Wider Europe, neighbourhood: a new framework for relations with Eastern and Southern neighbours

The European Parliament adopted a resolution based on the own-initiative report drafted by Pasqualina NAPOLETANO (PES, Italy) on the Wider Europe Neighbourhood Policy. (Please see the document dated 04/11/03.) Parliament felt that the new enhanced relationship with the Union's neighbours went beyond what has traditionally been seen as "external actions" for third countries and created a new dimension to the partnership. It remarked on the possibility of opening up heading 7 of the financial perspective (pre-accession strategy), or some other adjustment of the current headings, with appropriate financing after 2006. Furthermore, Parliament stated that the proposed functioning of action plans relating to Ukraine, Moldova and the southern Mediterranean partners must fully respect Parliament's legislative and budgetary prerogatives. It rejected any proposal that would give the Council predominance on policy issues. These must be dealt with in the framework of the established procedures and must guarantee the rights of both arms of the legislative and budgetary authorities. Finally, Parliament drew attention to the important role of the new Member States in stepping up, at their frontiers, efforts to promote political dialogue and the gradual establishment of a free trade area by means of national action plans and to consolidate cross-frontier cooperation.�