Eastern partnership summit, SME week, ALDE congress, EU-China relations and more...
Paweł Robert Kowal heads up our eastern partnership cover feature ahead of next week’s summit in Vilnius. Kawel, parliament’s rapporteur on addressing and setting priorities for EU relations with eastern partnership (EaP) countries, expresses concern over the lack of clear goals for the individual countries. He says, “While there are practical targets – the signing of association agreements (AA) and free trade agreements, there is still no vision for what the eastern partnership will be after they have been achieved.” Elsewhere, Polish MEP Jacek Saryusz-Wolski stresses that “if we want the EaP to succeed, we must not make it hostage to the will to succeed at all costs – that would turn it into a Phyrric victory”, and warns, “The real work is still ahead of us”. Meanwhile, EPP deputy Monica Macovei urges the EU to support Moldova, adding that signing of the AA could trigger “important consequences”.