- Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe -

ALDE-PACE News

PACE should be a full-fledged partner in the Eastern Partnership Programme

Addressing the liberal seminar on the Eastern Partnership, Mrs Brasseur, President of the ALDE, stressed the importance of an uncompromised commitment to the values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law and the priority of avoiding institutional dissonance and duplication while building the EaP. The Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly should be "full-fledged partners in the writing of this new page of the European history", said Mrs Brasseur.

26-27 February 2010 some 40 representatives of liberal groups, parties and movements gathered in Berlin to discuss the Eastern Partnership Programme (EaP). Proponents of further European integration, liberals supported the EaP initiative and expressed their readiness to contribute to the conversion of the EaP objectives into concrete and sustainable results. Liberals will follow up the assessment of the EaP progress by organising similar events, some of which will be hosted by the EaP countries.

Mrs Brasseur's opening speech at the seminar on " Eastern Partnership : Liberal view - Postions and Tools"

Almost a year ago, last May in Prague, the European Union has officially launched what we all hope to become a new page in the history of European cooperation. The Eastern Partnership for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, aims at promoting security, stability and prosperity in the region.

The liberal democratic family cannot but welcome such noble objectives as building democracy and bringing in more prosperity to the European continent. We are clearly in favour of more integration based on common values and principles, although we noticed that there is still room for misinterpretation of the objectives of the EaP; therefore I am all the more glad to see here our Russian partners.

It is not the first time that such noble objectives are set but we are all conscious that our ideals are still far from being attained. Therefore we as liberals have to remain focused and be alert as to the implementation of the EaP programme. I believe that it is our duty to assess critically the process that has already been started but which is still undergoing structural definition and calibration.

Why ?
1) First of all, because the idea of European integration gives hopes to new Eastern democracies. And if we fail here, our partners and those who share our views will be disillusioned and loose their faith in European values, in the force of European principles. The very idea of Europe may thus be compromised.
2) Second, we should not forget that our duty is to secure and guarantee to the European citizens the most efficient application of any policies; after all it is our tax payer's money that fund these programmes.
3) And third, even the most noble idea remains a mere idea without clear programme for its implementation.

So let me suggest two points which in my opinion are crucial for effective and efficient EaP.

The first priority for us is the efficient use of available resources avoiding institutional dissonance and dangerous duplication of instruments.

The beneficiaries of the Eastern Partnership are a neighbourhood for the European Union, whereas for the Council of Europe they are full-fledged members - with the exception of Belarus. As a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe I can assure you that the role of this institution must not be underestimated. The Council of Europe has the longest experience of bringing up cooperation and communication on equal terms between the EU member states and the Eastern partners. Consequently, Liberals should champion the effective teamwork between the European Union and the Council of Europe, which, in my opinion, is a sine qua non condition for a successful Eastern Partnership.

The second liberal guidance for an operational Eastern Partnership is uncompromised commitment to values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

The Eastern Partnership is not to become an ordinary instrument of political and economic marchandage; the founding principles of the European integration cannot be set aside. We, the liberals representing the PACE and the National and European Parliaments have always been the watchdogs of democratic values on the European continent. As a value-oriented force, we should continue our efforts and work together for an Eastern Partnership really based on commitments "to fundamental values, including democracy, the rule of law and the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms", as it was announced in the Joint declaration of the Prague Eastern Partnership Summit.

Last but not least, I would like to thank all the organisers: the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, the ELDR and the liberal groups of the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly for their substantial efforts. This initiative demonstrates that Liberals possess an important and quite rare quality, that is committing themselves to inter-institutional hard work. So I would like to wish all the participants an active and fruitful discussion today and tomorrow. I believe that this opening seminar will allow the liberal family to elaborate a strong and clear vision of the Eastern Partnership, its formal establishment and practical implementation. And our first proposal is to integrate the Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly as a full-fledged partner in the writing of this new page of the European history.