The third part in the series of articles looking at the European Union’s role in the G7 Summit 2016.
Foreign Policy
During the G7 summit, members will exchange views and seek common ground on the most pressing foreign policy challenges, including Ukraine/Russia, the situation in Syria, Iran and Libya. Also the security situation with regard to North Korea and the East and South China Seas will be addressed.
The EU’s support to Ukraine: The EU remains a key actor in the ongoing process to bring a solution to the crisis in Ukraine that respects its territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence, as well as international law.
The European Commission continues its support for the government of Ukraine’s plans for reforms across a broad range of sectors. Faced with economic recession and the ongoing instability in the east of the country, Ukraine last year requested additional financial assistance from the EU and its other partners. The programme proposed, worth €1.8 billion, follows the €1.6 billion that we already delivered in 2014/2015 and is part of an unprecedented package of support. The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, already approved by 27 EU Member States and the European Parliament, including its Deep and Comprehensive Free-Trade Area, remains provisionally applied, giving both the EU and Ukraine new opportunities for business and trade.
In April, the European Commission proposed to lift visa requirements for Ukrainian citizens for short-stay travel to the Schengen area. This will facilitate mobility, but also encourage trade and cooperation and build trust and understanding. The fight against corruption has been an essential condition for visa liberalisation, and it remains an urgent priority for the country as a whole. The independence, integrity and operational capacity of new public institutions will be crucial. Ukraine’s political leaders have a responsibility to work together and seek unity by putting their country’s future first.
In relation to the situation in eastern Ukraine, the EU remains committed to a complete implementation of the Minsk Agreements, starting with a full and proper ceasefire. The EU stands strong and united against aggression and destabilisation, but also believes in the virtues of dialogue and diplomacy.
Russia: Economic sanctions against Russia have been in place since July 2014 and were last renewed by the European Council in December 2015. The duration of the sanctions is directly linked to a full implementation of the Minsk Agreements. At the same time, the EU keeps the lines of communication with Russia open, and also engages selectively on foreign policy issues where there is a clear interest. The EU supports Russian civil society and invests in people-to-people contacts. The EU is also strengthening relations with its Eastern partners and other neighbours, including in Central Asia.
Iran: The EU, through EU High Representative Federica Mogherini, showed leadership in facilitating last year’s nuclear agreement with Iran, and is now working with its international partners to implement it. Following reassurance that Iran’s intentions are peaceful, economic and financial sanctions related to nuclear programme were lifted. The most recent step in EU-Iran relations was the landmark visit to Tehran on 16 April by High Representative/Vice-President Mogherini and seven other Commissioners. The EU has put in place a regular political dialogue, while cooperation will focus amongst others on human rights, the economy, trade and investment, climate and energy, aviation, nuclear safety, migration, science, research, education and culture.
Iraq: In response to the conflicts in Iraq and Syria, and to counter the global Da’esh threat, the EU adopted the EU Regional Strategy for Syria and Iraq as well as the Da’esh threat, on 16 March 2015. For Iraq the strategy foresees a mix of humanitarian and resilience aid, support for the stabilisation of areas liberated form Da’esh, support for rule of law, good governance and improved economic performance, as well as non-military support to the various lines of effort of the Global Coalition to counter Da’esh. It comes with an aid package of €1 billion for Syria and Iraq, which has in the meantime grown to €1.7 billion, for the years 2015 and 2016, out of which more than €200 million are dedicated to Iraq. The implementation of the strategy is in full swing in coordination with the EU Member States and other partners. The EU and Iraq, moreover, signed a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in 2012 which is already being implemented provisionally, focusing on human rights, trade, economic and energy issues, pending the treaty’s full ratification.
Libya: The European Union is working closely with the United Nations in support of the Government of National Accord, which it considers the sole legitimate government of Libya. On 18 April, the Foreign Affairs Council welcomed the arrival of the Presidency Council to Tripoli on 30 March, which paves the way for the effective government of the country by the Government of National Accord. The EU has called for Libyan ownership of a political process that must be as inclusive as possible. It has committed to support the Government of National Accord with a €100 million package of immediate assistance in different areas.
Syria: The European Union is actively supporting the efforts to restore peace in the war-ravaged Syria. We are fully behind the Geneva talks led by the UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura. The EU is also part of the International Syria Support Group. It calls for an end to the indiscriminate use of weapons and cessation of hostilities, humanitarian access to besieged and hard-to-reach areas, and the launch of a Syrian-led political transition.
The EU and its Member States are the leading donors in humanitarian and economic assistance. Last February, at the “Supporting Syria and the Region” conference held in London, the EU and its Member States pledged more than €3 billion to assist Syrian people inside Syria as refugees and the communities hosting them in the neighbouring countries for the year 2016. This comes on top of the €6 billion that the EU and its Member States had already committed.
Climate Action and Energy
The G7 will discuss how to lead the efforts of the international community, building on the outcome of the climate change Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris, in December last year. Leaders will also address energy policy issues, against the background of decreasing energy security.
The role of the EU: The European Union was the first major economy to table its commitment in the run up to the Paris climate conference COP21 and now looks forward to having the Agreement ratified and entering into force swiftly.
The EU has the world’s most ambitious commitments on climate change:
– a reduction target of at least 40% in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 compared to 1990;
– to at least 27% of total energy consumption from renewable energy;
– to at least 27% increase in energy efficiency.
The Paris Agreement vindicates the EU’s approach. Implementing the 2030 energy and climate framework as agreed by the European Council is a priority in follow up to the Paris Agreement. Europe has shown that it is possible to act: from 1990 to 2013, EU emissions declined 19% while GDP grew 45%. The EU is currently the most GHG-efficient major economy in the world, and encourages other nations to follow, to match this ambition.
Climate action has been part of the political and legislative agenda for many years and is an integral part of the European Energy Union strategy – one of the priority policy areas of the Juncker Commission. Other dimensions of the EU’s Energy Union strategy are: supplying security by diversifying Europe’s energy sources; fully integrating the internal energy market by enabling energy to flow freely across the EU using interconnectors; increasing energy efficiency in order to consume less energy and reduce pollution; supporting research and innovation in low-carbon technologies.
Turning Europe into a highly energy-efficient and low-carbon economy will also boost the economy, create jobs and strengthen Europe’s competitiveness: according to Eurostat 2012 data, the EU already has 4.3 million people working in green industries. This is a real success story for European industry even in times of an economic slowdown. It is estimated that the 2030 climate and energy framework would create up to 700,000 additional jobs in Europe. With more ambitious renewable energy and energy efficiency, net employment could increase by up to 1.2 million jobs.
More info on EU Energy Union and Climate policy.
Development
G7 leaders will discuss the next steps towards the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as set out in the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted in September 2015.
The role of the EU: The EU has played an important role in shaping the 2030 Agendafor Sustainable Development, through public consultations, dialogue with its partners and in-depth research. The EU will continue to play a leading role as it moves into the implementation of this ambitious, transformative and universal Agenda that delivers poverty eradication and sustainable development for all.
The European Union, together with its Member States, is the world’s largest aid donor, providing more than half of the total Official Development Assistance (ODA) reported last year by members of the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD-DAC). EU collective Official Development Assistance has increased to €68 billion in 2015 (up 15% from €59 billion in 2014) – growing for the third year in a row. This is the highest share of Gross National Income ever. EU collective ODA represented 0.47% of EU Gross National Income (GNI) in 2015, an increase from 0.43% in 2014. This is significantly above the non-EU Development Assistance Committee (DAC) country average of 0.21% ODA/GNI. Five EU Member States exceeded the 0.7% ODA/GNI mark: Sweden (1.4%), Luxembourg (0.93%), Denmark (0.85%), and the Netherlands (0.76%) and the United Kingdom (0.71%).
2015 also saw the highest support for development aid amongst EU citizens in 6 years. Almost nine out of ten EU citizens support development (89% – a 4 percentage point increase since 2014), while more than half say that promised levels of aid should be delivered by the EU.
EU development policy seeks to eradicate poverty in a context of sustainable development. It is a cornerstone of EU relations with the outside world – alongside foreign, security and trade policy (and international aspects of other policies like environment, agriculture and fisheries).
Over the last decade, thanks to EU funding, almost 14 million pupils could go to primary school, more than 70 million people were linked to improved drinking water, and over 7.5 million births were attended by skilled health workers, saving the lives of mothers and babies. EU development aid goes to around 150 countries in the world. Since 2014, the EU is phasing out direct aid to large countries that have experienced strong economic growth and managed to reduce poverty, and is focussing on the poorest regions in the world instead. In the period 2014-2020, about 75% of EU support will go to these regions which, in addition, often are hard hit by natural disasters or conflict. EU aid will also focus more on certain sectors such as good governance, human rights, democracy, health, education, but also agriculture and energy. The EU applies a system of “Policy coherence for development” in policy areas such as trade and finance, agriculture, security, climate change or migration, in order to foster growth and overcome poverty in development countries, by – for example – opening its large single market to these countries, or setting up standards to fight illegal exploitation of natural resources. The EU is strongly committed to making aid more effective. The European Commission is part of the Steering Committee of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation. Based on European values, the EU promotes, in its relations with partners countries, democratic values and practises such as human rights, fundamental freedoms, good governance and the rule of law. Gender equality is an important element of the EU approach. More info on EU development aid.
Source: European Commission, The G7 Summit in Japan on 26 and 27 May 2016: the European Union’s role and actions
Read part 1 and part 2 on the EU’s role in this year’s G7 summit.
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