SPr1qg

The National Coordination of EU Policy in Latvia 95
Latvia’s priorities for EU membership were defined in 2006 for the
2007–2013 period. 21 The existing priority document was based on conclusions
drawn from consultations with society and was supposed to initiate
full use of opportunities provided by EU membership. Nevertheless, the
document contains a very wide scope of priorities and at the same time does
not settle success indicators that would allow for the evaluation of Latvia’s
performance in achieving settled goals. Similarly, results of implementation
of settled priorities for the 2007–2013 period have not been formally
evaluated. Priorities and interests for national EU policy for the 2014–2020
period have not yet been defined (except for the EU multiannual budget
2014–2020), but interrelation with other national priority documents, such
as the National Development Plan 2014–2020, is not predetermined.
However, despite possible first impressions of the country’s overall
passivity in EU decision making, Latvia has been active, and in many cases
successful, in making sure the final outcome takes into account the country’s
demands. This has especially been the case in the areas of budget and
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), as well as energy and environment. For
instance, Latvia’s active position on the EU budget review was deter mined
by the fact that Latvia is one of the poorest EU member states and thus
sees EU funds as a means for achieving EU average income levels. Latvia’s
active position on the CAP was defined by the strong farmers’ lobby. Latvia’s
active position on energy and environment issues was determined by Latvia’s
specific interests in this field: the country is dependent on Russia’s energy, the
Baltic electricity market is isolated from the rest of Europe, and the country
wants to secure emission quotas that do not limit economic growth. Among
other priority issues for Latvia have been support for EU enlargement, EU
relations with eastern neighbours, and the Services Directive. 22
If countries were to be classified on each of the EU policy issues as
“policy takers”, “policy killers” or “policy drivers”, depending on their particular
position and level of activity 23 , one would recognize that Latvia has
been a policy taker (in some cases also policy maker) in areas such as the
Internal Market, Freedom, Security and Justice and Lisbon Strategy, policy
21
Latvia‘s EU membership — basic principles, goals, priorities and action 2007–2013. Ministry
of Foreign Affairs Report, Cabinet of Ministers, 2006.
22
Akule D. The EU New Member States as Agenda Setters in the Enlarged European Union.
Latvia. EuPI — European Policies Initiative, Open Society Institute — Sofia, Country Report, 2009.
23
Ibid.