Union steps back from deeper dealings with Russia

By David Cronin

Date: 04/11/04

THE deepening of EU-Russia relations is to be postponed at next week's summit (11 November).

On Tuesday (2 November), the Union's foreign ministers issued a declaration stating that the four 'common spaces' which it has agreed to establish with Russia must be treated as a single package.

The decision follows allegations that Vladimir Putin's government has tried to cherry-pick the areas in which it will liaise with the Union.

A paper drawn up by the Dutch presidency of the EU contended that in talks on setting up a common space in justice and home affairs Russia has only been interested in visa-free travel to the EU. It has sought to exclude dialogue on such issues as human rights protection and judicial reform.

Reflecting unease about Putin's autocratic tendencies since the Beslan hostage crisis, the paper had also found that the EU would have to make too many compromises if it tried to speed moves on establishing the spaces at the summit in The Hague.

The tougher line follows claims by External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten that Putin has been eager to exploit differences between EU governments by bolstering political and economic relations with France, Germany and Italy, rather than dealing with the EU institutions.

"The major question for the EU is does it keep values in the agenda or get rid of values and only speak of interests," said Timofei Bordachev from Moscow's Carnegie Centre. "In the long-term, a pragmatic approach could cause major problems. If the EU stops efforts to 'Europeanize' the political life of Russia, then Europe could arrive at political instability."

One immediate casualty of this more assertive EU stance is that it will have to abandon hopes of signing a 'roadmap' on cooperation in education and the arts at the summit.

EU Foreign ministers issued a declaration on 2 November 2004 stating that the four 'common spaces' which it had agreed to establish with Russia had to be treated as a single package. A paper drawn up by the Dutch EU Presidency had contended that in talks on setting up a common space in justice and home affairs Russia has only been interested in visa-free travel to the EU. It has sought to exclude dialogue on such issues as human rights protection and judicial reform.

European Commission: DG External Relations: The EU's relations with Russia http://www.eeas.europa.eu/russia/index_en.htm

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