Luxembourg, 20/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - In Luxembourg on Monday, after the sixth session of their Association Council, the EU and Algeria jointly declared that there had been relatively positive developments in their overall cooperation, despite the dissatisfaction of Algerian businesses at what they see as an overly rapid opening-up of the national market. At the end press conference, which was also attended by the head of Algerian diplomacy, Mourad Medelci, Martony and Füle, the president-in-exercise of the Council and European commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement respectively, confirmed that the EU has acknowledged that it must slow down the timetable for tariff dismantling and that negotiations are underway to adjust the stages for protection to be removed from the Algerian market. The EU, which is “well aware of the challenges ahead (…), states that it is prepared to continue its support to Algeria in this matter, with the emphasis on the five areas identified in the 'roadmap' agreed upon in 2008. In this framework, the EU calls on Algeria to continue the joint reflection on the future of their relations with a view to improving and strengthening them, particularly in the framework of the European neighbourhood policy”. It also hopes to work with Algeria on developing “new perspectives for the bilateral commercial agenda” and pledges its support for its accession to the WTO, but calls on the country to make in-depth reforms, particularly removing restrictions on the activity of European businesses. “The treatment applied to foreign direct investment and public procurement has led to grave misgivings within the European business community, which has had extremely negative effects on current and future foreign direct investment in Algeria. The EU calls on Algeria to relax or reconsider these measures as much as possible.” The EU encourages it in the “promotion of the business climate” and urges it to “avoid, as far as possible, adding any procedures which are too binding for operators”.
Martony stressed the need to explore the “strong potential” of this cooperation and highlighted the importance of the fledgling regular political dialogue, whilst welcoming the lifting of the state of emergency. The creation of the “political dialogue, security and human rights” sub-committee “is an important step”. This will make it possible to have “substantial cooperation on respect for the democratic principles and human rights, which underpin the Association Agreement”. The EU “confirms its wish to hold the first session of this dialogue in September 2011”, he said.
Füle, who has carried out two explanatory missions to Algiers, also stressed that it is very much in Algeria's interests to be fully involved in its bilateral relationship with Europe and between the two shores of the Mediterranean. He welcomed the country's forthcoming attendance at the meeting of the senior civil servants of the countries of the “neighbourhood” which he is holding in Brussels on 14 July to set in place the new approach to the revised ENP (European Neighbourhood Policy). Minister Medelci confirmed this commitment, congratulating the EU on having carried out this kind of “self-assessment” of a poorly-tailored ENP, and on having acknowledged the need to design “made-to-measure suits”. The question of the UfM (Union for the Mediterranean) was also, somewhat timidly, raised, a “pragmatic” experience for Martony, and Medelci voiced hopes that it would move forward to the presentation of concrete projects this year or next.
When asked about Syria, Libya and the Middle East, Martony and Medelci did not go any further than the official positions. The stance of the EU27 is that the various subjects were on the agenda of Monday's Council and that of Algeria, which was confirmed by its minister, is that of “rigorous” adherence to the UN resolutions and no direct interference. The situation in the Western Sahara and the Sahel were on the agenda of the talks. (F.B./transl.fl)