Brussels, 09/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - Tahar Sioud, the former Tunisian minister and ambassador to Brussels said that “the time has come to start from scratch and redefine the framework, objectives and very nature of the UfM” (Union for the Mediterranean). Sioud is familiar with the dossier and pointed out that the UfM “is without a quartermaster for the second time in a year”, with the departure of the secretary general who had barely taken up his role six months ago (see EUROPE 10525).
Furthermore, he indicated that “the UfM is also in danger of being without co-presidency”, referring to Egypt, which is currently in charge of this role but which has in fact indicated that it wants to step down. Sioud pointed out that at a European level, the UfM is being tugged sharply in different directions.
In addition to this situation he said that there were also “institutional elements which were causing the UfM to malfunction and doubt about its objective and opportunities in the current context.” He stated that “the instrument is poorly adapted to meeting the concerns of the different parties. The ambitious projects are without funding and will not find funding… the UfM is now clearly an empty shell.”
He also pointed out: “the EU is currently in the grip of a serious crisis and does not have the resources or the determination to make any further commitments to countries on the southern banks of the Mediterranean. In fact, we need to help it to help us and adopt, ourselves (Ed: southern Mediterranean countries), a positive message to Europe, which is not an external partner just like the others. It is our natural partner due to its geographical and human proximity. We are linked to it commercially, economically and in human terms much more than we are with the Arab world. This will perhaps change but the majority of our migrants do indeed live in Europe… The Euro-Mediterranean relationship is indispensable but it should not be undertaken in any old way.” He therefore appealed for them to “start from scratch” and said that perhaps they needed to divide the Mediterranean into East and West areas, which could become “in our part of the Mediterranean (Maghreb) an extension of the successful 5+5 dialogue, which would need to be consolidated through a serious relaunch of the UMA (Union for the Arab Maghreb) on a less political but more concrete basis in terms of the economy, solidarity and ties with neighbouring regions.”
Sioud concluded that “we all have to meet enormous challenges”. He underlined the scale and seriousness of the urgent tasks that needed to be accomplished and concluded: “let's make haste. We have our priorities: the mobility of young graduates and the announcement of a Mediterranean Erasmus programme is welcome, building up investment and using our natural resources, human capital, energy and agriculture appropriately.” (FB/transl.fl)