France blocks neighbours from Community agencies

France has blocked proposals to allow countries in the EU’s neighbourhood to participate in European Community agencies, amid concerns about how the issue might play in the country’s presidential elections that begin on 22 April.

Foreign ministers on Monday (5 March) agreed to explore ways of allowing countries involved in the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) to take part in the agencies, stopping short of an outright commitment.

But diplomats said that France had pressed for the discussions on agencies to take place in June, when EU leaders will discuss proposals to enhance the ENP, and after the French elections.

The EU has 23 agencies that have been set up or are currently being established, dealing with issues from maritime safety to the management of the EU’s external borders.

France has expressed concerns that offering a stake in the agencies to the western Balkans and other countries on the EU’s periphery would send a confusing message about future enlargement.

Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina have been offered the prospect of EU membership, while the 16 countries involved in the ENP have not.

France has argued against giving the likes of Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova, which are part of the ENP, EU membership hopes.

"French diplomats have very clear instructions from Paris," said one diplomat, "they are not to agree on anything to do with further enlargement before the elections."

But a spokesperson for the French permanent representation to the EU denied that French concerns were related to the elections.

"It is a matter of consistency, there is no problem with including the countries in the ENP but [participation] is also envisaged for the countries of the western Balkans. In terms of added value for the Balkans there may be less political impact if we offer it to other countries."

France has blocked proposals to allow countries in the EU’s neighbourhood to participate in European Community agencies, amid concerns about how the issue might play in the country’s presidential elections that begin on 22 April.