- European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy
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European Union
This article is part of the series:
Politics and government of
the European UnionPolicies and issuesThe Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy is the member of the European Commission in charge of overseeing the accession process of prospective new member states and relations with those bordering the European Union (EU). The present Commissioner, as of February 2010, is Štefan Füle.
Currently there are three candidate countries and six who have either applied for membership or are preparing via the Stabilisation and Association Process countries. Most of them are located in the western Balkans except Iceland and Turkey. Neighbourhood Policy is directed towards those members along the EU's eastern border and on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
Contents
Rehn
Olli Rehn became enlargement commissioner in 2004, following the enlargement to 10 new countries. In 2007 he oversaw the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Union. In 2004 Candidate status was granted to Croatia, and in 2005 to Macedonia.
As Commissioner, Rehn has been involved with the enlargement to the western Balkans and Turkey, encouraging reform on those countries. 2006 saw the independence of Montenegro and separate accession talks starting with them.
In 2007 he welcomed the UN proposal on Kosovo by Martti Ahtisaari which advocated near-independence to the region and would have seen separate accession negotiations with the Union.
The Commissioner has also been involved in the reunification of Cyprus, bringing Northern Cyprus into the European Union. Rehn's head of cabinet is Timo Pesone and his deputy head is Maria Åsenius.
List of commissioners
The enlargement portfolio began to be created out of the regionalised foreign policy posts. In particular the Santer Commission post for relations with central and eastern Europe as those countries began applying to join. The Neighbourhood Policy element was created in 2004 as part of the External Relations portfolio. When that portfolio was absorbed by the High Representative in 2009, Neighbourhood Policy was transferred to Trade and then to Enlargement in 2010 under the Second Barroso Commission.
Name Country Period Commission 1 Günter Verheugen Germany
1999–2004 Prodi Commission 2 Janez Potočnik Slovenia
2004 Prodi Commission 3 Olli Rehn Finland
2004–2010 Barroso Commission I 4 Štefan Füle Czech Republic
2010 onwards Barroso Commission II See also
- Directorate-General for Enlargement
- Enlargement of the European Union
- Commissioner for External Relations
- Foreign relations of the European Union
- European Union Association Agreement
External links
- Commissioner Commissioners website
- Enlargement website
- Rehn warns of 'chaos' in Kosovo if UN plan fails
Current European Commission Portfolios Agriculture and Rural Development · Climate Action · Competition · Development · Digital Agenda · Economic and Monetary Affairs · Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth · Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion · Energy · Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy · Environment · Financial Programming and Budget · Health and Consumer Policy · High Representative · Home Affairs · Industry and Entrepreneurship · Internal Market and Services · International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response · Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration · Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship · Maritime Affairs and Fisheries · Regional Policy · Research, Innovation and Science · Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud · Trade · Transport
Enlargement and partners of the European Union Previous enlargements Candidates Applied Potential (SAA) Partnerships Eastern Partnership Northern Dimension Union for the Mediterranean Foreign relations of the European Union
Bilateral relations Africa & ME Cape Verde · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Jordan · Lebanon · Morocco · Palestine · South Africa · Syria · YemenAmericas Asia-Pacific Australia · China (People's Republic of) · Fiji · India · Indonesia · Japan · Nepal · North Korea · Pakistan · South KoreaEurope &
Central AsiaAlbania · Andorra · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Belarus · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Croatia · Cyprus (Turkish Republic of)† · Faroe Islands · Georgia · Iceland · Kazakhstan · Kosovo† · Liechtenstein · Macedonia‡ · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Norway · Russia · San Marino · Serbia · Switzerland · Turkey · Ukraine · Vatican CityGeneral † = Disputed state, may not be recognised as an independent state by some or all European Union or United Nations members. ‡ Name disputed by Greece, EU recognises the Republic of Macedonia as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.Multilateral relations and initiatives Organisations Initiatives African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States · Asia–Europe Meeting · Customs Union · Eastern Partnership · Energy Community · Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly · European Common Aviation Area · European Economic Area · Euro-Mediterranean free trade area · Euromediterranean Partnership · Euronest · Economic Partnership Agreements · Neighbourhood Policy · Northern Dimension · Mediterranean Union · Stabilisation and Association Process · Association AgreementOrganisation Policy Common Foreign and Security Policy · Economic Relations · Everything but Arms · Security and Defence Policy · EnlargementActors ECHO · EuropeAid · External Action Service · Foreign Affairs Council · High Representative Catherine Ashton · Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee · Foreign Policy Instruments ServiceDiplomatic missions Military and security Initiatives Defence Initiative · Synch. Armed Forces Europe · Defence Procurement · Petersberg tasks · Helsinki Headline GoalStructures Political and Security Committee · Military Committee · Military Staff · Operations Centre · Security & Defence College · Defence Agency · Institute for Security Studies · Satellite Centre · Joint Situation CentreForces Categories:- Portfolios in the European Commission
- Enlargement of the European Union
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