Interests vs Values The EU’s policy towards Central Asia

Vanessa Boas

26/03/2012 IAI, Rome.

Introduction

“In its relations with the wider world, the Union shall uphold and promote its values

and interests”

Article 3.5 Lisbon Treaty

How to balance interests and values in energy-rich dictatorships?

Why Turkmenistan?

1. Ranked among the world’s most authoritarian regimes on earth

2. Potentially one of the world’s most gas rich nations on earth

3. Its current relevance in light of the Trans-Caspian pipeline.

Authoritarianism

•Basic freedoms denied

•Personality cult

•Power through fear

Gas wealth

• 71.21 billion tons of natural gas, 4th largest in the world (Gaffney, Cline and Associates)

•EU- Turkmen political relations are underdeveloped.

• Both the EU and Turkmenistan want to diversify away from Russia.

The Trans- Caspian pipeline

The EU’s dilemma

How can the EU work with Turkmenistan which violates all basic EU values but has the gas Brussels needs in order to diversify away from Russia?

How should the EU deal with Turkmenistan?

Engagement

The NGO response

How should the EU deal with Turkmenistan?

Human rights based conditionality

Why conditionality will not work1. Lack of leverage/ incentives

2. EU credibility

3. Situation on the ground

Lack of Leverage

•Neither Russia nor China impose any normative conditions on their commercial deals.

Lack of credibility

“Instead of leading to a visible improvement in the field of human rights in Uzbekistan, the sanctions have become a demonstration of the ineffectiveness of EU human rights conditionality.”

Situation on the ground

•Patrimonial-authoritarian clan structures

•Basic welfare guaranteed in return for political loyalty.

Combining interests + values

• Including minimum requirements in its energy deal.

•Companies must be allowed to meet their international obligations.

•Normative provisions in sectoral policies.

Combining interests + values

•Invest in local education and infrastructure.

•Capacity building

Combining interests + values

•Environmental Protection (equipment, awareness, training, monitoring, clean up)

Conclusion•Engagement + minimum conditions+

normative provisions.

• Increase interdependence -> increased leverage

• Focus on a bottom- up approach which is less threatening than conditionality.

Thank You!