CERCLE DIPLOMATIQUE - issue 01/2016

LE MONDE ESSAY
Wake-up Call for Europe
2015 was a year of multiple, deep crises: the Greek financial crisis, the refugee crisis
and finally, a crisis of confidence concerning our capacity to secure and defend our
open societies and the fundamental values upon which the EU is based.
Dr. Johannes Hahn
Since November 2014 the
Austrian politician is
Commissioner for
European Neighbourhood
Policy & Enlargement
Negotiations. He previously
served as European
Commissioner for Regional
Policy in the second
Barroso Commission,
succeeding Benita
Ferrero-Waldner as
Austria‘s EU representative.
To say that borders have a different meaning in
a globalised world has become a bit of a calendar
motto over the last years. But 2015
showed us very forcefully that boundaries risk completely
losing their function as unmovable demarcations
of sovereignty under the pressure of global migration
flows.
This challenge goes straight to the heart of what
our states – and our European Union – are all about.
Our citizens rightly demand that their freedom and
safety, which goes hand in hand, are protected.
Hence, the main and most immediate question is
how we can reinforce our external borders more intelligently.
The European Commission proposed concrete
action for stronger and sounder EU border-management
last year. Not just to tackle external challenges,
but also to protect the freedom of movement within
the EU, a huge privilege which we must not take for
granted. Schengen is not a treaty, but a way of life
from which we all benefit. It is mentioned by citizens
as the EU‘s most highly valued benefit according to
Eurobarometer surveys. The aim must be clear
therefore: to regain full control of our external borders
and to guarantee this also for the future.
Tackling the root causes: Cooperation in our neighbourhood.
To manage our external borders better, we also
have to be more precise and clearer in defining who
is coming in, so that we can really help the most vulnerable
refugees. We must define right from the beginning
people‘s chances to obtain asylum via registration
centres (hotspots), and be open to those in
need while being firm against those who profit from
illegal immigration by exploiting hopes. Obviously
we must do this together, in a coherent way. It is clear
that no Member State alone can tackle this task, and
that dumping the problem from one state to the
other, as happened this summer, is making things
worse. But even Europe alone cannot tackle this
challenge by itself. We need much stronger cooperation
with our neighbouring countries and with the
countries of origin, where we must tackle the root
causes driving migration.
Therefore also the involvement of the Western
Balkan countries which were heavily affected by the
refugee crisis as transit countries, as well as of Turkey
was a key step into the right direction. Also our efforts
to support other host countries than Turkey
with additional aid, such as Jordan and Lebanon, remain
crucial as they are in many ways even more
exposed. Ahead of the London conference in February
which will deal with support for host countries in
our Southern Neighbourhood, the Commission will
come forward with targeted support measures. Experience
has shown that this policy of establishing
productive co operations is more relevant than ever.
Of course, this kind of cooperation is not a oneway
street. It must be based on mutual interests, trust
and shared responsibilities. And be focused on a genuine
reform and stabilization agenda. Close monitoring
of progress, personal contacts not only with
politicians, but stakeholders and representatives of
civil society and, most important, visits to the countries
– more than 50 in my first year of mandate! –
are essential to steer the cooperation process.
Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy: creating
stability in the EU‘s interest.
Closer to home, 2015 also demonstrated that it is
in our own interest to offer our most immediate
neighbours a credible long-term perspective of joining
our Union. The European Perspective serves as
an important incentive for reforms and this reinvigorated
approach is showing first positive results: Serbia
succeeded this year to open the first chapters;
Montenegro two additional ones, Albania is progressing
well, Bosnia and Herzegovina is slowly but steadily
getting back on track, Kosovo is on a good way
towards visa-liberalisation and I hope, that based on
our great efforts, it will also be possible to overcome
definitively the political crisis in the former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia. The EU‘s investment in these
countries pays back: Progress with economic and
democratic reforms in countries in our immediate
neighbourhood is vital for the security, stability and
prosperity of all Europeans.
In the same vein, we also succeeded to get a new
dynamic into the cooperation with Turkey. From the
very beginning of my mandate it was my aim to re-
PHOTO: ETIENNE ANSOTTE
energize Turkey‘s role as an important strategic partner
while at the same time pushing harder for urgently
needed reforms in the country, especially with
regard to rule of law and judiciary. We were very
clear in our 2015 country report what we expect
from Turkey on these political fundamentals, without
which there can‘t be any progress in the accession
negotiations. The same applies to the action plan
which will work only if Turkey delivers the provisions
according to clearly defined standards. The two
processes are linked, of course, but there is no deal
whatever and as we have shown with our Enlargement
report we will never compromise on the required
criteria.
We have also made good progress with the European
Neighbourhood Policy by presenting an ambitious
reform which will make the policy more effective
in delivering on stabilization, security, and
economic reforms, while finding more efficient and
smarter ways to pursue our values. Georgia and Ukraine
have just recently received positive recommendations
for Visa-liberalisation – a crucial deliverable
for their people - and today we mark a new level of
EU-Ukraine relationship with the entry of force of
the Trade Agreement (DCFTA ) as an important part
of the Association Agreement. All this proves the
EU‘s peaceful power of attraction beyond its borders.
The reformed ENP will become a more nuanced
toolbox for cooperation and sovereign choices at
times when others try to impose their will on their
neighbours.
The time for national solos is over.
If there is one lesson taught by this year‘s refugee
crisis it is the awareness that only through hands-on
cooperation will we be able to shape globalisation
proactively and according to our standards and
needs. This also applies to the cooperation among
EU Member States. The European project will only
succeed if EU Member States realise that the time for
national solos is over. National grandstanding and
„not in my backyard policies“ must be a thing of the
past. Not for dogmatic or ideological reasons, but
simply because they fail to deliver on issues vital to
citizens such as liberty, security, mobility.
52 Cercle Diplomatique 1/2016