Priorities of the Latvian presidency at the Council of the European Union 1

1. Engaged Europe 2 Neighbourhood & beyond Trade Development Common security and defence policy Migration Enlargement

Objectives in the field of Engaged Europe:  to promote stability and development in the EU’s neighbourhood and the world; our neighbourhood is of primary importance - both in the South and in the East;  enhance EU’s cooperation with Eastern Partnership countries;  Increase visibility of the EU in the Central Asia; the review of EU – Central Asia Strategy in early 2015;  geopolitical and economic value of the TTIP agreement;  the Common Security and Defence policy development;  the review of the European Security Strategy;  the enlargement negotiations;  highlight the role of the macro-regional strategies. 3

Objectives  Neighbourhood policy:  Eastern Partnership;  Southern neighbourhood;  Trade:  EU – Canada Free Trade agreement;  EU -Japan FTA;  EU-Vietnam FTA;  EU cooperation with the EaP and CA countries. 4

Objectives  Enlargement:  ongoing accession negotiations with Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey;  Montenegro: continue the work mainly on chapters without opening benchmarks;  further progress in the negotiation process with Turkey - moving closer to EU values;  open the first chapters with Serbia.  Migration:  effective implementation of the existing instruments and intensified practical cooperation;  strengthening of practical cooperation with third countries;  different processes and dialogues in line with the Global Approach to Migration and Mobility;  implementation of Council Conclusions “Taking action to better manage migratory flows” and necessary follow-up. 5

2. Eastern Partnership: current context  Persistent different perceptions of the EaP by the EU and Russia  Fragility of the situation in Ukraine and its East  Instability in other countries of the EaP (governance, weak institutions, corruption, lack of democratic traditions)  Diversity of the EaP states and a different level of ambitions with regard to the EU  Volatility around frozen conflicts  The need to build consensus within EU MS and institutions 6

The Latvian EU Presidency and Riga Summit as an opportunity to:  To reconfirm the strategic importance of the EaP as a part of the ENP  To strengthen the principle of differentiation in relations with EaP partners and strengthen the joint platform of the Eastern Partnership  Search for ways to build mutual understanding with other integration platforms on the European continent, namely, EEU 7

EaP related events during the Presidency 4 th Eastern Partnership Summit, May 2015, Riga (Latvia) 3 rd meeting of the Eastern Partnership Business Forum, 21 May 2015, Riga (Latvia) 3 rd meeting of the Eastern Partnership Business Forum, 21 May 2015, Riga (Latvia) 1 st Eastern Partnership Media Conference, 20 May 2015, Riga (Latvia) 2 nd Civil Society Conference, May 2015, Riga (Latvia) EaP Transport Ministerial Meeting in the framework of TEN-T Days in Riga, June 2015 (TBC), Riga (Latvia) 2 nd EaP Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial,29 January 2015, Riga (Latvia) 1 st Ministerial Meeting on “Digital Economy in the EaP”, June 2015 (back-to-back with a relevant Council meeting in Brussels) 2 nd meeting of the Eastern Partnership Youth Forum, February 2015, Riga (Latvia). 2 nd meeting of the Eastern Partnership Youth Forum, February 2015, Riga (Latvia). Annual Meeting of the Conference of the Regional and Local Authorities for the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP), May 2015 (TBC), Riga (Latvia); CORLEAP Bureau Meeting, May 2015 (TBC), Riga (Latvia). Integrated Border Management (IBM) Panel Meeting, 16 June 2015, Riga (Latvia). “Rural Advisory System: Best Practices and Experience” – a conference under the EaP Multilateral Platform 2, Panel on Agriculture and Rural Development, April 2015, Riga (Latvia). “Rural Advisory System: Best Practices and Experience” – a conference under the EaP Multilateral Platform 2, Panel on Agriculture and Rural Development, April 2015, Riga (Latvia). “Consultations and Negotiations between National Government and Local Government/Regional Government associations“, a seminar organised under the auspices of the EaP Multilateral Platform 1, Panel on Reform of Public Administration, 19 June 2015, Riga (Latvia). “1 st EaP Ministerial Conference on Tuberculosis and Its Multi-Drug Resistance”, 31 March 2015, Riga (Latvia). Responsible institution: Ministry of Health of Latvia / Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of Latvia. 8

3. EU-CAS: Current context  EU-CAS :  increased EU visibility and acceptance in the region;  activities in the framework of the three focal initiatives (“pillars”) of the Strategy: rule of law, environment/water and education:  cooperation in confronting common challenges (security, drugs); BOMCA, CADAP;  involvement in one of the most conflict-laden issues in CA: water;  deepened co-operation in education;  some shortcomings and considerable potential for intensified co-operation remain:  the education sector in CA is deteriorating further;  progress in the area of democratization and human rights is slow or non-existent;  not enough support for regional cooperation;  Need for a thorough and comprehensive review of EU-CAS 9

Areas of building further progress with CA partners  Revitalisation of the EU – CA Security Dialogue;  Regional Security – border management, fight against drugs;  Trade and investment;  Facilitation of Eurasian land transport links;  Re-establishment of EUSR mandate;  Reinforced dialogue with key players in the region;  Continued support for human rights, rule of law and democratisation reforms;  Redouble our efforts to invest in Education. 10

CA related events during the Presidency  EU-Central Asia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Second quarter, Astana (Kazakhstan)  High Level EU-CA Security Dialogue, 11 March 2015, Dushanbe (Tajikistan)  BOMCA 9 (EU Border Management Programme for Central Asia), May launching of BOMCA 9 programme  Conference 'Inauguration BOMCA 9’, May 2015, Riga/Bishkek  Conference Border security, BOMCA 9, May 2015, Astana (Kazakhstan)  EU-CA dialogue meeting on combating drugs, 17 March 2015, Brussels  EU-Central Asia Seminar on Counter-terrorism, 25 March 2015, Brussels  HR dialogue with Kyrgyzstan, April 2015, Bishkek/Brussels  Advancing activities under the EU Rule of Law Initiative, First half 2015, CA countries  The CA court and legal affairs expert study tours to Latvia, First half 2015, Riga (Latvia)  EU-CA Education Ministers’ meeting, June 2015, Riga (Latvia)  Seminar on education issues (within 12th International exhibition in Uzbekistan ‘Education and career’), 2-4 April 2015, Tashkent (Uzbekistan)  Conference on Transport Linkages in the Eurasian region, April 2015, Riga (Latvia)  Conference “Green Bridge Forum”, April 2015, Riga (Latvia)  Conference “Rural Advisory System: Best Practices and Experience”, March 2015, Tashkent (Uzbekistan)  Seminar on the energy efficiency, 25 February 2015, Tashkent (Uzbekistan)  EUROCHAMBRES Economic Forum on Cooperation with Central Asia, 4-5 June 2015, Riga (Latvia)  Preparatory process towards signature of the EPCA with Kazakhstan, First half 2015, Brussels  EU-KAZ Cooperation Council, First quarter, Brussels  EU-UZB Cooperation Council, Second quarter, Brussels  Exploratory opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee, January 2015, Brussels  Conference “EU and Central Asia Cooperation: Reality Check, Lessons Learned and the Way Ahead”, 30 January 2015, Brussels  Conference - contribution to the Review of EU-CA Strategy, February/March 2015, Helsinki (Finland)  Conference on EU-US in Central Asia, June 2015, Washington (USA)  Conference EU-Central Asia Cooperation, March 2015, Stockholm (Sweden)  Conference on Central Asia, Spring 2015, Teheran 11