Event Reports
On May 10, 2007, students of the European Forum, faculty members and Jerusalemites gathered at the Hebrew University to attend a Europe Day Seminar, organized by the Helmut Kohl Institute for European Studies, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and the Delegation of the European Commission to the State of Israel. Despite the cancelled participation of European Ambassadors, the Helmut Kohl Institute for European Studies and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung proceeded with the planned seminar, which was chaired by Dr. Tomer Broude from the Department of International Relations and the Faculty of Law at the Hebrew University, who introduced the lecturers.
Prof. Schipanski focused her presentation on the current Israel–EU relations in the field of research and development, following the EU enlargement of 2004 and the new definition of the EU’s relations with its neighbours. Quoting the words of Chaim Weizmann, Israel’s first president, that “intelligence is the only resource which we have command of”, Prof. Schipanski added that knowledge is indeed the most important resource for the development of the societies in the EU as well as in Israel; and the European countries should follow Israel’s example by giving research the importance it deserves. Moreover this should be an incentive for even closer cooperation between the EU and Israel in this sector since high-level research is increasingly complex and interdisciplinary as well as costly.
Last February, Israel’s participation in the EU’s 7th Framework Programme for Research and Development was agreed, making Israel an integral part of the fast-expanding European Research Area, an 'internal market' for research, in which researchers, technology and knowledge can circulate freely.
Prof. Schipanski emphasized the need for more exchanges between civil society, university researchers and local authorities; business people, artists and young people and concluded on the very optimistic note that Israel and European cooperation will grow even more intensively during the next few years. Scientific relationships are above all one thing: they are human relationships. They build some of the essential bridges between cultures and therefore a better future for all, Prof. Schipanski said.
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Prof. Maresceau’s lecture on "The EU’s European Proximity: A Comparative Approach of a Complex Relationship" concentrated on the relations of the enlarged EU with its European neighbours. The “European Proximity” includes all the member states of the Council of Europe plus Belarus, even those countries that are geographically outside Europe, such as Russia, Turkey or some Caucasus states.
His lecture analysed the economical, legal and political effects of the recent EU's enlargement strategy on its neighbours especially the relations between the EU and EFTA countries, the European microstates, the Western Balkans, Turkey and the countries of the former USSR. Within these blocks, he concentrated on four examples of special relations.
Even though its application for membership has been frozen by a referendum, Switzerland enjoys a unique position within the European proximity. Not only has Switzerland signed some hundred bilateral agreements over the years, it has also aligned some of its internal laws with the “acquis communautaire” in numerous sectors (Schengen agreement, transports, taxation legislation on saving accounts etc.)
The association of Turkey with the EEC was defined by the 1963 Ankara Agreement, which included the same pre-accession preamble as the 1961 agreement with Greece. Following objections that started to arise in the 70’s and 80’s, Turkey 1987 application was rejected. More recently the negative outcome of the constitution referenda and the Cyprus-Turkey problems led to the suspension of accession talks.
Nobody, however, wants to disconnect Turkey from the EU, Maresceau said. A privileged partnership already exists and should the EU decide that it does not want Turkey within, the Ankara agreement would have to be re-negotiated.
In the late 1990’s the EU developed a new policy towards the Balkans and in order to achieve stabilization in the region, separate agreements were negotiated with each different country from the former Yugoslavia and Albania, dealing with the disintegration of Yugoslavia, the problems of refugees, regional cooperation, the international court of justice, the Copenhagen agreement etc. So far the Stabilization and Association Agreements are either in force or signed (Croatia, Macedonia and Albania); or negotiations are running their course (Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro). The negotiations with Serbia, however, have been suspended.
For Prof. Maresceau the external relations between Russia and the EU are of utmost importance. The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), signed in 1994 and reviewed in 1997 for 10 years, applies to many areas of trade and cooperation. From now on, it can be renewed on yearly basis even though it would require being adapted to new conditions or replaced by a new, more comprehensive treaty, which would implement legal and political cooperation. Yet, in spite of frequent meetings and summits, mistrust rules the EU – Russia relations, the scope of the partnership is limited by significant disagreements, which in part derive from the domestic structure, politics, and policies of Russia.
The EU, however, has its share of responsibility in the latest crises. The enlargement to central and Eastern Europe has received little attention despite the long-term the issues that it raises. The enlargement has been presented as a process of stability for the entire European continent. But the shifting of the new European borders eastwards has had serious adverse effects on Russia, accentuating the split with the new Eastern members states and according no protection to the Russian minorities in those former Eastern bloc countries.
The EU must recognize the dangers of creating a new dividing line across Europe and address the several sources of tension. But there is no need to go back to the Cold War.
The lecture was followed by a discussion, emerging from questions and remarks from the audience.
Catherine Hirschwitz+