Xenophon Paper 2 pdf - ICBSS

BSEC-EU Interaction after the ‘Black Sea Synergy’
Although Turkey ardently advocated Europeanization of the Black Sea region since the
end of the Cold War, the EU lacked a comprehensive multilateral policy towards the
region until the recently revealed “Black Sea Synergy” initiative. While the EU preferred
bilateral ties with the Black Sea countries instead of multilateral regional approach,
Turkey supported vibrant BSEC-EU interaction arguing that the BSEC was established
to fit into the European architecture. Accordingly, Turkey supported the Greek
Chairmanship of the BSEC in the first half of the 2005 in its efforts to pursue an agenda
under the theme of ‘Bringing BSEC closer to the EU’ to promote the idea of Black Sea
regional dimension of the EU. 5 However, up until the Black Sea Synergy, the EU and
the Black Sea region were linked to each other by asymmetrical bilateral schemes
through member states (Greece, Bulgaria and Romania), an accession country (Turkey),
special relations developed with Ukraine and Russia, the ENP directed towards the
whole region, as well as holding out prospects of eventual membership to some of the
other BSEC members (Albania, Macedonia, and Serbia and Montenegro). 6 The EU also
supported thematic projects in the region such as INOGATE (Interstate Corridor Europe-
Caucasus-Asia) and Black Sea PETrA (Pan-European Transport Area) in the Black Sea
region.
The EU necessitated the development of a special relationship with the BSEC especially
in the post-2004 enlargement period due to the enlargement and regionalisation of its
external relations. As a result, the European Commission put forward the ‘Black Sea
Synergy’ under the European Neighbourhood Policy, which will institutionalise the
relations between the EU and the BSEC. The Black Sea Synergy’s project oriented
approach towards the priority areas perfectly suits Turkey’s Black Sea vision as the
main areas of cooperation prioritised included good governance, border management
and customs cooperation, transport and trade.
Maritime security in the Black Sea as Turkey’s sine qua non
Turkey’s reservations about US long-term objectives in the Black Sea region became
apparent when the controversies erupted over suggestions to expand NATO’s Operation
Active Endeavour (OAE) activities to the Black Sea in the first months of 2006. Turkey
and Russia jointly opposed the expansion of the OAE, though they differed in motives
and reasoning. Russia’s opposition to Active Endeavour’s entry into the Black Sea was
5 Japaridze, Tedo (2006), ‘BSEC: A Road Map to Relevance’, Turkish Policy Quarterly, vol. 5, no. 2, Summer.
6 Gavras, Panayotis (2004), ‘The Black Sea and the European Union: Developing Relations and Expanding
Institutional Links’, Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, vol. 4, issue 1, Routledge, London, January, pp.
23-48.
138 UNFOLDING THE BLACK SEA ECONOMIC COOPERATION VIEWS FROM THE REGION