1. Welcomes the Commission's Communication entitled "Black Sea Synergy – A New Regional Cooperation Initiative" and the aim of enhancing cooperation with and within the Black Sea region by supplementing the existing bilateral policies with a new regional approach; notes, in particular, that the energy security issues and the accession negotiations with Turkey, as well as the forthcoming expiry of the PCAs and the negotiations on their future, place regional cooperation in the Black Sea area among the top priorities of the Union's foreign policy agenda; considers that the future development of the Black Sea would benefit greatly from an ...[+++] independent Black Sea strategy in the long term;

1. Welcomes the Commission's Communication entitled "Black Sea Synergy – A New Regional Cooperation Initiative" and the aim of enhancing cooperation with and within the Black Sea region by supplementing the existing bilateral policies with a new regional approach; notes, in particular, that the energy security issues and the accession negotiations with Turkey, as well as the forthcoming expiry of the PCAs and the negotiations on their future, place regional cooperation in the Black Sea area among the top priorities of the Union’s foreign policy agenda;

1. Welcomes the Commission's Communication entitled "Black Sea Synergy – A New Regional Cooperation Initiative" and the aim of enhancing cooperation with and within the Black Sea region by supplementing the existing bilateral policies with a new regional approach; notes, in particular, that the energy security issues and the accession negotiations with Turkey, as well as the forthcoming expiry of the PCAs and the negotiations on their future, place regional cooperation in the Black Sea area among the top priorities of the Union's foreign policy agenda; considers that the future development of the Black Sea would benefit greatly from an ...[+++] independent Black Sea strategy in the long term;

In the present Communication, the Commission puts forward Black Sea Synergy as a new regional cooperation initiative of the EU .

EU-Russia relations have developed into a wide-ranging Strategic Partnership (that will be reflected in the new EU-Russia Framework Agreement, on which negotiations are foreseen to start shortly); the Stabilisation and Association Process offers possible EU membership to the countries of South East Europe; the adoption and strengthening of the European Neighbourhood Policy[1], the negotiation of a new Enhanced Agreement with Ukraine that will acknowledge the Ukrainian wish to deepen its relationship with the EU, the EU-Central Asia Political Dialogue, and the recent Commission Communication on Black Sea Synergy[2], all provide new oppo ...[+++]rtunities for closer cooperation between the Union and the countries of the UNECE region.

Bulgaria and Romania participate in the Danube-Black Sea Task Force (DABLAS) [5] mechanism established by the European Commission [6] for improving the co-ordination between the Danube and Black Sea Commissions and the others partners in the region.