Strategy for the Integration into the European Union

The accession to the European Union (EU) provides Latvia with an opportunity to participate in the development of European and global economy, politics and culture. The previous EU experience has shown that the so-called small states have played an important role especially in adopting strategic decisions. The EU expects that the applicant countries will not only demand the benefits for themselves, but also come forward with proposals and ideas that would be beneficial for both the applicants and the EU.
Amount of tasks Latvia has to implement in order to integrate in the EU is growing all the time. The number of the institutions involved in the integration process and of people interested in it is increasing as well. Several documents on separate aspects of strategy have been elaborated and adopted. However, unanimity on the priorities of integration has not yet been reached.
The Strategy for the Integration of Latvia into the EU is a document, determining the basic aspects of decision-making on the EU policy issues. Its objective is to facilitate the unified work and understanding, thus promoting Latvia’s accession to the EU. The Strategy:
provides the summary of operational guidelines for the government, ministries and other institutions involved in the integration process;
facilitates the elaboration and implementation of integration programmes in new sectors as well as the research of issues related to the integration process;
envisages the compliance of the public administration to the requirements of the EU and the co-ordination of sectoral priorities and the integration into the EU;
determines that the fiscal policy and the planning of the state budget have to comply with the requirements of the process of Latvia’s integration in the EU;
emphasises that the preconditions for the support of the society are the knowledge on the EU, access to objective information and open dialogue between the public administration and population.

As regards the EU enlargement, it is for the benefit of both the applicant countries and the EU to maintain the quality of the standards defined. The EU historic development shows that each country has to find its own way towards the most effective usage of common rules. We have to solve the tasks of the strategy in a creative manner, actively seeking the most favourable solutions for Latvia and simultaneously being aware of the obligations towards the other states and the EU in general.
The EU operates on the basis of the subsidiary principle, envisaging that the EU does not implement any measures on the level of its competence if more effective solutions can be found on national, regional and local level. This principle ensures that the decision-making and the implementation and control of the decisions are drawn as near to the population as possible.
In order to enhance the preparation of the applicant states for the EU membership, the European Commission regularly issues proposals on the integration priorities and provides different types of assistance in order to make the applicant country to realise its unique and therefore very necessary role.
The tasks of the Strategy are grouped in accordance with the institutional structure of the EU and the membership criteria set out by the EU Copenhagen Council.
Special attention is paid to the national interests of Latvia.…