Council Conclusions on Lebanon

Council Conclusions on the Middle East Peace Process

6th EuroMed Trade Ministerial Conference

Competitiveness and social cohesion must go hand in hand, say EuroMed ESCs

Ferrero-Waldner on coalition in Ukraine: "Important challenges ahead"

EU – Armenia Cooperation Council

EU - Azerbaijan Cooperation Council

EU- Georgia Cooperation Council

Mandelson on EU- Russia relations: "A difficult period"

EU-Russia Energy Dialogue

Council Conclusions on Lebanon

On 15 October, during the External Relations Council in Luxembourg, the EU Foreign Affairs Ministers adopted Conclusions on Lebanon. They condemned the 19 September car bomb attack perpetrated in Beirut, which claimed the life of six people including Antoine Ghanem, Member of the Parliament. They called for “free and fair presidential elections, without foreign interference and in conformity with the deadline set by the Lebanese Constitution”. The Council also welcomed the end of the crisis caused by extremist militants entrenched in the Nahr el Bared Palestinian refugee camp and the formal commitment of the Lebanese Government to rebuild the camp. Finally, the Council recalled its determination to reinforce Lebanon's sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and independence.

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/gena/96523.pdf

Council Conclusions on the Middle East Peace Process

In their declaration on the Middle East, the EU Foreign Affairs Ministers encouraged Palestinian President Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Olmert to take courageous steps in their political dialogue, with the goal to achieve "a two-state solution with the establishment of an independent, democratic and viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel and its other neighbours". The Council expressed its full support for the upcoming international meeting which is expected to provide support to the parties in their negotiations. Finally, the Council reiterated its grave concern at the humanitarian situation in Gaza and called on all parties to work urgently for the opening of the crossings in and out of Gaza for both humanitarian reasons and commercial flows. It endorses the extension of the Temporary International Mechanism until 31 December 2007 and stands ready to maintain its high levels of economic and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians.

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/gena/96521.pdf

6th EuroMed Trade Ministerial Conference

The 6th Euromed Conference of Trade Ministers will be held in Lisbon, on 21 October. The Trade Ministers from the ten Mediterranean partners as well as from the 27 Member States of the EU are invited to join this event. During the Conference, the Ministers will make an evaluation of the progress achieved toward the objective of establishing a free trade area by 2010 between the EU and its 10 partners. They will also define trade road map for the period until and beyond 2010.

http://www.eu2007.pt/UE/vEN/Noticias_Documentos/20071011ConfEuromedComercio.htm

Competitiveness and social cohesion must go hand in hand, say Euro-Mediterranean ESCs

Delegates attending the Euro-Mediterranean Summit of Economic and Social Councils (ESC) and Similar Institutions in Athens on 15-16 October 2007 called for a strengthening of participatory structures in the southern partner countries. They stressed that freedom of association must be respected in order to facilitate dialogue among civil society organisations. They also proposed that civil society should be given an active role in the implementation of National Action Plans in the context of the strengthened European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The summit was co-organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the Economic and Social Council of Greece (OKE).

http://www.euromedinfo.eu/uploads/File/CP%20100%202007%20EN%20Euromed%20summit%20decl_fin.pdf

Ferrero-Waldner on coalition in Ukraine: "Important challenges ahead"

On 16 October, Commissioner for External Relations and the European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner declared: "I welcome the announcement of the formation of a coalition following the September early parliamentary elections in Ukraine. The future government has important challenges ahead as Ukraine continues down the path of constitutional, political, and economic reform. The European Commission stands side-by-side with Ukraine as it continues along this path of reform."

http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/ferrero-waldner/speeches/index_en.htm

EU – Armenia Cooperation Council

The Cooperation Council between the European Union and the Republic of Armenia held its eighth meeting on 16 October 2007. The parties discussed the implementation of the Armenian ENP Action Plan endorsed in November 2006 which sets the priorities for cooperation with the UE. They took stock of developments in the South Caucasus. They discussed political and economic reforms in Armenia and progress made to decommission the Medzamor nuclear power plant. The EU encouraged Armenia to continue its efforts aimed at reaching common European values and principles. It stressed that it is very important that the next Presidential elections in Armenia in 2008 should correspond to international standards.

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/er/96556.pdf

EU - Azerbaijan Cooperation Council

The Cooperation Council between the European Union and the Republic of Azerbaijan held its eighth meeting on 16 October 2007. The parties discussed the implementation of the ENP Action Plan which sets the priorities for cooperation with the UE. They took stock of developments in the South Caucasus, as well as political and economic reforms in Azerbaijan. The Council also discussed energy and transport issues. The EU underlined the importance of the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as media freedom in the country. On the occasion, the two Parties also signed the Protocol to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, extending the provisions of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement to bilateral trade in textiles.

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/er/96557.pdf

EU- Georgia Cooperation Council

The Cooperation Council between the European Union and the Georgia held its eighth meeting on 16 October 2007.The parties discussed the implementation of the ENP Action Plan. They took stock of political developments as well as economic reforms in Georgia. The EU side noted substantial progress achieved in a number of areas and encouraged Georgia to continue its efforts aimed at a strengthened economic integration with the EU. The EU stressed its expectation that Georgia's judiciary system and democratic institutions need to function according to the rule of law and to their respective institutional competences.

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/er/96558.pdf

Mandelson on EU- Russia relations: "A difficult period"

In a speech at the EU-Russia centre on 17 October 2007, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson argued that the EU and Russia are experiencing a difficult period at a time when their relationship is structurally underdeveloped and politically over-sensitised. He made the case that the priority for the EU and Russia must be to put the economic fundamentals in place, above all by integrating the EU and Russian economies better and ensuring that Russia accedes to the WTO. He suggested that under the new EU-Russia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, the EU and Russia could consider the creation of a Strategic Economic Dialogue: "a regular top down structure focussed on addressing a limited number of economic priorities in trade, investment and energy".

http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/07/629&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

EU-Russia Energy Dialogue

European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs met the Russian Minister of Industry and Energy Victor Khristenko in Brussels on 16 October, in the framework of the EU-Russia Energy Dialogue. Ahead of the EU-Russia Summit that will take place on 26 October 2007, they assessed the current situation and prospects of cooperation in the field of energy, exchanged views on the latest developments in the EU's energy market legislation and the Russian energy market, including issues such as infrastructure developments and energy efficiency.

Russia is an important external energy supplier to the European Union, currently accounting for over 25% of its oil and gas deliveries. The EU will remain Russia’s most important energy export market and European companies are Russia's most important foreign investors.

http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1503&format=HTML&aged=0&language=FR&guiLanguage=en

EuroMeSCo launches Call for Research Projects

EuroMeSCo, the EU-funded network of research institutes in countries of the EU and the Mediterranean, has issued an invitation to participate in its latest Call for Research Projects. Applications, which can be submitted online before June 2008, should consist of an outline of the research project and deal with a list of defined topics such as ‘Democracy, Human Rights and Political Reforms’ or ‘Security and Citizenship & Regional Challenges.'

http://www.euromesco.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=643&Itemid=42&lang=en