Commission Report (2002): Poland

• Progress since the last Regular Report
• Overall assessment
• Conclusion

Chapter 27: Common foreign and security policy

Progress since the last Regular Report

Since the previous Regular Report Poland has continued to align its foreign policy with that of the European Union and has participated constructively in the framework of the Common Foreign and Security Policy. The regular political dialogue established by the Association Agreement with Poland is proceeding smoothly, and Poland continues to orient its foreign and security policy towards that of the European Union. It continues to participate actively in the framework of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), including in meetings at the level of Political Directors, European Correspondents and Working Groups.

Poland has shown a keen interest in the development of European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) as part of the CFSP, and has actively participated in the exchanges in this context with the EU, in EU + 15 format (i.e. non-EU European NATO members and candidates for accession to the EU) and in EU + 6 format (i.e. non-EU European Members of NATO).

As regards alignment with EU statements and declarations, Poland has regularly aligned its positions with those of the Union and, when invited to do so, has associated itself with the Union's common positions and joint actions. Since October 2001, Poland has associated itself with five declarations and four common positions.

Poland has continued to comply with international sanctions and restrictive measures imposed by the UN or the EU. However, further adjustment to align with both the introduction and the withdrawal of such measures is still needed. The administration has also carried out an information campaign targeting export companies concerning the new legal situation.

Poland has confirmed its preparedness to contribute both to EU Rapid Intervention Force missions and to EU civilian instruments for crisis management. It participated in the Pledging Conference for Capacities' Improvement (November 2001) and the EU15 +6 Defence Ministers' meeting in May 2002. It has shown an active interest in participating in the forthcoming EU Police Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

As for defence co-operation, Poland has made considerable efforts to support international peacekeeping missions. It has participated in a series of UN (SFOR, KFOR and ISAF) and OSCE peacekeeping and observer operations.

Poland has ratified the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court in November 2001, and has passed new legislation against the financing of terrorism. It has ratified relevant international conventions relating to terrorism. In November 2001 Poland organised in Warsaw a CEEC conference on the fight against terrorism. It has aligned with the EU Action Plan of September 2001 and with the four Common Positions on combating terrorism.

Relations with the Russian Federation continued to improve significantly with the visit of the Russian President to Poland in January 2002. This was the first visit to Poland of a Russian President in nine years. Poland has demonstrated a keen interest in contributing to the definition of the position of the Kaliningrad enclave within the EU after Poland's and Lithuania's accessions, and has contributed actively in consultations with the Russian Federation, Lithuania and the Commission.

Poland continued to participate actively in regional co-operation fora, such as the Visegrad group, the Central European Initiative and the Council of the Baltic Sea States, which held an extraordinary meeting on Kaliningrad in the Russian enclave in March 2002. It has supported the Stability Pact for South-East Europe.

Poland continues to participate in regional security co-operation schemes, such as the structure established with Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and the trilateral co-operation with Germany and Denmark. Within these frameworks, joint battalions are operational. Poland also co-operates closely with France and Germany in the context of the Weimar Triangle, in which common exercises are being organised on a rotating basis. In addition, Poland has also developed bilateral defence co-operation agreements with Ukraine and with Lithuania. In addition, a tri-national brigade comprising soldiers from Poland, the Latvia and Slovakia was set up at the end of May 2002.

With regard to administrative co-operation structures, work was completed on the definition of the prerogatives of the Political Director in the CFSP context. A plenipotentiary was designated at the Polish mission to the EU to represent Poland in the ESDP context.

Overall assessment

On the regional level, Poland takes part a number of co-operation forums. It continues to support the Stability Pact for South-East Europe and participate in the EU Action Plan on the Northern Dimension. It continues regional security co-operation with Germany and Denmark, with the Czech Republic and with the Baltic States. Poland's bilateral relations with neighbouring European partners remain strong. Relations with the Russian Federation in general, and the Kaliningrad District in particular, have improved considerably. Relations with Ukraine remain very close. Relations with Belarus are hampered due to the political situation in that country.

Particular effort has been made by Poland to ensure contact with, and between, regional authorities, especially as regards cross-border co-operation, in the context of the Euroregions established along all the Polish borders. Poland has sought to strengthen its bilateral relations with neighbouring European partners. In particular, contacts at the highest political level continue to be very frequent with Lithuania and Ukraine.

Poland continues to basically comply with sanctions regimes imposed by the UN and the EU, and Polish legislation is to a great extent aligned with the acquis. Further amendments to administrative rules are needed and planned with a view to smoothening and speeding up decision-making procedures on sanctions implementation.

With regard to the EU code of Conduct for Arms Exports, Poland has integrated the principal criteria into its domestic legislation. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is well staffed and has an administrative set-up compatible with EU CFSP structures. Since 2001 it includes the post of a Political and Security Committee interlocutor. A liaison officer to the Military Committee has been appointed. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a European Correspondent but, as yet, no Political Director. However, there is an equivalent official who assumes the Political Director's tasks at co-operation meetings with the EU. Further strengthening in terms of supporting staff will still be required for the European Correspondent Bureau and ESDP co-operation. The necessary resources to achieve this will have to be secured. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is connected to the Associated Correspondent's Network information system, through which the EU communicates within the CFSP with the associated partners.

Conclusion

In its 1997 Opinion, the Commission concluded that it was expected that Poland as a member could effectively fulfil its obligations in this field.

Since the Opinion, Poland has made good progress in the field. Poland's alignment with the acquis in the CFSP is overall satisfactory and significant efforts have been made to ensure that the appropriate administrative capacity will be in place by accession.

Negotiations on this chapter have been provisionally closed and Poland has not requested any transitional arrangements. Poland is generally meeting the commitments made in the accession negotiations in this field.

In order to complete preparations for membership Poland's efforts now need to focus on ensuring its foreign policy orientation remains in line with the Union's developing foreign and security policy, adopting the legislation on economic sanctions and finalising the development of the necessary administrative structures.

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