Book Description

At once an energy corridor and gateway for trafficking and organized crime, the Black Sea region is an area of burgeoning importance to the European Union. Its frozen conflicts in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transnistr ia are dangerous centers of instability in Europe's immediate neighborhood. The Black Sea is also nearing the EU in purely geographic terms: in 2007 its littoral states Romania and Bulgaria will join, accession talks with Turkey have been opened, Georgia and Ukraine have expressed interest in EU membership and are being discussed as possible candidates for a NATO enlargement. The growing Western presence in the region has set off alarm bells in Russia, which regards the Black Sea as its sphere of influence. The prospect of NATO expanding poses a particularly acute threat of escalation. Also, Moscow's remarks that independence for Kosovo could serve as a precedence for the spearatist frozen conflict regions ar being seen as harbingers of future conflict. EU and regional representatives have therefore counselled respect for Russia's interests around the Black Sea, consideration of its objections, and efforts to facilitate cooperation that would benefit all sides. Does the EU need a Black Sea strategy? If so, what form should it take? This 134th Bergedorf Protocol documents a meeting of senior politicians and experts from the region and EU states in Odessa who analyzed the situation and put forward policy options