European Union Advocates for a Proactive Policy in Eastern Europe

In the heart of Europe, a call for change is echoing across Eastern European countries. The European Union (EU) is focusing its support on reforms for ecological and social modernization of these economies, recognizing the importance of diversifying energy imports and initiating a deeper energy transition.

This renewed focus is rooted in the spirit of "New Ostpolitik," a policy that originated in the Federal Republic and aimed at achieving gradual change through rapprochement with the Soviet Union and its allies. Today, the term may not be entirely useful due to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, leaving individual states to the east of the EU that develop differently and pursue their own political agendas.

The EU's policy towards these countries should follow overarching goals and principles but be concretized on a country-specific basis. For instance, during Poland's EU presidency in the second half of 2011, a collaborative effort was made to develop a joint EU policy for Eastern countries like Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova. Germany's active role in supporting democratic development in Central and Eastern Europe and Poland's leadership were key factors in this collaborative effort.

Transparent energy industry structures, increased energy efficiency, and the exploitation of renewable energies are key questions for both the development of a democratic political culture and the modernization of the economies in these countries. The EU should provide know-how and investment capital on a large scale for this energy transition.

Agriculture remains one of the most important sectors in Eastern European countries, and its modernization towards ecological farming methods, high quality standards, and modern marketing is a central economic task.

The Heinrich Böll Foundation, a prominent organisation aiming to strengthen democracy and civil society in the transformation societies of Eastern Europe, is taking an active role in this endeavour. The Foundation seeks to establish itself as a credible partner through continuous and consistent cooperation on joint projects in Eastern Europe.

Moreover, the Foundation should identify credible partners in the (party-)political spectrum of Eastern Europe who are open to the green value canon and integrate them into a European political dialogue. Cross-border cooperation in energy matters, such as the "Baltic Sea Initiative," should be promoted.

The Foundation should also promote the involvement of competent NGOs from partner countries in the formulation, monitoring, and implementation of the EU's policies like the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and the Eastern Partnership (EaP), and qualify partners for this task as needed.

The primary challenge lies in establishing coherence between an active European Russia policy and an equally engaged policy towards the other Eastern neighbors. A coherent Russia policy of the EU is important to use diverse economic and political relations for the modernization and democratization of Russia, making it a key goal of a new partnership agreement between the EU and Russia.

The EU has a vital interest in supporting the societies in Eastern Europe in building democratically organized communities due to the long-term stability risks posed by authoritarian power structures, economic monopolies, and massive corruption at the EU's external borders. The signing of the Helsinki Final Act of the CSCE in 1975, significant for human rights movements in Eastern Europe, was made possible by this new policy.

In the 1980s, a division emerged between "détente politicians" and "human rights advocates" regarding Eastern Europe. The former saw peaceful coexistence as more important than supporting dissidents, while the latter sided with Central and Eastern European dissidents. Today, the EU continues to navigate this balance, recognizing the importance of both peaceful relations and the promotion of human rights and democracy in the region.