Brussels, 29/09/2010 (Agence Europe) - In Brussels on Tuesday 28 September, the MEPs of the delegation for relations with Maghreb carried out an assessment of relations with Algeria. They heard from such speakers as Manfredo Fanti, the head of the Maghreb unit at the European Commission, Hakim Darbouche, an Algerian researcher at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, and Amine Sidhoum, a lawyer and member of the Families of the Disappeared collective.
Fanti spoke of Algeria's determination to re-adapt the agreement, due to the country's disappointment at low levels of European investment and the need to take account of the needs of an economy which is based on an abundance of hydrocarbons. “They wished to review certain commercial clauses on tariff dismantling”. Technical talks are due to start at some point in the next few weeks.
For his part, Darbouche presented a detailed analysis of the Algerian economy and of the enormous role of oil and, in particular, gas in planning the future and, he stressed, “there is structural interdependency between Algeria and Europe” in this field. In his view, the future lies in “institutionalising” this particular relationship. He stressed the urgent need to act because, he said, “the interests seem to be moving gradually apart”, whereas Algeria is set to become the EU's number one provider of gas by 2018. Relations with Algeria are actively sought by other economic blocs, including China, but he played down the low level of European investments as having more to do with Algeria's lack of attractiveness than with any shortcomings on the European side. Reviewing the relationship established under the association agreement would be needed, because “free trade has no future” and the European neighbourhood policy, which is “too bilateral”, is of little interest to the Algerians. On reference to the political dialogue promoted with Alger, that “building the relationship on the only political plank cannot be enough”.
Sidhoum sketched a bleak picture of the human rights situation in his country, referring to disappearances, attacks on fundamental freedoms (press, association, etc), and calling on the EU to take action. (F.B./transl.fl)