by the ENPI.
The European Consensus very clearly states that the primary and overarching objective of EU's cooperation with developing countries is the eradication of poverty in the context of sustainable development, including the pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals.
It defines key principles, which should guide Europe's relations with developing countries:
The principle of coherence features as one of the essential elements of the European Consensus. According to this principle: “the EU shall take account of the objectives of development cooperation in all policies that it implements which are likely to affect developing countries, and that these policies support development objectives.” This should for instance avoid the EU to have agressive trade, agriculture or migration policies towards neighbouring developing countries receiving EC aid.
Why should it apply to assistance delivered under the ENPI?
All but two of the countries covered by the ENPI are considered as developing countries by the OECD. Except for Russia and Israel, the principles and objectives defined in the European Consensus should therefore apply to European Community aid to Mediterranean, Southern Caucasus and Eastern European countries.
These principles must therefore be reflected within the Country/Region Strategy papers under the ENPI instrument, as well as within the Annual Action Programmes.
Full text of the Statement (en)
