challenges opportunities regional cooperation

8/13/2019 Challenges Opportunities Regional Cooperation

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Challenges and Opportunities for

Regional Cooperation in the Black Sea

Region: A View from Romania

By Professor Adrian Pop

National School for Political andAdministrative Studies

Bucharest


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SWOT Analysis of the Cooperation Context

Strong Points

Connection link along the emerging geopolitical and geo-economic axisMediterranean SeaBlack SeaCaspian Sea

Geo-strategic position as new south-eastern EU border

Giant market for the EU exports

Low costs of the labour force

Potential of a substantial flow of FDIs High potential of biodiversity in agricultural resources, tourism, and

fisheries

Valuable cultural heritage, diverse human capacities and social values

Buffer zone where the Orthodox, Islamic and Western civilizations andcultures blend together


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Weak Points

Hardly a region at all and a clashing point of the major Euro-Atlantic andEurasian global players interests

Economic development constraints due to physical and climate conditions

Intra and interregional disparities in economic development

Environmental protection constraints due to the closed sea feature of the

Black Sea Different statuses of the BSR countries vis--vis EU and NATO

State fragility and poor administrative capacity

Persistence of mutual distrust relations between some countries within theregion

Corruption, organized crime, illicit traffic and unresolved conflicts

Demographical decline due to negative birth increase and labour migration

Poor quality of the industrial and transport infrastructure

Obsolete education infrastructure and technological level of the innovationcentres


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Opportunities

Meeting point of two geopolitical axes: North-South axis (Russia-Armenia-Iran) and the East-West axis (Caspian corridor to the EU)

Substantial increase of GDP and FDIs after 2000

Access of coastal areas of the EU MS to the Cohesion Policy funds

Big investments planned for the pan-European transport axis, oil and gas

pipelines Activation of Black Sea Sectoral Partnerships

Involving Russia and Turkey in the new EU cooperation initiatives

CEPS proposals: a pan-European free trade area; a tripartite EU-Russia-Ukraine gas pipeline agreement; linking the pan-European transportcorridors to the westward corridors in Central Asia; an international effort

to solve the water-hydro-energy crisis in Central Asia; a quadrilateral EU-Russia-Ukraine-Kazakhstan cooperation to tackling climate change

Implementing new software technologies and vocational and lifelongeducation, for adapting to the requirements of Bologna process

Increased demand for tourist services, expanded potentially to all coastlineregions


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Threats

Poverty and economic underdevelopment

Increased macro-economic instability due to the global economic crisis

Excessive migration of high-skilled labour force towards EU countries

Harsh competition of the newly industrialized countries within the field ofindustrial development and attracting FDIs

Increase of the gap between the EU MS and their eastern neighbours infields such as trade, single market, labour force mobility and thedevelopment of the knowledge-based society

Environment degradation and natural disasters

Augmentation of separatist trends and delays in solving local conflicts

Corruption, organized crime and terrorism

The resurgence of Russias spheres of influence policy

Energy dependence used as a blackmailing tool

Increased militarization of the geopolitics of energy

Possible use of the BSR as a platform for military, reconstruction andstabilization operations in the Greater Middle East


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Inflation of Regional Cooperation

Organizations and Initiatives

Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization

Community of Democratic Choice

Organization for Democracy and Economic DevelopmentGUAM

Black Sea Naval Cooperation Task Group (BLACKSEAFOR)

Black Sea Harmony

Black Sea Coast Forum Black Sea Border Coordination and Information Centre

Black Sea Euro-region

Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform

Southeast European Cooperative Initiative Regional Center for Combating Trans-Border Crime (SECI Center)

Southeast European Cooperation Process Civil-Military Emergency Planning Council in South-Eastern Europe

Black Sea Forum for Partnership and Dialogue

Black Sea Synergy

Eastern Partnership

Union for the Black Sea


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Conditions for the New EU Initiatives to

Become Success Stories

Added value for all stakeholders Unambiguous recognition of the sovereignty of all the states involved

Light-weight institutional framework

Appropriate instruments

Not impeding or overlapping the ENP Part and parcel of the EU community process

Active involvement of Russia and Turkey

Complementarity and correlation


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Regional Cooperation Research Agenda

Building a research methodology

Identifying the main thematicor sectoral dimensions ofregional cooperation in theBSR

Designing evaluation criteriafor organizations, activitiesand initiatives

Designing evaluation criteriafor the impact of regional

organizations, activities andinitiatives on the economic,political and securityenvironment in the BSR

Evaluation of activities

Analysis of the achievementsand shortcomings

Identifying overlappingactivities

Analysis of the degree inwhich regional cooperation inthe BSR relates to the

processes of European andEuro-Atlantic integration in

the region


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Environment

The EC full member status in the Black Sea Convention; EC suggestionsfor legal amendments to ensure that modern environmental policies and

principles are applied to the Black Sea

DABLAS Task Force: platform for cooperation for the protection of theDanube and the Black Sea chaired by EC; seeks to bring cohesion to thefinancing process; waste water infrastructure projects

The EC technical assistance project for strengthening the capacity ofimplementing the Kyoto Protocol and negotiating a new agreement after2012

Proposals:

- Set up a system of proportional tax on water transport and through pipestaking into consideration the amount and the pollution risk

- Set up a Regional Centre for Studying the Adaptations to the ClimateChanges employing multinational personnel


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Maritime Policy

Setting up an integrated network of maritime surveillance systems and itspossible extension to non-EU Black Sea riparian countries

Setting up a European Network for Marine Data and Observations

Forging a Regional Strategy for the Integrated Management of Black SeaCoast Areas

Proposal:

- Introduction of a legislative measure regarding the Black Sea in themeasures package of ERICA I and II projects


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Migration

Setting up a Regional Platform: EU MS, EU agencies, Black Sea ripariancountries, regional organizations

Mobility partnerships focused on circular and seasonal migration

Visa facilitation and readmission agreements

Awareness campaigns

Institutional twinning Proposals:

- Romania and Bulgaria to establish, together with FRONTEX, joint patrolsin the Black Sea

- Expand the consular representation of the EU MS in the Common VisaApplication Centre in Chisinau

- More flexible visa regimes imposed by EU MS at the Eastern border fortheir immediate neighbours


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Cross-border Organized Crime

Proposals:

- Set up a regional cooperation platform: relevant EU MS, EU agencies,countries bordering the Black Sea, and regional organizations such asBSEC, SECI Center in Bucharest, the Black Sea Border Coordination andInformation Centre in Burgas and the Virtual Centre GUAM

- ENP partner countries in the Black Sea Region to conclude andimplement cooperation agreements with EUROPOL and FRONTEX

- Interaction between Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine on combatingorganized crime to be coordinated within the BSEC framework

- EU MS at the Eastern border to improve the integrated managementsystem of their borders, set up common border checkpoints with theirimmediate neighbours and take part in the EUBAM mission


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Civil Society Cross-border Cooperation

RO-RM-UKR cross-border cooperation programme, which covers the NWBlack Sea coast: 126 million Euro

Black Sea Basin Joint Operational Programme 2007-2013, whose one outof three objectives is to promote local, people-to-people contacts: 17million Euro

Various programmes developed under ENPI Black Sea Forum for Dialogue and Partnership

GMFs Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation programmes


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Energy

Accession of Black Sea countries to the Energy Community Treaty: startnegotiations with Moldova, Ukraine and Turkey; Georgia as observer

INOGATE:supports the development of new energy infrastructureprojects through the provision of targeted technical assistance; promotesthe regional integration of the oil and gas pipelines and facilitatestransport both within the region of INOGATE participating countries

and towards the exportmarkets of Europe Baku Process:An Energy Road Map has been devised

Supporting the gradual development of regional energy markets in

littoral states of the Black and Caspian Seas and their neighbouring

countries in order to facilitate a gradual integration between the

respective energy markets and the EU market Getting appropriate funding for new infrastructure projects

Embarking on energy efficiency policies and programmes


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EU Energy Soup


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Unresolved Conflicts

An Insecurity Area at the EU Eastern Border


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EU Role in Unresolved Conflicts

Gaining time is counterproductive Georgia vs. Kosovo; geography

and interests shouldnt lead to a

selective application of intl law

The only power which has the

necessary negotiating clout; itshould demonstrate confidence in

its own strategic potential

Attractiveness of the European

integration model

EU President, HR for the Unionin FASP, European External

Action Service, legal personality,

reinforced cooperation in ESDP


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Lessons learnt from the Russian-Georgian War

Two types of secessionist conflicts and Russian behaviour

Abkhazia and South Ossetia along with the Turkish R. of Northern Cyprus,

Taiwan, D.A.R. of Sahrawi and Kosovo

EU as the principal diplomatic broker and peacekeeping actor: negotiations

on a ceasefire; the agreement on troop withdrawals; the deployment of theEUMM Georgia in record time; and the co-hosting of the Geneva talks

EU MS have acted in unity and with determination

Maintaining equidistance while strengthening the Europeanisation

project

Working with Russia using the soft power diplomacy Direct contact with the breakaway regions

Need to define a common strategy with the U.S.


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Transnistria

Contrary to other unresolved conflicts, it doesnt involve an ethniccomponent

Avoid transforming Transnistria into a Black Sea Kaliningrad

A sustainable solution for Transnistria is a precondition for RMs becominga democratic and prosperous EU neigbouring country and to keepmomentum for RMs European option

Proposals:

- A step-by-step economic and infrastructure-oriented approach

- Upgrade the status of the EU and US (currently observers) in themechanism of mediation

- Use the opportunities presented by the ENP-ESDP nexus: a possible

future civilian EU-led police monitoring mission with the participation ofneutral EU MS and non-EU states, including Russia and Ukraine


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EC Proposed Future Actions in the Area

Setting up long-term measurable objectives in key sectors

Forging partnerships for co-financing schemes

Involving Belarus in selected Black Sea Synergy activities

Strengthening the students and academics cooperation networks

Setting up the Black Sea Civil Society Forum Setting up an Institute for European Studies


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Academic research

Pop, Adrian (coordinator), Manoleli, Dan, Towards aEuropean Strategy in the Black Sea Area: The TerritorialCooperation, Project SPOS 2007 Strategy and policiesstudies, European Institute of Romania, Bucharest, 2007.http://www.ier.ro/documente/spos2007_en/Spos2007_stud

iu_4_en.pdf
http://www.ier.ro/documente/spos2007_en/Spos2007_studiu_4_en.pdfhttp://www.ier.ro/documente/spos2007_en/Spos2007_studiu_4_en.pdfhttp://www.ier.ro/documente/spos2007_en/Spos2007_studiu_4_en.pdfhttp://www.ier.ro/documente/spos2007_en/Spos2007_studiu_4_en.pdf


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challenges opportunities regional cooperation

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