That is fine. The decision is still out. We have devised this policy as something distinct from enlargement. It does not prejudge, in either way, the answer to this question. The question lies also in the Treaty of the European Union and not in this policy. The policy does not express an accession perspective. Against the background the Chairman mentioned, the farther west one goes within the European Union, the stronger feelings become that enlargement is moving too fast. Commissioner Ferrero-Waldnersees much merit in strengthening this policy because it is not an enlargement policy. When we present a policy, we sometimes tend to call it a partnership of reform with our neighbouring countries with which we have engaged and helped to reform.
I draw the attention of the joint committee to the so-called ENP action plans, which are joint agendas agreed, often after painstakingly long consultations, with our neighbouring countries on an agenda of what to do over the next three to five years. Our legal relationship with these countries is founded in the association agreements with the states to the south and the partnership and co-operation agreements with our eastern neighbours. These are political agendas that are negotiated by the Commission, the Council and the higher representative and the special representatives of the European Union are drawn in when such negotiations touch on partner countries affected by regional conflicts. I refer here to the difficulties between Moldova and Transinistria, the Nagorno-Karabakh issue or the Middle East peace process.
The policy, which is reform-oriented and which encompasses certain objectives and measures we have agreed with these countries to take forward in the coming years, touches upon three main groups of issues. The first is political dialogue and reform. This involves dialogue with these countries, particularly, the Ukraine, in terms of encouraging them to align with EU positions abroad in foreign policy matters. Such dialogue is reform-oriented towards the rule of law and the functioning of the judicial system and of election laws, freedom of the media, etc. The second major matter in respect of which we co-operate with the partner countries is sound macroeconomic management. The third is sectoral reform and institution-building in the areas of energy, transport, the environment, research and development and — particularly with regard to the southern neighbouring countries but also in respect of those to the east — education exchanges. Research is also carried out in respect of education systems in these countries in order to ensure that modern models of such systems are in place.
The entire policy aims to help the reform process that should provide more prosperity to the people, particularly in young countries such as our southern neighbours. It has been welcomed by most of our neighbours. Morocco and Jordan have their domestic reform programmes. In Jordan it has just been adopted by the Parliament and by the King as a national agenda. In Morocco there is also a reform programme. The Ukraine and Moldova did not welcome it at first because they were disappointed that it did not hold an accession perspective for them. They have, however, accepted it in the meantime. What was also rather difficult to set up was the action plan with Israel and the Palestinian Authority because of the Middle East peace process and conflict.
Where do we stand? We have set up such action plans with seven of our neighbouring countries, namely, the Ukraine, Moldova, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Morocco and Tunisia. We have begun consultations, for which we received a mandate from the European Council, with a further five countries. The first of these is Egypt, with which we have had one round of consultations and with which we will have another in December, the second is Lebanon, with which consultations were delayed because of the Syrians retreating and the new Government being formed, the third and fourth are Armenia and Georgia, with which consultations began yesterday and today, and the fifth is Azerbaijan, with which consultations will follow in the coming weeks. The aim is to eventually have such action plans with all 16 of our neighbours. The laggards in this area are Syria, Libya and Belorussia. The reasons for the delay in commencing consultations with them do not need further explanation.
To support the European neighbourhood policy, the Commission has proposed a European neighbourhood and partnership instrument for the Union's assistance in the period 2007 to 2013. The Commission proposes to increase the Union's assistance to approximately €15 billion to these countries for the seven-year period but that depends on the budget decision that is still outstanding. We are waiting for the regulation on the new instrument, called ENP, to be decided by the Council, possibly by March, but only on condition that the UK Presidency can bring about an agreement on the budget. This regulation should provide for a more flexible menu of assistance compared with the Tacis and MEDA programmes which are being replaced by it. We will also be able to apply some instruments we used in support of the transition of our new member states such as the twinning mechanism or the TAIEX. Just as Ireland supported transition in Lithuania and Latvia through taking part in Community-funded twinning projects it might also be interesting for it to have such engagement with other smaller countries such as Moldova and Armenia.
The Commissioner will report to the European Council on the state of play of the EU neighbourhood policy and will be available to the plenary session of the European Parliament in January when she will answer questions on the policy. The Commission intends to publish progress reports at the end of next year on how the various countries have implemented the commitments they have given in the action plans. It would be too early to do so now as we must give countries space to implement their commitments. They are generally on track. I apologise for taking slightly longer than I said I would.
