Brussels, 10/12/2009 (Agence Europe) - Spanish Socialist MEP Raimon Obiols has raised the question of urgently clarifying the aims of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM because the process has been characterised by implementation problems. He said that clarification was urgently required because Sarkozy's initial ideas were paradoxical and had two conflicting aims - depolitising on the one hand, calling the idea a “unity of projects” to be implemented; while at the same time, calling for hefty internationalising. In the first year of UfM, there has been too much empty rhetoric, a degree of bumbling and a lack of common sense, he added, commenting that people who are centre stage in UfM should be more humble and make a more serious commitment.
In an article on the PES website, Obiols says that the conflict between Israel and the Arabs does not explain why the UfM process has got so bogged down because other, domestic, reasons like the way the UfM emerged and its strategic vision also explain the slow progress - hence the urgent need to decide what the UfM is for exactly. As Belgium recently pointed out, politicians are “ill at ease” with UfM co-chairs' statements and there has been a deterioration in relations between France and Egypt. Obiols adds that Germany is keeping a close eye on expenditure to ensure it does not get out of control. It is not clear to what extent the EIB will invest in UfM and the situation is becoming serious. Obiols blames the way France has been managing UfM, describing it as lacking clarity and being rather one-sided. Obiols does not comment on Spain's attitude, which has been acting as a closed unit along with France and Egypt, deciding things amongst themselves and even ignoring the European Commission. Obiols says he is relatively confident about Spain taking over the Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2010 and believes the idea mooted by Spain in its draft work programme of a UfM summit is do-able as long as the whole point of the programme is clarified in advance, putting cards on the table about what the UfM is for exactly. (F.B./transl.fl)