Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I was disappointed to hear comments from Mr. Juncker about enlargement, particularly given the experiences referred to earlier when the committee visited the Balkans. We were delighted to see the progress made in Montenegro and Albania. There are clear signs they will end up within the European Union in the not too distant future. There has been a slowdown in support from member states for enlargement. The only difficulty is that we seem to be blaming the slowdown solely on candidate countries. We tend to say that country X is not yet ready or that country Y has not made the necessary improvements. The reality is the EU has a case to answer on why we are slowing down the process. Perhaps it is the economic situation or concerns, however unfounded, about migration. It is only fair that we face up to it and recognise it. From talking to politicians within the candidate countries, they would like to us to make a statement that this is not just about the country being ready. It is also about Europe at the moment not being ready to go at the same pace as before. That might go some way to ensure there is no slippage in support for European membership to which Deputy Seán Kyne referred. We saw the slippage in support in countries such as Turkey, which sees the EU dragging its feet and blaming candidate countries. It would help if we fessed up and said it is as much to do with where Europe is as the candidate countries.

I take the point about civil society. When the committee met various civil society groups, we found a lack of capacity and a need to improve it. It is a relatively weak civil society in many of these countries and that can only be helped by mentoring and sharing experiences by NGOs and organisations within the EU. That needs funding and the pre-accession integration funds are out there for this purpose. I wonder if Mr. Fouéré shares my view that they do not go far enough. From the previous larger accession in the mid-2000s, we have learned the importance of making sure countries are ready and making sure civil society is built up in advance of integration. The way we do that is by putting in the money and making sure they are ready when the time comes.

Like Deputy Eric Byrne, I am interested in Mr. Fouéré's views on Ukraine. I was over there a number of weeks ago during the elections, looking at how the elections were panning out. My experience of the procedures was positive and transparent and I did not see anything to concern me but I would not be optimistic about where the country is at.

I would be interested in hearing Mr. Fouéré's views on this. My worry is that we are heading for another frozen conflict. Like Deputy Eric Byrne, I think the European Union made a mistake 12 months ago. I attended a presentation made by Mr. Pat Cox when I was in Vilnius during the Lithuanian Presidency last year. At the time, Mr. Cox and the former President of Poland, Mr. Aleksander Kwaśniewski, were rapporteurs for the European Parliament in relation to the Eastern Partnership between the EU and Ukraine. As recently as October 2013, they were very positive about where this was going. They said it was absolutely on course and was going to happen. They spoke about whether Yulia Tymoshenko would be released from prison, but they completely missed what came down the line two weeks later, as did the rest of Europe.

I am not trying to blame anybody when I say Europe could have been a little more aware of the historical context and of the commitments that were given 15 or 20 years ago. If we had been more thoughtful in advance, we might not be facing the chaotic situation that prevails today. I know from being there that it is harrowing for the people who are living there at the moment. It is a very tough time for them. My sense is that there will be no military assistance from the EU, the US or any other outside agency. I have to say I do not think sanctions will work. Having visited Moscow and spoken to people there over the summer, I would be fairly sure that Mr. Putin's position is very safe. He has the support of the average Russian on this issue. There is no pressure from within Russia to change the current policy. I have to say the pressure from outside Russia, including from the EU, is limited at most. I think we are staring at potentially another frozen conflict.

I am aware that Mr. Fouéré has experience in Moldova and Transnistria. I know he was there with the OSCE as a representative during our Presidency. Could he comment on this issue? I am sure he is familiar with the term Novorossiya, which refers to the region where Mr. Putin might like to extend his country's influence. Does Mr. Fouéré share the concern that we are going to see another frozen conflict there? What is his sense of the Russian position on this? What does he think Mr. Putin's end-goal is for the Novorossiya region?