Brussels, 18/03/2010 (Agence Europe) - The stalled Middle East peace talks were the focus of the sixth plenary session of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly (EMPA) held in Amman, Jordan, from 12-14 March. The Israeli policy of settlement building and the new housing projects in East Jerusalem were condemned as jeopardising the two-state solution. The EMPA also adopted its first operational budget and set up a permanent secretariat.
Parliament calls on the Union of Mediterranean countries to come up with a timeframe for establishing a Palestinian state “possibly within two years” and “comprising Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem”, the recommendation states. Israel should freeze all settlement activity, the EMPA states. “The continuing expansion of settlements is destroying trust between the partners, undermining the authority of the Palestinian negotiators and prejudging the outcome of the final status negotiations”, the recommendation reads, although the Israeli delegation has publicly expressed reservation.
During the debate on the peace process, the head of the EP delegation to the Palestinian Legislative Council, Proinsias de Rossa (S&D, Ireland), said “mutual trust is key to this conflict. Building trust entails putting an end to the siege of Gaza and finding a solution for Palestinian prisoners detained outside the constraints of the Geneva Convention”. “That is why I believe that the recommendations of the Goldstone report are important. If implemented, these recommendations could be the starting point for building the trust that this region needs”, Proinsias de Rossa added. Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (EPP, Greece) took up the matter, saying: “We should focus our political activity not only on the advantages of peace but also on the risks and costs of non-peace for the whole region, for Israel, the Palestinians and the EU”. Ivo Vajgl (ALDE, Slovenia) welcomed the presence of the Israeli delegation, saying: “You don't have to feel encircled. We are aiming at securing a prosperous Israeli state and the same goes for building a Palestinian state. Please convey to Israel why we are worried about the population of Gaza”.
Israel's recent decision to list sacred sites in Hebron, Bethlehem and Jerusalem in an Israeli national heritage restoration plan caused concern among MEPs and members of the Assembly, who decided to debate the issue thoroughly at a joint meeting of the political and cultural committees in Istanbul in May 2010.
Union for the Mediterranean. The UfM has given fresh impetus and greater political significance and economic effectiveness to the Barcelona Process thanks to its project-based approach, states an EMPA recommendation on the value added by the UfM to the region's development. The UfM is also “an asset for achieving institutional reforms in Mediterranean countries” and tackling issues such as water, energy and immigration, it adds.
According to Raimon Obiols (S&D, Spain), who is rapporteur on this theme, “changing the name of the Assembly from EMPA to Parliamentary Assembly of the UfM should be the first step to enforce a real parliamentary dimension of the Union”. Speaking on behalf of the Spanish EU Presidency, Ambassador José Riera Siquier said: “The EMPA recommendations will be taken into account with a view to the upcoming June 2010 UfM summit in Barcelona”. “EMPA is a political bridge across the Mediterranean, a unique form of cooperation. It needs more than ever to boost the peace process and the economies of the region”, said EP President Jerzy Buzek, who headed the EP delegation.
No consensus on a Mediterranean Bank. The Assembly did not reach a consensus on the Tunisian proposal to transform the Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP) into a Mediterranean branch of the European Investment Bank (EIB). Some delegations from the EU national parliaments (including Sweden, Finland and Germany), opposed creating such a bank, arguing that existing facilities are better and that loans would be more expensive if the bank were to be set up. The Assembly nevertheless asked that the “most efficient mechanism to support the UfM projects” should be studied, one option being “a Euro-Mediterranean Bank”. Charles Henri, of the UfM mission, presented to the Assembly the mandate of the working group, set up by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, on the feasibility of a financial instrument for the Union, which should not interfere with existing institutions or mechanisms (African Bank of Development, Neighbourhood and Pre-Accession Instruments, EDF for Mauritania, etc.) The group of 10 UfM founding countries will make public its recommendations on 27 May, a few days before the Barcelona summit in June. The Assembly also adopted recommendations on freedom of expression and respect for religious beliefs, and on the preservation and sustainability of the common maritime area, including the Dead Sea.
Italian Presidency of the EMPA until March 2011. Gianfranco Fini, Speaker of the Italian lower house of parliament, highlighted Italy's priorities: - promoting democracy and human rights, tackling the environmental challenge of the Mediterranean and immigration flows and also the way these populations can be integrated into the host countries. The Italian parliament will hold the EMPA's rotating presidency until March 2011, succeeding the Jordanian House of Representatives.
Permanent secretariat. The Assembly was in agreement over a proposal aimed at establishing its own operational budget as well as a permanent secretariat. Commenting on its budgetary proposal, Gianni Pittella (S&D, Italy), asserted that the “EMPA has matured and is now a grown-up player in the Mediterranean region. Parliamentarians from the two shores will have the capacity to fully play their part in tackling issues of common interest such as peace, energy and migration”. “The Assembly now has the necessary means to go ahead and fully play its role as the parliamentary institution of the UfM”, commented Jerzy Buzek.
Finally, the EMPA decided to welcome Croatia and Montenegro as new members of the Assembly. These two countries are also part of the Union for the Mediterranean.
Dominique Vlasto (EPP, France), who is rapporteur on the EMPA recommendation on post-crisis management in the Mediterranean area, pointed out that the effects of the crisis will be felt for some months yet. It is therefore necessary to set up measures to support the economy as soon as possible, in a coordinated manner, counting on the assets of all the partner countries in the Mediterranean basin. She considers that adequate funding should be allocated to the post-crisis period, especially to help SMEs which are essential economic forces that contribute to spatial planning, job generation and a prosperous economy. (L.C./transl.jl)