EU: "Buffer states" in the east & south
01 July 1995
The state of the negotiations between the EU and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe seeking to join were summarised in a report to the Cannes Summit in June. The "Association Agreements" with Hungary and Poland (1994) were followed by the entry into force of similar Agreements for Romania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Slovakia at the beginning of 1995. Negotiations with Slovenia are nearing completion as are those with the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
The meeting of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers from these countries held with the EU's Council of Justice and Home Affairs Minsters on 20 June in Luxembourg was prepared by two meetings of officials on 19 January and 7 June led by the "Troika" of the K4 Committee (officials from Germany, France and Spain).
As a result of these three meetings cooperation was initiated on: 1) immigration and asylum: false documents, the approximation of legislation on movement, and a survey of practices concerning visas issued in third countries and readmission. Two meetings of CIREFI (the EU "Clearing House for Immigration") were held with experts from the CCEE countries. 2) police and customs cooperation: the implementation of the Berlin Declaration concerning police and customs cooperation to combat organised crime, and the setting up of the police academy in Budapest. A meeting of "experts" on drugs and organised crime is planned. 3) judicial cooperation: a "very comprehensive questionnaire has been sent" out to these countries regarding their accession or ratification of Conventions and agreements.
Euro-Mediterranean Conference
A Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference is to be held in Barcelona on 27-28 November. The terms for the meeting have been set out by the EU and closely mirror those already taken in relation to central and eastern Europe - though in this case the prospect of membership of the EU is not on the agenda. The introduction states:
"An ambitious policy of cooperation to the south forms a counterpart to the policy of openness to the east and gives the European Union's external action its geopolitical coherence."
The Maghreb countries are set a series of objectives related to "human rights", "democracy" and the "rule of law". The section on "Stability, security, good-neighbourly relations" includes the "Fight against terrorism, organised crime and drugs".
Under the heading "Partnership in social and human affairs" alongside education, culture and health are detailed plans on: migration, drug trafficking, terrorism, international crime, judicial cooperation. The "partners", the EU and Maghreb countries, would agree to "increase their efforts to reduce migratory pressure" by identifying "the major causes" and goes on to talk about the promotion of the role of "migrants legally resident" in the EU in the economic development of their regions of origin through: "the use of remittances", suggesting that economic development in the Magreb countries is financed by the wages of migrants in the EU. The eurocentric tone continues:
"The Union will ask its Mediterranean partners to acknowledge their obligations as regards the readmission of their nationals..."
Thus in the area of "illegal immigration" the "partners" would propose to establish "closer cooperation" on: "facilitation of readmission... cooperation on border controls.. exchanges of information... on illegal migrants... exploitation of the possibilities offered by recourse to bilateral joint committees".
Measurers on drug trafficking, terrorism and international crime proposed mirror the concern of the EU Council of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers. Judicial cooperation "would require improvements in extradition procedures... as well as exchanges of magistrates and information".
"TREVI" II
The arrangements set out for cooperation on policing, terrorism, immigration and asylum, the report concludes, should be:
"the various activities [th