Brussels, 22/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - In the middle of last week, the European ambassador to Algeria, Marek Skolil, held talks with Algerian civil society in order to involve it in the on-going preparation of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) action plan. A formal discussion meeting, the third of its kind, will be scheduled before the summer. This consultation took place under the auspices of the Conseil national économique et social (CNES) and, local media report, brought together charities, professional organisations and trade unions.
The head of the EU delegation pointed out that “the action plan objectives should focus on enhancing the dialogue around certain socio-economic issues, particularly employment, economic diversification, the environment, water and transport”. He said that the updated ENP now provided new instruments, through specialist European agencies, “which can strengthen cooperation between the two parties even further”.
Mohamed-Seghir Babès, the president of the CNES asserted that “we want to join this new European policy but we will move towards it according to a steady pace and an agenda” negotiated with Algeria's European partner.
The Algerian media note that, until the end of 2012, Algeria had been reluctant to join this policy because they considered it restrictive, particularly in the area of mobility. The country signed the association agreement in 2002. A representative from the foreign office, Ali Mokrani, in charge of cooperation with the EU and the European institutions, attended CNES-organised meeting and affirmed that Algeria “wants to build good neighbourhood relations with the EU based on the improved movement of goods, ideas and people” and on the guarantee of good treatment of the Algerian community in Europe. He also said that Algeria wanted developments to be accompanied by technological transfer, good practice and investment in the country which intends to engage in discussions “on an equal footing”. (FB/transl.fl)