Brussels, 07/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - The EU and Algeria met on Thursday 6 December for the 7th session of their Association Council in a bilateral context marked by the economic and budgetary crisis, urgent research for energy cooperation and, at regional level, the Mali crisis and the risk of armed clashes at the Sahara border. Despite this context, Algeria has stated its intention to deepen cooperation with the EU, which confirms the turning point taken by Algiers for over nearly one year now, although it did not admit having to commit itself to an “action plan” like those convened with all its neighbours in the context of neighbourhood policy.
The Algerians' reminder of this general context is shared by the European side which notes with interest the recent thaw in the attitude of this Mediterranean partner which is sensitive to and so far reticent to consolidate cooperation, mainly with regard to neighbourhood policy and strong political commitment.
According to a European press release, the meeting “provided further evidence of the positive development and the new dynamic of the bilateral relations between Algeria and the EU, which were established in 2011 to develop a strong relationship, based on mutual respect and solidarity. Algeria is a vital partner for the EU and a key player in the Euro-Mediterranean area and within the Africa-EU partnership”.
During the joint press conference, the president-in-office of the EU Council, Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, Cypriot Foreign Minister, and the Algerian foreign minister, Mourad Medelci, together with European Commissioner Stefan Füle (Neighbourhood Policy), praised the splendid spirit in which their formal and less formal talks took place. These talks under political dialogue focused not only on the Maghreb but also on the Middle East (Palestine and Syria) and, above all, on security in the Sahel region of the Maghreb. On this point, Algeria reiterated its reservation regarding the military option but places itself under cover of a decision by the UN Security Council.
The session mainly allowed stock to be taken of the 18 months of action since the last joint meeting, which has allowed results that are appreciated by both Brussels and Algiers. It was a question of progress made by Algeria in its political, economic and administrative reforms, to which the Commission will increase its support through the action plan that the partner agrees to negotiate further to lengthy hesitation (a “twinning” programme, a sort of “coaching” in administrative and regulatory governance). The EU also took positive note of the fact that the “The work done by the EU election observation mission in Algeria in May 2012, the use of its recommendations and the good cooperation with the Algerian authorities were emphasised”.
The EU reiterated its availability to support this Algerian process, mainly through the negotiation of a first action plan in the context of European Neighbourhood Policy. At the technical level, Algeria agrees to speak of all subjects that it had avoided to date (its accession to the pan-Euro-Mediterranean system of rules of origin, energy cooperation) and an agreement is officially foreseen and to be negotiated early 2013 with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU), an agreement of scientific cooperation already contracted, and in-depth trade negotiations that should allow Algeria to join the WTO and begin with a bilateral agreement with the EU on mutual access to markets. Two subjects do not, for now, appear to be included in the expression of general satisfaction that resulted from the new “good spirit”: mobility and visa policy, on one hand, and, on the other, binding rules imposed by Algiers on foreign companies (the rule of “49/51” shares maximum that an investor may hold in a firm established in Algeria). There is no sign of the gap being closed between the two sides on this, but the tone on these two sensitive subjects seems to have eased and, at any rate, is no longer accusatory.
Human Rights.
In preparation for the Joint Council, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN), the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH), the Collectif des Familles de Disparus en Algérie (CFDA), the Algerian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LADDH), the Syndicat National Autonome du Personnel de l'Administration Publique (SNAPAP), the Network of Lawyers for the Defence of Human Rights (RADDH), and the association Acting for Democracy and Change in Algeria (ACDA) call on the European Union to make respect of human rights a priority. (FB/transl.jl)