Brussels, 31/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 31 January, the EU General Affairs Council took note of the Commission's proposals dating back to December on strengthening cooperation collectively with the Maghreb, entitled: “Supporting closer cooperation and regional integration in the Maghreb: Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia”. The Council, however, considers that the momentum promised for strengthening Maghreb integration must come from the countries themselves. It is waiting to learn of suggested practical measures. A meeting has been set for one year hence to take stock.
It is, therefore, a political “yes” on the part of the Council that notes the EU's agenda for supporting the five countries of the Maghreb in their own efforts towards closer cooperation and greater regional integration, especially in the context of the Arab Maghreb Union. That effort, it states, comes within the political framework of the partnership for democracy and shared prosperity, which is the updated version of the neighbourhood policy given the upheavals that have taken place in the Mediterranean southern rim countries. It completes that partnership by introducing the principle of differentiation to take into account the diverse nature of situations and of political and economic developments.
The Council also welcomes the emphasis placed in the communication on democratic reforms and inclusive economic development, as well as on the existing cooperation frameworks in the region, especially the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the 5+5. It also recalls the role of the League of Arab States.
Underlying security aspects are taken into account. The Political and Security Committee has examined the content of the proposals and approved them at its level pending their endorsement by written procedure with the approval of Coreper, on Thursday 31 January. By way of conclusion, the Council favourably welcomes the proposals set out in the communication concerning security cooperation, including counter-terrorism and border surveillance, and calls on the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and on the Commission to work in cooperation with the European Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism, with a view to implementing those proposals in order to strengthen their commitment with the countries of the region. The Council welcomes the idea of suggesting to hold a high level dialogue with the EU and the Maghreb countries, at an unspecified date. It plans to take stock of this in December 2013. (FB/transl.jl)