Lecture by Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet at the European Commission Representation in Sweden
"Estonia – First Year as a Member of the European Union"
12 May 2005, Stockholm
Dear Mr Chairman,
Excellences,
Ladies and gentlemen!
First of all, thank you for the opportunity to speak here in front of such a diverse and distinguished audience!
I would like to use this opportunity to look back at Estonia's first year as a member of the European Union, as well as look forward by introducing Estonia's vision of some of the most important aspects of the Union's future development. I feel particularly honoured to do it here in Sweden, the country that has supported Estonians on so many occasions. Swedish readiness to receive the Estonian refugees in 1944, as is well known, helped to save thousands of lives. Last fall we celebrated 60-year anniversary of the arrival of Estonian refugees on the Swedish shores We are still very grateful to Swedish people who helped our refugees to begin their lives anew in Sweden.
One can hardly underestimate your country's support and encouragement to Estonia during our fight for restoration of independent statehood and also afterwards. Sweden was one of our most important partners during Estonian accession to the European Union. Among other things, Prime Minister Göran Persson's initiative to name the year 2000 as "The Year of the Baltic States" had a strong symbolic meaning and contributed considerably to introducing the Baltic States to the European Union and raising awareness about the Union in Estonia.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Last year was a year of most important changes for Estonia. Those days are over, when we could be referred to as a "nation in transition". Our accession to the European Union, as well as to NATO, were the culminations of a long process. It took us almost thirteen years to achieve these goals. On the one hand, thirteen years was a long period of time, when we often had to sacrifice our momentary concerns in the interest of long-term perspectives and goals. On the other hand, the development of independent Estonia has been perhaps even faster than we could have hoped for in the early 1990s.
Membership in the Union has provided us with opportunities that we have never had in our nation's history. Since 1 May 2004, the internal market of the Union has been, without exceptions, open to Estonian exports. In 2004 trade with the other Member States of the European Union grew by 18%. Estonian exports to these countries grew by 15% and import from these countries to Estonia by 19%. There has been a considerable increase in the interest of foreign companies in the opportunities that our economy can offer mainly due to our favourable investment climate. Accession to the European Union has increased free choice for individuals - opportunities for working abroad, tourism and student exchange have grown substantially. I am happy to emphasize that Sweden was one of the countries that has opened its labour markets to Estonian citizens. The mutual benefits of these actions are obvious. Support to the membership in Estonia remains high; according to the most recent opinion poll it is 68%.
However, the membership in the enlarged European Union as well as in NATO has meant not only new opportunities but also considerably bigger commitments. Memberships in these organizations did not mark “the end of history” for Estonia’s foreign policy, but a new beginning on a completely new and much more demanding level. Memberships in NATO and the European Union have given our foreign policy a global dimension. This is both a privilege and an enormous responsibility. We have had to learn to make our voice heard in the European institutions, defend our positions, as well as learn to think and act not only in national interests of Estonia but also for the interests of Europe as a whole.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I would now like to present the Estonian positions in some of the most important aspects concerning the further development of the European Union. I will focus on the Union's financial framework, Common Foreign and Security Policy – with a special emphasis on the European Security and Defence Policy, Neighbourhood Policy, and relations with Russia. Finally I will touch upon the importance of increasing the competitiveness of the European Union.
Negotiations are continuing concerning the Union’s financial framework for the years 2007 – 2013. The achieving of a satisfactory agreement is especially essential since the establishing of a financial framework is not just a matter of specifying revenues and expenses in the European Union’s budget, but rather a more general defining of the Union’s goals and priority activities. Estonia supports Luxembourg Presidency’s efforts to reach political agreement during its presidency and hopes that the Member States are willing to demonstrate flexibility, solidarity and responsibility to achieve this goal. Estonia prefers the European Union budget to be as transparent and simple as possible, facing current, not past priorities. Talking about new priorities, we support directing funds to competitiveness of the Union, as well as to the Union's external activities, especially the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument.
Estonia shares the majority of other Member States’ conviction that the European Union’s international role needs to be increased. There exists a lot of potential for this – the collective opinion and actions of twenty-five countries as a whole carry much more weight than the sum total of the actions of twenty-five individual countries. The most essential guarantee of the effectiveness and efficiency of the enlarged European Union’s foreign policy is the speaking with one voice.
We all know that during the last few years, security risks in the world have increased. Europe is not an exception in this respect. The terror attack in Madrid last March was a tragic proof of this. Regarding the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), Estonia would support increasing the Union’s military capabilities. The further development of the ESDP, however, should not cause a weakening of the transatlantic link, or duplicate NATO. The basis for an effective European security policy is a constructive partnership between NATO and the European Union.
Talking about the European Security and Defence Policy, or the ESDP, in general, it can be stated, that Estonia is satisfied with its development to date. Estonian and Swedish cooperation is particularly visible in this context. As was agreed recently, both Sweden and Estonia, together with Norway and Finland will be taking part in the Nordic battle group of the European Union, starting from 2008.
Ladies and gentlemen,
It goes without saying, that security and prosperity in the European Union are also dependent on the stability of the countries beyond its borders, in the immediate vicinity of the Union. Hence we have to continue working not merely towards further integration within the enlarged Union, but also towards more active cooperation between the Union and its neighbours.
Estonia, as a European Union border state, realizes, especially clearly, the need for the further development of the European Union’s Neighbourhood Policy. Estonia’s major efforts, within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy, have, so far, been directed, primarily, at Ukraine and Georgia, and we expect to intensify our contacts with Moldova. We also see the European Neighbourhood Policy as a valuable tool to develop the European Union’s long-term relations with the Mediterranean countries.
It is essential to create the means for economic integration, intensified political and cultural relations, as well as cross-border and regional co-operation between the European Union and its new neighbours. We are glad to note, that the formulation of the concrete action plans have been based upon a differentiated approach towards every state.
Cooperation with the European Union’s neighbouring states is a realm in which the Union’s new Member States’ political and economic reform experience is especially valuable. Estonia is prepared to continue supporting these and other countries in their endeavours to carry out democratic and market economy reforms. Our contribution could be particularly valuable in the Information and Communication Technologies sector, as well as in the sphere of e-government. This is where Estonia itself has been rather successful in adopting new technologies and introducing reforms. At the forefront of such contribution is our E-Governance Academy, an institution established in 2002. The purpose of this institution is to improve the public and third sector’s cooperative capabilities in the sphere of communication and information technology and among its main target countries are countries of the CIS.
We were all happy to witness the so-called “Orange Revolution” in Ukraine last December. Ukraine has clearly chosen the path towards democratic reforms and the rule of law. It has demonstrated willingness to become a reliable partner to both the European Union and NATO. From the point of view of the future of Europe as a whole, it is important, that in this large state there exists a functioning democracy, a strong civil society, and an effective economy. Estonia is actively contributing to Ukraine’s development as a democratic state. This takes place, primarily, through development cooperation projects.
Likewise in case of Georgia, the “Rose Revolution” and the fact that the post-revolutionary reforms have been conducted in compliance with the constitution, have particularly fed our optimism. During his visit to Estonia, Georgia’s president, Mikheil Saakašvili had two clear and essential messages for us. Firstly, that Georgia wishes to proceed down the road of democratic European values. Secondly, that Georgia regards Estonia’s achievements as the example to follow. A more active approach to aiding Georgia gives a realistic opportunity for contributing to the development and stabilisation of the region. In 2004, Georgia was the biggest recipient of Estonia’s development assistance, and continues to retain this position this year. Despite Estonia's limited resources, Georgian officials have, this year, been given courses in the spheres of information society development, the environment, European Union integration, as well as taxation and financial policy. Also noteworthy is the cooperation between the Estonian and Georgian ministries of defence.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I would also like to say a few words on Russia. As a strategic partner for both the European Union and NATO, Russia is, of course, a particular case among the neighbours of the European Union. The enlargement of the European Union has created entirely new opportunities for the EU-Russian cooperation. The partnership is envisaged to be developed further within the framework of the Four Common Spaces. Estonia welcomes the agreement reached on this matter during the EU-Russia summit in Moscow on 10 May.
The EU countries in the Baltic Sea region, Estonia and Sweden among them, can bring their valuable contribution into fulfilling EU Northern Dimension Action Plan 2004-06. From environmental concerns, and obstacles hampering trade and investments to strengthening the interaction of civil societies, there is a vast scope of objectives that need to be tackled to put the EU-Russia partnership on a solid long-term ground. In addition to that, the EU countries in the Baltic Sea region have the responsibility to see that the partnership with Russia will take into account the specific features of the region and the issues that arise from the direct neighbourhood with Russia in this region.
As Russia’s immediate neighbour, Estonia follows, especially attentively, the effects that developments there are having on foreign policy. Thus, more than ever, the European Union’s Russian policy must be unified and consistent. Its cornerstone must be the observance of long-term common values, not the furthering of narrow momentary economic interests or other short-term considerations. But as important is the condemnation of the crimes of Communist regime, admitting what happened in the past.
Russia’s ending, on 1 May 2004, of the double customs tariffs, which had been levied against goods of Estonian origin, has undoubtedly had a positive effect upon Estonian-Russian trade. At the same time, Russia has unfortunately continued to implement measures, which have hindered the development of economic relations with both Estonia and other states. The signing of the border treaties between Estonia and Russia on 18 May will hopefully contribute to the improvement of the relations between the two countries.
Finally, a few words about economic matters. In recent years, the economic growth in the European Union has slowed down. The population of Europe is aging. This indicates the seriousness of the challenges facing Europe and should convince us all that both the global competitiveness of the European Union, as well as competition within the Union itself should be increased. This is the most reliable way of ensuring stability and long-term development of Europe’s economic environment.
Efficiency, increased competitiveness and sustainable economic growth are the core goals of the Lisbon strategy and Estonia completely supports these endeavours. Creating more employment in Europe, investment in human resources and life-long learning are crucial in this respect. To secure economic growth in Europe and increase its competitiveness, research and development (R&D), and scientific innovations should be prioritised even more. Increased attention has to be paid to the development of information and communication as well the so-called frontier technologies, biotechnology in particular.
In order to revitalize the European economy, it is important that all Member States follow the conditions prescribed on their fiscal policy in the Stability and Growth Pact. Maximization of the potential of all Member States rather than suffocating it with red tape is also of particular importance. Another important condition is the free movement of labour. We hope that this will in the near future complement for all new member states the free movement of capital, goods and services in the European single market.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me conclude by emphasising that Estonia’s accession to the European Union has given a new momentum to the already excellent bilateral relations between Sweden and Estonia. This concerns numerous spheres of life, be it trade, cooperation in the field of defence and security, environmental protection, or scientific and cultural contacts. Sweden is our second most important trade partner and the biggest foreign investor to Estonia. We are both members of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, sharing the concern about the fate of the biggest inland water body of Europe. As overseas neighbours in economically most dynamic region of the European Union, we share many interests and visions in the Europe of tomorrow.
Thank you for your attention!
12 May 2005, Stockholm
Dear Mr Chairman,
Excellences,
Ladies and gentlemen!
First of all, thank you for the opportunity to speak here in front of such a diverse and distinguished audience!
I would like to use this opportunity to look back at Estonia's first year as a member of the European Union, as well as look forward by introducing Estonia's vision of some of the most important aspects of the Union's future development. I feel particularly honoured to do it here in Sweden, the country that has supported Estonians on so many occasions. Swedish readiness to receive the Estonian refugees in 1944, as is well known, helped to save thousands of lives. Last fall we celebrated 60-year anniversary of the arrival of Estonian refugees on the Swedish shores We are still very grateful to Swedish people who helped our refugees to begin their lives anew in Sweden.
One can hardly underestimate your country's support and encouragement to Estonia during our fight for restoration of independent statehood and also afterwards. Sweden was one of our most important partners during Estonian accession to the European Union. Among other things, Prime Minister Göran Persson's initiative to name the year 2000 as "The Year of the Baltic States" had a strong symbolic meaning and contributed considerably to introducing the Baltic States to the European Union and raising awareness about the Union in Estonia.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Last year was a year of most important changes for Estonia. Those days are over, when we could be referred to as a "nation in transition". Our accession to the European Union, as well as to NATO, were the culminations of a long process. It took us almost thirteen years to achieve these goals. On the one hand, thirteen years was a long period of time, when we often had to sacrifice our momentary concerns in the interest of long-term perspectives and goals. On the other hand, the development of independent Estonia has been perhaps even faster than we could have hoped for in the early 1990s.
Membership in the Union has provided us with opportunities that we have never had in our nation's history. Since 1 May 2004, the internal market of the Union has been, without exceptions, open to Estonian exports. In 2004 trade with the other Member States of the European Union grew by 18%. Estonian exports to these countries grew by 15% and import from these countries to Estonia by 19%. There has been a considerable increase in the interest of foreign companies in the opportunities that our economy can offer mainly due to our favourable investment climate. Accession to the European Union has increased free choice for individuals - opportunities for working abroad, tourism and student exchange have grown substantially. I am happy to emphasize that Sweden was one of the countries that has opened its labour markets to Estonian citizens. The mutual benefits of these actions are obvious. Support to the membership in Estonia remains high; according to the most recent opinion poll it is 68%.
However, the membership in the enlarged European Union as well as in NATO has meant not only new opportunities but also considerably bigger commitments. Memberships in these organizations did not mark “the end of history” for Estonia’s foreign policy, but a new beginning on a completely new and much more demanding level. Memberships in NATO and the European Union have given our foreign policy a global dimension. This is both a privilege and an enormous responsibility. We have had to learn to make our voice heard in the European institutions, defend our positions, as well as learn to think and act not only in national interests of Estonia but also for the interests of Europe as a whole.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I would now like to present the Estonian positions in some of the most important aspects concerning the further development of the European Union. I will focus on the Union's financial framework, Common Foreign and Security Policy – with a special emphasis on the European Security and Defence Policy, Neighbourhood Policy, and relations with Russia. Finally I will touch upon the importance of increasing the competitiveness of the European Union.
Negotiations are continuing concerning the Union’s financial framework for the years 2007 – 2013. The achieving of a satisfactory agreement is especially essential since the establishing of a financial framework is not just a matter of specifying revenues and expenses in the European Union’s budget, but rather a more general defining of the Union’s goals and priority activities. Estonia supports Luxembourg Presidency’s efforts to reach political agreement during its presidency and hopes that the Member States are willing to demonstrate flexibility, solidarity and responsibility to achieve this goal. Estonia prefers the European Union budget to be as transparent and simple as possible, facing current, not past priorities. Talking about new priorities, we support directing funds to competitiveness of the Union, as well as to the Union's external activities, especially the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument.
Estonia shares the majority of other Member States’ conviction that the European Union’s international role needs to be increased. There exists a lot of potential for this – the collective opinion and actions of twenty-five countries as a whole carry much more weight than the sum total of the actions of twenty-five individual countries. The most essential guarantee of the effectiveness and efficiency of the enlarged European Union’s foreign policy is the speaking with one voice.
We all know that during the last few years, security risks in the world have increased. Europe is not an exception in this respect. The terror attack in Madrid last March was a tragic proof of this. Regarding the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), Estonia would support increasing the Union’s military capabilities. The further development of the ESDP, however, should not cause a weakening of the transatlantic link, or duplicate NATO. The basis for an effective European security policy is a constructive partnership between NATO and the European Union.
Talking about the European Security and Defence Policy, or the ESDP, in general, it can be stated, that Estonia is satisfied with its development to date. Estonian and Swedish cooperation is particularly visible in this context. As was agreed recently, both Sweden and Estonia, together with Norway and Finland will be taking part in the Nordic battle group of the European Union, starting from 2008.
Ladies and gentlemen,
It goes without saying, that security and prosperity in the European Union are also dependent on the stability of the countries beyond its borders, in the immediate vicinity of the Union. Hence we have to continue working not merely towards further integration within the enlarged Union, but also towards more active cooperation between the Union and its neighbours.
Estonia, as a European Union border state, realizes, especially clearly, the need for the further development of the European Union’s Neighbourhood Policy. Estonia’s major efforts, within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy, have, so far, been directed, primarily, at Ukraine and Georgia, and we expect to intensify our contacts with Moldova. We also see the European Neighbourhood Policy as a valuable tool to develop the European Union’s long-term relations with the Mediterranean countries.
It is essential to create the means for economic integration, intensified political and cultural relations, as well as cross-border and regional co-operation between the European Union and its new neighbours. We are glad to note, that the formulation of the concrete action plans have been based upon a differentiated approach towards every state.
Cooperation with the European Union’s neighbouring states is a realm in which the Union’s new Member States’ political and economic reform experience is especially valuable. Estonia is prepared to continue supporting these and other countries in their endeavours to carry out democratic and market economy reforms. Our contribution could be particularly valuable in the Information and Communication Technologies sector, as well as in the sphere of e-government. This is where Estonia itself has been rather successful in adopting new technologies and introducing reforms. At the forefront of such contribution is our E-Governance Academy, an institution established in 2002. The purpose of this institution is to improve the public and third sector’s cooperative capabilities in the sphere of communication and information technology and among its main target countries are countries of the CIS.
We were all happy to witness the so-called “Orange Revolution” in Ukraine last December. Ukraine has clearly chosen the path towards democratic reforms and the rule of law. It has demonstrated willingness to become a reliable partner to both the European Union and NATO. From the point of view of the future of Europe as a whole, it is important, that in this large state there exists a functioning democracy, a strong civil society, and an effective economy. Estonia is actively contributing to Ukraine’s development as a democratic state. This takes place, primarily, through development cooperation projects.
Likewise in case of Georgia, the “Rose Revolution” and the fact that the post-revolutionary reforms have been conducted in compliance with the constitution, have particularly fed our optimism. During his visit to Estonia, Georgia’s president, Mikheil Saakašvili had two clear and essential messages for us. Firstly, that Georgia wishes to proceed down the road of democratic European values. Secondly, that Georgia regards Estonia’s achievements as the example to follow. A more active approach to aiding Georgia gives a realistic opportunity for contributing to the development and stabilisation of the region. In 2004, Georgia was the biggest recipient of Estonia’s development assistance, and continues to retain this position this year. Despite Estonia's limited resources, Georgian officials have, this year, been given courses in the spheres of information society development, the environment, European Union integration, as well as taxation and financial policy. Also noteworthy is the cooperation between the Estonian and Georgian ministries of defence.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I would also like to say a few words on Russia. As a strategic partner for both the European Union and NATO, Russia is, of course, a particular case among the neighbours of the European Union. The enlargement of the European Union has created entirely new opportunities for the EU-Russian cooperation. The partnership is envisaged to be developed further within the framework of the Four Common Spaces. Estonia welcomes the agreement reached on this matter during the EU-Russia summit in Moscow on 10 May.
The EU countries in the Baltic Sea region, Estonia and Sweden among them, can bring their valuable contribution into fulfilling EU Northern Dimension Action Plan 2004-06. From environmental concerns, and obstacles hampering trade and investments to strengthening the interaction of civil societies, there is a vast scope of objectives that need to be tackled to put the EU-Russia partnership on a solid long-term ground. In addition to that, the EU countries in the Baltic Sea region have the responsibility to see that the partnership with Russia will take into account the specific features of the region and the issues that arise from the direct neighbourhood with Russia in this region.
As Russia’s immediate neighbour, Estonia follows, especially attentively, the effects that developments there are having on foreign policy. Thus, more than ever, the European Union’s Russian policy must be unified and consistent. Its cornerstone must be the observance of long-term common values, not the furthering of narrow momentary economic interests or other short-term considerations. But as important is the condemnation of the crimes of Communist regime, admitting what happened in the past.
Russia’s ending, on 1 May 2004, of the double customs tariffs, which had been levied against goods of Estonian origin, has undoubtedly had a positive effect upon Estonian-Russian trade. At the same time, Russia has unfortunately continued to implement measures, which have hindered the development of economic relations with both Estonia and other states. The signing of the border treaties between Estonia and Russia on 18 May will hopefully contribute to the improvement of the relations between the two countries.
Finally, a few words about economic matters. In recent years, the economic growth in the European Union has slowed down. The population of Europe is aging. This indicates the seriousness of the challenges facing Europe and should convince us all that both the global competitiveness of the European Union, as well as competition within the Union itself should be increased. This is the most reliable way of ensuring stability and long-term development of Europe’s economic environment.
Efficiency, increased competitiveness and sustainable economic growth are the core goals of the Lisbon strategy and Estonia completely supports these endeavours. Creating more employment in Europe, investment in human resources and life-long learning are crucial in this respect. To secure economic growth in Europe and increase its competitiveness, research and development (R&D), and scientific innovations should be prioritised even more. Increased attention has to be paid to the development of information and communication as well the so-called frontier technologies, biotechnology in particular.
In order to revitalize the European economy, it is important that all Member States follow the conditions prescribed on their fiscal policy in the Stability and Growth Pact. Maximization of the potential of all Member States rather than suffocating it with red tape is also of particular importance. Another important condition is the free movement of labour. We hope that this will in the near future complement for all new member states the free movement of capital, goods and services in the European single market.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me conclude by emphasising that Estonia’s accession to the European Union has given a new momentum to the already excellent bilateral relations between Sweden and Estonia. This concerns numerous spheres of life, be it trade, cooperation in the field of defence and security, environmental protection, or scientific and cultural contacts. Sweden is our second most important trade partner and the biggest foreign investor to Estonia. We are both members of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, sharing the concern about the fate of the biggest inland water body of Europe. As overseas neighbours in economically most dynamic region of the European Union, we share many interests and visions in the Europe of tomorrow.
Thank you for your attention!
© Estonian Foreign Ministry
- Islandi väljak 1
- 15049 Tallinn
- TEL (+372) 6 377 000
- General Info: vminfo@vm.ee
- Documents: post@vm.ee
- For consular and visa-related information:: konsul@vm.ee
