Brussels, 08/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - Employers organisations BusinessEurope, in the EU, and BusinessMed, in the Mediterranean, Eurochambres and other investment promotion bodies have expressed their disappointment that the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) has become more focused on its internal organisation that on realising the objectives assigned it. These organisations, meeting in Barcelona on 3-4 June, published a joint press release in which they regret that, two years after its launch, the UfM has not, so far, lived up to its high expectations. The UfM, they say, is still struggling to achieve its primary goal: “building confidence amongst its members by generating tangible projects on the ground”.
The organisations say that the cancellation of the political summit scheduled for 7-8 June 2010 was a “disappointment” and a “further sign that the UfM is not performing in a way that will bring benefits to the Euro-Mediterranean zone”. Business, they argued, needed the governments of the UfM countries to show leadership to create a beneficial investment climate. They said that the UfM must be driven by a “new spirit of cooperation and conciliation” to unlock the potential of business development. Political summits “should always be organised in line with this spirit” and be “based on the principles of the Barcelona Process”. They opine that the UfM Secretariat should be able to “pursue the business development projects”. (F.B./transl.rt)