The main challenge for us is to apply the same methodology which proved successful with the 10 new Member States, and adapt this policy to the specific challenges of the Western Balkans
Click here for a backgrounder on the Stabilisation and Association Process
Full transcript of the interview with Michael Leigh, Director General of the European Commission’s Enlargement Directorate General (DG Enlargement)
00:00Exteriors and entrance Charlemagne building
00:45The hall, Charlemagne building with the map “The new face of Europe”
01:06Michael Leigh in his office
01:54 How do you see your new job?
Well this is the DG Enlargement (of the European Commission) and enlargement is one of the most successful of EU’s external policies. We succeeded in preparing the ten new member states for membership and stimulating ambitious reforms throughout central and Eastern Europein the past 50 years. The main challenge for us is to apply the same methodology that proved its values to the Western Balkans and Turkeyand adapt this policy to the specific challenges of the Western Balkans.
02:45 What does EU Enlargement mean for the Western Balkans (WB)?
We have given the countries of WB the message that we wish them to become members in the future. To do so they need to prepare, there are laws and rules to be adopted, they need to meet the conditions, political, economic that have been established, just like the countries that joined in 2004 needed a framework. The SAP (Stabilisation and Association Process) is the framework for the countries of WB to get ready for eventual membership in the EU. Just as Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Estonia etc. had an agreement which provided a framework for the work to prepare. In the WB, SAP provides such a framework. It stimulates the necessary reforms, modernizing and developing the countries meeting the economic challenges, creating growth and jobs and adapting the laws of the country to those of EU and also meeting the challenges which arose from the tragic circumstances of the 90: promoting good neighbourly relations, reconciliation, overcoming the inheritance of the wars, treating problems related to minorities and being ready to join eventualy EU in the spirit of the founding treaties.
04:37 Is the EU ready to take in new members, especially from the Balkans?
One has to look at the repeated conclusions and decisions taken by the heads of states of EU which have again and again reaffirmed the perspective of the WB countries becoming members of the EU. All member states recognize that we have a mutual interest in this and that it will favour prosperity and stability for everybody. It’s true, a gap developed between decisions taken by political leaders and public opinion. There have been ups and downs in public opinion on enlargement over the years. This is the responsibility of those who take these decisions and who believe that there is interest for both for the EU and countries in WB to explain the public opinion what are the benefits of this enlargement, why it is that we are engaged in this process. When public opinion in the member states and in the countries concerned understand what is at stake, we can count on their support because prosperity, stability, security are goals which everybody would share if they understood sufficiently how this process contributes to them. It’s our duty to put more effort into explanation and increasing public understanding and acceptance of what the heads of states have repeatedly reaffirmed to be the interes of the EU and the countries of the region.
06:33 Is the condition of “Regional Collaboration” among countries of the WB a kind of waiting room in fact?
Back in the 90’s we insisted with the countries which are today memebrs of the EU that if they wanted to join the EU they needed to demonstrate their capacities for good neighbourly relations with the countries in their immediate environment in concrete fields like trade. E.g. The Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) was drawn up for the participation of the future members in central and eastern Europe and it actually paved the way to their eventual accession. There are many steps to be taken along the way but one of the basic principles of the EU is good neighbourly relations through regional cooperation. It was not invented for the WB countries, it was already a priority in the last enlargement.But of course in the WB given the inheritance of conflict, the need to re-establish mutual trust and understanding and to overcome problems from the past related for example treatement of minorities - is all the more important for the WB. We are building on steady experience that we have had in the course of the previous enlargements.
08:16 Is there a tentative date set for WB accession to the EU?
Again, one of the principles that have always guided the enlargement process is that the date when a country is ready to conclude negotiations and to conclude these negotiations and then to accede is a reflection of the inherent merits of the country and the progress it is making putting in place the reforms and structures for membership. The EU replies habitualy to questions of this sort that the main responsibility is in the hands of the country itself. Only when the enlargement process is extremely advanced and negotiations for accession have been conducted and welle advanced can the EU make a reasonable estimate of the time necessary. The faster the country goes with their domestic reforms and the fulfilment of the conditions of the SA process the quicker they can expect to move towards accession in the EU.
The fixing of date can be helpful as a way of focusing common efforts towards achieving a kind of goal but it needs to be done step by step. For example we have said that it is our goal to conclude SAA negotiations with Serbiaand Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovinain the course of 2006. Here is a time goal for us to conclude the negotiations this year. Such an agreement is absoloutly a necessary step along the road toward eventual membership. As responsible leaders we must take this step by step. Sometimes there would be tempation to jump over some steps experience proves that this is not very helpful.
We must take a step by step approach and a premature fixing of dates could lead to misunderstandings or disappointment if for practical reasons we can not attein them. Let’s focus on what can be made this year, we’ve set the clear goal, the negotiations are under way, let’s sucessfully conclude these negotiations and it would open up new perspectives.
10:56 Serbiaand Montenegro: is it in the hands of the European Commission to assess the cooperation with The Haguetribunal?
The European Commission is conducting these negotiations under a mandate from the member states. We received negotiating directives from the member states which set up the scope for such an agreement and then it is up to the EC to conduct the negotiations. It is up to the EC to agree with the authorities of the country as to the timing of each round of the negotiations. We bear in mind the conditionality established by the member states in particular the full cooperation with the ICTY. Therefore it will be up to the EC in the light of the progress made, and we are very much counting on full cooperation between Serbiaand Montenegroand the Tribunal in The Hague, to decide whether the conditions have been met in order to hold the next round of negotiations as schedualed.
The next round of negotiations are scheduled for early April and we hope that the conditions will be fulfilled as soon as possible so that thios negotiating round can go ahead on time.
12:14 Will the smooth election process in Macedoniaallow the European Commission to propose the opening of membership talks?
Free and fair elections are indispensable to fulfil the Copenhagencriteria that go back to 1993 and which have applied to all candidate countries. The rule of law, democracy, human rights, these are fundamental conditions, but they are not the only condition. A country should be able to implement the laws and rules of the EU, which we call the acquis of the EU, should poses necessary institutions to do that and should be in a position to compete in the internal market of the EU. And it is at such a time when the EC considers and member states agree that the country has fulfiled all of these condtions that accession negotiations can begin. Free and fair elections are a necessary condition for opening accessions negotiations but they are not sufficient, there is an ensemble of consideretaions that need to be fulfilled in order for accession negotiations to start.
13:33 Cutaway shots: the team of European Commission desk officers working on Macedonia
14:33 Is the privatization of national electricity companies a requirement of the European Commission?
What is necessary to fulfil the requirements for EU membership and SAA is a respect for the rules of competition, improving competitiveness and having the capacity to compete in the internal market. In many countries, privatization is a mean to increase and stimulate economic growth, but privatization as such has never been a condition imposed by the EU. In the EU there are various patterns of mixed private and public sector. It’s up to each country to chose what its particular mix should be. This is not something which is stipulated by the EU.
15:11 How the deadlock on constitutional reforms in BiH can impact the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) negotiations?
We encourage BiH to go ahead with the constitutional reforms. The country should be able to act effectively to take decisions at a state level and to see the different compomenent parts of the state working together in a constructive spirit. And it does seem that a number of constitutional amendments are needed so that the governement at a state level can function effectively, that the parlimanet can function effectively and the decisions can be taken and implemented. We are strongly in favour of an ambitious program of constitional reforms. We know that there are elections coming up and within a certain period before that it will not possible to adopt constitutional reforms, we urge the authorities to go as quickly ads they can to reach a consensus on a necessary reforms.
16:18 The progress made by the new Albanian government?
As you know President Baroso and commissioner Rehn and myself we visited Tirana. This gave us an opportunity to exchange views. We were heartened to see the extent to which the government has taken on board the main priorities which include the fight against corruption and organized crime. In a senes insuring that the state can these issues is a major condition for success across the wide range of areas. And the prime minister indicated that it is also a priority for the government, we were pleased but the crucial thing is to get concrete implementation and delivery, we want to see success in this area. So it is an excellent thing that they have taken on board these commitments but we will be monitoring progress closely and we also want to see delivery.
17:35 How do you assess the evolution of the Kosovo status talks?
The process underway with president Ahtisaari is extremely important. It is also important that after many years the process has now begun. The continual uncertainty on this issue can be a deterrent for foreign investors and it has held back economic development of Kosovo as well as further stabilization. It is a very positive development and we are working closely with president Ahtisaari. We are contributing in the economic area to define the kind of support measures that we would need to take to deal with issues like Kosovo assets and liabilities and its economic development. The fact that the process is underway is extremely positive. On the other hand status goes together with further efforts on the side of Kosovo to meet the needed standards for becoming a future part of the EU. There is a happy coincidence between the standards which have been set by the UN and the standads which we are monitoring for Kosovo to draw closer to the EU. The status process is very important and it is equally important that Kosovo meets the political and economic standards and there should be sufficient guarantee for minority and human rights and that Kosovo would have the necessary institutions to play its full part. So we see both the status process and the standard issue as complementary, and we are working together with provisional authoritites, with UNMIK and all concerned to see Kosovo moving forward and we hope that this process will create a framework which will bring investment, to generate jobs and to give brighter perspective and that it will have a positive spillover into the political process.
20:12 Is there a commitment among political leaders in Prishtina to go in that direction?
I felt a strong commitment on the part of the political actors. I feel that it is very important for all thepolitical actors, whether in the present government whether on the side of minorities for example to fully engage. We want to see all parts of the spectrum in Kosovo engaging, participating in the institutions which have been set up and and making their contribution to Kosovo future. This is particularly important in this sensitive phase in the talks on status.Therefore part of the message of president Barroso and Commissioner Rehn was an appeal to all parts of the population in Kosovo to engage fully.
21:08 Views Charlemagne building, the building hosting the European Commission’s Directorate General for Enlargement
21:17 End | 
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